Rejuvenating Your Career — Sabbatical, Secondment or Career Break?

Not quite ready to quit your day job and start your new career? Maybe you want a burst of fresh inspiration away from the 9-5. If so, taking time out may be what you need. Here’s the low-down on the main three options available to you.

Sabbatical

It’s worth investigating if your employer offers or is open to the idea of sabbaticals. A sabbatical is granted through an employer and is paid for, with the intention that you return to work for that employer at the end of the sabbatical. It can provide you with time away from work to rejuvenate, build your skill set, work or volunteer abroad, add to your CV and return to work with more to offer your employer. This account by Michael Hyatt of his own sabbatical gives convincing reasons for why employees and employers should explore the option!

It can also provide a useful breathing space for you to reassess what you want from work, so when you return you are ready to talk to your employer about your career needs. This could include asking to work more flexibly, shifting your current work tasks so they begin to include new ones you are interested in, or building on the skills and experiences you had during the sabbatical.

For further tips about sabbaticals, check out these articles which explain How To Ask For A Sabbatical From Your Employer, and How to Decide Whether To Take A Sabbatical or Career Break.

Secondment

A secondment is less of a break from work (although you may be able to have a free week or two in-between leaving your current job and starting the secondment), rather a way to shift your work. You are transferred to another branch of your company either within the UK or to another country for a temporary finite amount of time. You may either be working in a similar role, or different (but related) role within the same company. Secondments in the public or civil society sector can also include working at other organisations.

You may find that working in a different environment with different people could be the career adjustment you needed! A friend of mine started a two-year secondment from her London office to Hong Kong recently. She enjoys living and working in a very different culture as well as having opportunities to travel to nearby countries.

You may view the secondment as part of your longer term career shift. If you are relocated to another part of the country or abroad, living in a different place can inspire you or offer you other opportunities for career change further down the line.

If the idea of a secondment appeals, this article can help you begin the process of exploring it as an option: Tips For Making The Most Of Your Secondment

Career Break

A career break is when you decide to take a set amount of time out, either to travel, work on a personal project, or even to dedicate to your longer-term career change! The difference between a career break and sabbatical is that whilst a sabbatical is granted and paid for my your employer, a career break is something you take upon yourself. You pay for it yourself, set the amount of time you want to give to it, and you may have to leave your current job to do it. However it is worth checking with your employer to see if they will keep your position open for you to return to. If you explain that you are taking a structured career break to do something worthwhile (eg volunteering or going on an expedition) then they may be happy to grant you the unpaid leave with a job to return to at the end. This could be a good option if your employer is not open to sabbaticals or paying for you to take time out.

If you are viewing a career break as part of an overall career change, it is important to make sure your ‘time out’ is structured and you have some kind of plan for what you will do! Make sure you have finances in place to cover your living costs and perhaps have a broad goal that you wish to reach by the end of the career break. For example, after your six months out, your goal could be to begin moving into your new desired career area, or setting up your own start-up business. You never know, you might find that the activity you do during your career break could turn into your career. This was the case for Alex who quit his financial job to travel for a few months around the world. He spent time on a horse ranch in New Zealand and now has a job lined up there for later in the year.

The following articles on our site explore the option of career breaks more fully to help you with your decision:

• Taking A Career Break - A Guide To Getting Started
• Ideas For Taking A Career Break At Home Rather Than Travelling

The Independent also have a thorough article about career breaks including inspiring case studies of others who have taken breaks.

Have you taken a sabbatical, career break or secondment? How did it impact your work and life? Let us know in the comments!