Taking a career hiatus is now perfectly okay
Embracing a career hiatus, once considered a professional setback, is now gaining acceptance. Let's delve into the changing perceptions, the reasons behind this shift, and how to navigate a career break without jeopardizing future prospects.
The employment landscape has shifted dramatically in the past few years.
The increased focus on career breaks creates an outstanding opportunity to remove the stigma of taking a break
- Just because someone has taken a break does not mean they are lazy or that their skills are stagnating
- LinkedIn recognizes the value of giving workers every chance to regain employment and has added a feature allowing users to add career breaks to their résumé
Breaks are commonplace but not so commonly accepted
Most people associate career breaks with either women who leave their employer to have children and care for them or younger workers who head off into the world for a gap year, but there are many other reasons employees take time away
- In the future, it will be increasingly difficult for employers to find potential hires who have not had a break
- It is in both the employer’s and employee’s best interest to focus on how potential employees developed during their time away
Making the most of career breaks
Just because an employee leaves the workforce temporarily does not mean that they are not developing relevant skills
- 53% say they are better at their job after taking a break.
- 50% of hiring managers believe people returning from a career break have often gained valuable soft skills, and 51% believe workers who take breaks can restart their career any time.