After casting a spell over audiences for a decade as Hermione in the Harry Potter film franchise, Emma Watson surprised her fans by announcing she was taking a break from acting to concentrate on finishing a literature degree at Brown University. While the star didn’t completely abandon her big screen career, it allowed her to pursue new projects and find fresh opportunities.
Whether it’s because you want to learn a new skill, pursue passions and interests, or simply reflect on a new career direction, a break from your current job can help. But how do you make sure the gap in your CV doesn’t damage your future career?
The first place to start is deciding what kind of break you want to take. While there is no legal obligation to offer them, companies should have a clear policy regarding career breaks and sabbaticals. These are both usually unpaid, with the latter normally for a shorter period of time.
The next step is deciding what you want to do on your break. While it may be tempting to pack your bags and travel the world, you will probably need to sell the benefits of your break to employers when you return. So whether it’s volunteering to build schools in Africa or studying coding, think carefully about the impact that might have on whatever job you decide to return to.
If you are thinking about taking a career break or sabbatical, join us on Wednesday 16 August at 1pm–2.30pm for a live chat with our expert panel to discuss what type of break is right for you. We’ll be covering:
- Benefits of taking a career break or sabbatical
- What to do during a break to boost your career
- How to manage financially
- CV, interview and job application advice when you return
The Q&A will take place in the comments section below this article. Taking part is easier than ever: to comment create a free Guardian account, or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profiles. Alternatively, you can tweet us @GuardianCareers or email your questions to susie.bearne@theguardian.com, who can post them for you.
Panel
Lisa LaRue is a registered careercoach at CareerWorx with more than 18 years’ experience helping people plan, manage and find happiness in their careers.
Jon Gregory is a job search, application and interview specialist, also experienced in business re-organisation and recruitment. He’s the author of Winning That Job, editor of win-that-job.com and provides advice and services to students, graduates and professional career-builders.
Simon Carder is the head of experienced recruitment at PwC. PwC is the leading professional services firm in the UK employing around 20,000 people and offers career breaks and sabbaticals to it’s employees.
Jo Lyon is managing director of Talking Talent. Lyon is an entrepreneur who 12 years ago set up a career coaching consultancy which specialises in gender diversity and coaching female talent in multinational organisations.
Lydia Fairman is a senior level HR and resourcing specialist for Network Rail. Fairman is a social media advocate, offering free CV advice, interview guidance and writing careers blogs to help job seekers succeed.
Andrew Fennell is the director of StandOut CV, a London-based CV writing service. Fennell previously worked as a senior recruitment consultant across multiple industries.
Natasha Stanley is head coach and head of content at Careershifters, an organisation dedicated to helping mid-career professionals find fulfilling work.
Sarah Archer is a qualified career coach and founder of CareerTree. She coaches people who want to have fulfilling and meaningful careers, and specialises in change and confidence.
Looking for a job? Browse Guardian Jobs or sign up to Guardian Careers for the latest job vacancies and career advice
Comments (…)
Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion