applying for a career break letter

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• Explain The Gap
• How can you contribute to the organisation?
• Reiterate/ Summarise
• Closing statement
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Cover Letter Template for Career Break

There is a range of different reasons why professionals might take up a career break. It could be to take care of an ailing family member, personal health issues, taking a break from work for mental health, relocation to a new city, taking care of infants and young kids, and many others. Whatever the reason be, getting back into the workforce is a daunting experience. Especially if you are getting into the professional world after a break of multiple years, the technologies and the processes would have evolved and that diminishes your chances to be employed at par with your last position and salary. 

In this article, we will help you understand how to write a perfect cover letter or CV after a career break and how to build your resume . Let’s get started with the structure of the cover letter or CV.

• Opening statement/ paragraph
• Explain the gap
• How can you contribute to the organization?
• Reiterate/Summarize your interest in the role
• Closing statement/ paragraph

Play it safe when you are writing the opening statement for your cover letter. Start with a brief explanation of the position you are applying for and how did you find your vacancy. Keep it relevant and to the point and make sure it is short and not a prolonged paragraph. 

Below is an example of an opening statement:

“I wish to apply for the role of data science executive featured on iimjobs.com. I have enclosed a CV for your consideration.”

At this stage do not consider anything about your career gap. Here, you mention all your skills and list down all the achievements that you have had in your previous stints. List out your academic and vocational qualifications, relevant certifications, that will help you showcase your suitability for the role. This section will essentially prove that despite your career break, you still possess the skills, qualities, and mindset to pursue the role. 

Pro Tip: Always try to quantify your achievements with the results that you achieved. For example, a 30% increase in revenue.

In the third paragraph, take the opportunity to explain your career gap as briefly as possible. But in your quest to make it short and crisp do not limit your explanation and ensure it is thorough. Also, define why is it the right role for you to return to the workforce. When it comes to career gaps, recruiters fear that candidates would not be ready to return to work. Alleviate such fears for the recruiters in this section and explain your worth. 

Example: 

“In March 2016, I gave birth to my daughter and took some time off work to give her all the care she needed. Now, she has started to go to school full-time and I am ready to restart my career and determined to take up new professional challenges.”

Also Read: Six ways to make your CV stand out from the crowd

Once the career gap is addressed and explained, you need to tell the recruiter how you will be a valuable addition to their organisation. You can do this by listing out all that you have done to improve your skills and broaden your knowledge base. This will include certifications, specialised courses, volunteer work, relevant projects you have worked on, letter of recommendation (if you have any). 

You can easily overcome your career gap by reinforcing your credentials and present yourself boldly with confidence and facts. 

“During my career break, I kept a track of how data science is improving and growing as a professional field and signed up for a data science certification course with great learning . I am now a certified data science practitioner and have proved my skills in the capstone project I did as a part of my curriculum. I have attached a brief about my project on “credit card fraud detection” with this cover letter.”

Here you would summarise your interest in the role and organisation and how you would be the right fit. 

I am confident that I can bring the required level of expertise to the role and help the organisation in building well-functioning data science models and solutions. I am available to start immediately and see myself grow along with the organisation for the long term. 

Thank the employer for their time and consideration while closing the letter an sign off with an appropriate salutation such as “Yours sincerely”, or “Yours faithfully”.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to meeting with you for an interview and take my application further. 

Yours sincerely,

Always remember that taking time off your career to take care of a personal commitment is nothing to be ashamed of. Life happens and it is not a reflection of your work. As times are changing, many employers are becoming increasingly considerate and understanding when it comes to gaps in employment history. 

Therefore, never be tempted to hide your career gap as you will risk your entire application if the recruiter comes to know otherwise. Focus on the positives and assure the employer that you are ready to return to work and possess all the required knowledge and skills for the role under consideration. 

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How to explain a career break in your cover letter

June 14, 2021

Source: iStock/Brothers91

There are several valid reasons why you may need to take a break from your career for months or even years at a time.

Perhaps you need to care for a child or family member, or perhaps you took a break to travel, volunteer for a worthy cause, or work on a personal project.

Some of the most common reasons for a CV gap include:

• Time taken off due to illness 
• Caring for a relative 
• Made redundant from a previous role 
• Looking for a job
• Childcare responsibilities
• Going back into education 

Whatever the case may be, it can still feel a little awkward explaining your career break to prospective employers once you return to the job market.

With that in mind, here are some tips that can help you explain your career break in your cover letter.

Focus on what you can offer 

First of all, you don't want your cover letter to sound like a defence of why you had to take some time away from work.

Very few employers are going to worry much about your career break unless they think you're not ready to return to work, or there is some underlying factor that will affect your work with them.

Otherwise, your recruiter just wants to know why you would be the right person for the job.

With that in mind, focus on the positives you can offer your prospective employer

Instead of addressing your career gap immediately, talk about your accomplishments in previous roles. For example:

• Did you help to increase revenues for your former company?
• Did you help to finish a major project on time and within budget?
• Did you receive any specific recognition for your work?

Think about what you can share that will demonstrate your competence, industriousness, and expertise to the recruiter.

After all, the main reason you're writing the cover letter in the first place is to make yourself look as attractive to the company as possible.

Don't try to hide your career break

Even though your qualifications and value to the prospective employer should make up the bulk of your cover letter, you still need to explain your absence from the workforce at some point.

Never give in to the temptation to hide your career gap, or gloss over it.

Granted, there may be a small possibility that the recruiter overlooks the gap; but if the recruiter finds out at a later stage of the hiring process, it could become an issue. In this situation, as in all others, honesty is the best policy.

At the same time, it's a good idea to mention why you think this role is the right fit for you coming back into the workforce.

Perhaps you could reiterate your previous experience in similar roles, or how you've kept your skills sharp during your absence.

Source: Shutterstock/GP Pixstock

Don't give out unnecessary details 

When it's time for you to explain your career break in the cover letter, keep the explanation brief and concise.

Remember, you don't have to go in-depth as to why you left your previous job.

For example, let's say that you decided to leave work to care for your elderly parents. The recruiter doesn’t need to know the details about how you came to make the decision, as it is very personal to you.

Instead, you could briefly state something such as: In [insert year], I took some time away from work to care for my parents. It's simple, to the point, and tells the recruiter all they need to know about the situation.

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This post was written by: Mariana Santos, Delivery Center Manager – Global Recruitment & Training

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The Best Career Break Cover Letter Tips

So, you are ready to get back out there and give it your best shot. You already have your resume all done and written, and it looks good. There is only one little bump on your road to success – there is an employment gap in your resume.

If that gap is a month long, or even two , employers won’t look into it too much. You can probably make it work even with a 6-month resume gap. However, if your gap is longer, you will need to address it.

Why is the resume gap such a big deal? You are the same person before and after it, aren’t you?

The truth is – some are and some aren’t. There are people who are not able to hold down a job due to many reasons. Some of them are justified and some of them aren’t.

The recruiters are afraid that they will invest the company’s time, money and resources in the wrong person.

It is up to you to explain that you are a real professional who is ready to get back in the saddle. Sometimes, this is easier said than done.

Here are some of the issues people worry about when it comes to writing their cover letter:

• Is my cover letter just a copy of my CV?
• Is my work still relevant after all this time?
• Should I say what I was doing all this time?

Answers to these questions are actually some of the main rules and guidelines for writing a cover letter, so let’s start with them.

Main Rules for Career Break Cover Letter

There are many specific rules for writing a cover letter, but let’s start with some general principles and work our way down to the specifics.

• No. Your cover letter is not simply your resume in a longer, differently structured form. The recruiters have already seen your CV. They don’t need to learn the facts from it all over again. Your cover letter is another chance to prove that you are the perfect candidate. Use it to explain why you are the perfect fit and what you love about the job. Also, use it to address your employment gap.
• Keep it short . Your cover letter should never exceed one A4 page. Even that is a stretch. Keep it short, informative and to the point.
• Make it original . Recruiters will get hundreds of cover letters. If yours is generic and doesn’t respond to the job posting they created, it will fail. Recruiters can spot generic letters from a mile away.
• Include professional contact details . Don’t use email addresses that belong to a member of your family, or the emails that are funny. If possible, create a special, professional email address just for job applications.
• Mind how you start and finish your cover letter . Start it by addressing the employer or recruiter by their name (if you can discover it) and finish it with ‘Yours sincerely’.

Three Main Elements of a Career Break Cover Letter

It is time to get a bit more specific and to deal with the elements that are a part of every well-written cover letter. You need an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Simple, right? Well, yes and no.

There are a lot of details in these three elements and there is a lot to be said about each of them. Let’s start with the introduction and list some tips on how to write it well.

Cover Letter Introduction

Keep the introduction brief, clear and to the point. Explain who you are and what is it that you do. Emphasize your career and not on your break.

This is also the moment when you should mention the position you are applying for. Make it all as short as an elevator pitch.

After you have introduced yourself, it is time to address the break. Give it a sentence or even just a half of it .

Simply state that you are “enthusiastic to get back to work after a 4-year parental break.” Mention why this position is just perfect for you to return to work.

The last part of this section should be dedicated to listing the activities you had during your break. Maybe you did some training, attended some refresher courses, or volunteered.

Perhaps you took the time to take a course for online work . Anything that shows you used your time to keep your old skills fresh or to gain some new ones is useful.

Cover Letter Body

This part of your cover letter is all about listing your achievements, accomplishments, skills, and explaining why you are the best fit for the job.

Your letter should make you shine, so go through these useful tips before you type a work of it.

Start by analyzing the job advert . Take a look at the top 4-6 requirements for the position. Then go through your work history and skills list and make a match.

The point is to provide evidence from your work history that you have what it takes to fulfill the role.

Remember, you only need to list those skills that are mentioned in the job advert or those that are closely related to them. Don’t go on listing everything you can do.

You are creating too much text in which the relevant skills for the job will simply drown and become invisible.

When listing your skills, keep in mind that there are those phrases that were used so much, they lost every meaning.

Words like “team player”, “detail oriented”, and similar, only take up precious space without adding anything to your cover letter.

Also, it is time to answer one of those three questions from the beginning – i t is absolutely OK to list former skills , roles, and abilities that you had before your break.

They are yours, after all! These skills aren’t gone. They just need a bit of brushing up and you are good to go.

Additionally, don’t be afraid of gaining new skills. Your ability to learn is also intact. Just because you took some time off, it doesn’t mean that this ability has disappeared.

It may seem to you that those skills and achievements stayed in the past because you cannot remember them all, either. In that case, dig through your old performance reviews or similar reports.

You can also call some old colleagues, as well. That can give you a better idea about what you have to offer.

Cover Letter Conclusion 

This is the part where you sum it all up. Research the company website and social media profiles and learn about the specifics.

Then include those details, so that it shows you have done your research. Use them as the reason you want to join the company.

Once you establish that you are interested in working with this company, point out, one more time, why they should pick you for the job position they are offering. Sum up why you can benefit the company.

At last, finish your cover letter with a polite greeting. One of the good choices is “Yours sincerely”. Sign your full name and that’s it! You are done!

These are some general and some more specific tips for each section of the career break cover letter.

As you can see, this letter should only mention the fact you had a career break. A brief explanation is all it takes. You should not dwell on that fact.

While you have probably been busy during your time off work, it is always a good idea to, at least, take a course so that you can prove you have been busy and proactive.  

Luckily for you the choice of online courses today is great , especially if you are trying to start an online career. It is definitely worth looking into.

Katrina McKinnon

I'm Katrina McKinnon, the author behind Small Revolution . With two decades of hands-on experience in online work, running eCommerce stores, web agency and job boards, I'm now on a mission to empower you to work from home and achieve work-life balance. My passion lies in crafting insightful, education content. I have taught thousands of students and employees how to write, do SEO, manage eCommerce stores and work as Virtual Assistants. Join our most popular course: SEO Article Masterclass

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Cover letters and references after a career break.

Describing your career gap to potential employers

By Vivian Steir Rabin

Vivian Steir Rabin is the co-founder of iRelaunch and the co-author of Back on the Career Track (affiliate link). She is a relauncher, having relaunched her career in executive search after a 7 year career break. Vivian left iRelaunch in late 2014 in order to focus full time on VSR Advisors , a retained executive search firm focused on commercial real estate and financial services for which she serves as Managing Director and Principal.

“I’ve been out of the workforce for several years,” a reader e-mailed me. "Should I address the gap on my resume in a cover letter? What about salary requirements? And what do I do about the fact that all my references are from 10+ years ago, besides the PTA president. (I’ve already told my 12-year-old that I’m not going to use her, even though she’s teaching me power point!)"

Here’s how I responded:

If you haven’t explained the gap on your resume, then by all means explain it in a cover letter. In fact, even if you have a line on your resume about your career break, address the issue in your cover letter as well. Do it briefly and unapologetically. (See the sample below.) Do not go on and on about why you stayed home.

The key is to address the gap (so prospective employers don’t think you were in jail or conjure up other unseemly excuses for your absence from the workforce) and make it clear that you’re ready to return to work now. Employers are less concerned about the gap per se and more concerned about whether you’re logistically and psychologically ready to work and whether you have the skills, despite your absence, to perform on the job.

Your goal, in your cover letter, is to reassure them, briefly, that you are ready, willing and able to return to work.

D o not mention salary requirements at all in a cover letter, nor during the first few interviews. Wait until the employer brings it up.

As far as references go, you do not need to mention them in the cover letter or resume. But you should try to line up 2-3 references, even if they’re from years ago. (One of the three could be from your recent volunteer work, like the PTA president). Email or call your old bosses, tell them you’re seeking to return to the workforce, and ask them if they’re willing to serve as a reference. Assure them that you’ll only give their name and phone number to those who are seriously interested in hiring you. Thank them profusely. Although you haven’t spoken in years, if you did good work, they should be willing to vouch for you. And, who knows, maybe they’ll even have a job lead!

Sample Relauncher Cover Letter:

I am very interested in the A opportunity at Company B, and believe my skills and experience make me a strong candidate. As you can see from the attached resume, I spent X years doing very similar work as a Y at Z Company. In addition, I developed C skills in my D years at E Company. Although I have focused on my family for the last G years and have not worked for pay, I have kept up with developments in the field by reading Most Important Trade Magazines 1 and 2 and attending H conferences. I’ve also updated my computer skills so I’m ready to hit the ground running. Finally, my involvement with I Volunteer Organization has honed my organizational and interpersonal skills.

I am very eager to return to the workforce and believe my pent-up enthusiasm for work, combined with my relevant educational and professional credentials, will help me contribute meaningfully to the organization.

I look forward to the opportunity to discuss my potential fit for this position by phone or in person at your convenience.

Sincerely, Jane Realdough

Check out our resource center for more free sample cover letters and relauncher resume downloads!

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Career break request letter template

Our Career Break Request Letter template simplifies the process for employees seeking a career break, making it easier to communicate their request and reasons effectively.

What is a Career break request letter?

A Career Break Request Letter serves as a structured and formal means for employees to request a temporary interruption in their employment to pursue personal interests, education, or other commitments. It enables employees to present their reasons for the career break and outline the proposed duration and arrangements for their absence from work. By using this template, employees can initiate a transparent and constructive dialogue with their employer, promoting a fair and well-documented process for career break requests.

What steps should I take to ensure the effective, compliant execution of this letter?

What legislation or best practices underpin this template / should i be aware of.

Employment Rights Act 1996: Provides employees the statutory right to request flexible working, which may include a career break.

Equality Act 2010: Prohibits discrimination based on protected characteristics, ensuring fair treatment in considering career break requests.

Working Time Regulations 1998: Sets out the statutory entitlement to paid annual leave, which may be used during a career break.

Family and Medical Leave Act 1993: Offers eligible employees the right to take unpaid leave for family or medical reasons.

Employment Rights Act 1996 (Part IXA): Establishes the right to parental leave, which may be relevant for employees seeking a career break for childcare responsibilities.

Refer to your local employment legislation / labor laws to support the execution of the template. Review the wording for local accuracy.

Letter template

Career break request [delete this line].

[ Company name ]

[ Sender address ]

[ Recipient name ]

[ Recipient address ]

Dear [ Recipient first name ],

I am writing to request a career break from my employment with [ Company Name ]. I have been with the company for [ number of years ] and have greatly appreciated the opportunities and support provided by the organization during my time here. However, I feel that I would benefit from taking some time away from work to pursue other interests and goals.

I am requesting a career break from [ Start Date ] to [ End Date ]. During this period, I would not be able to perform any work for the company, and I understand that I would not receive any pay or benefits during this time. I am committed to returning to my role on a full-time basis at the end of the career break, subject to the availability of the position.

I have carefully considered the impact that this career break may have on my colleagues and the company, and I have made arrangements to ensure that my workload will be covered in my absence. I will complete all outstanding projects and handover my responsibilities to my colleagues before my departure.

I believe that taking a career break will allow me to recharge, refocus and develop new skills and experiences that will benefit both myself and the company upon my return. I appreciate your support in considering this request and I look forward to discussing it further with you.

Thank you for your understanding.

Yours [ faithfully | sincerely ],

[ Sender name ]

[ Sender job title ]

[ Sender telephone ] [ Sender email ]

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The Well-Travelled Postcard

A travel blog for anyone with a passion for travelling, living, studying or working abroad..

How to Ask for a Career Break or Sabbatical

After I announced my 6-month career break from work back in October, I was flooded with messages and questions from friends and readers about how  I had actually managed to get these 6 months off work without having to leave my company or resign from my job. It seems that a fair few others quite fancy an extended break from work too, without giving up their job security or subjecting themselves to the job hunt afterwards. So I thought it might be helpful to write about how I approached my manager and my company, and give some advice on what I consider to be prerequisites for a career break. However there’s no magic formula and every case will be different, so I’m not making any promises. But nevertheless, I hope this is helpful or motivating for anyone who thinks they’d benefit from a career break.

What kind of company do you work for?

• An open-minded and flexible company culture is essential, ideally with an existing “career break” policy. In my company, the policy is that any full-time employee can request a career break after 12 months’ employment, but in other companies it can be 3, 5, or even 10 years! Your first port of call is your HR policy or employment contract. Find out what you’re entitled to request, remembering that it’s likely to be at your manager’s discretion, it’s unlikely to be an employee’s right.
• Larger companies  can accommodate a career break better than small companies, because it’s easier for them to cover your workload while you’re away. Small companies will feel the impact of your absence more.
• A modern, younger company  will be more receptive than more traditional companies.
• Ideally you’ll have previous examples  of colleagues or employees who have already taken a career break, as this will strengthen your case and provide you will people to talk to and consult first. Ask them them how they asked for their career break.
• What’s the business climate ? If the company’s performing well, you’ve got better chances of success than if it’s missing targets and struggling. Timing is key on various levels: timing related to the business climate, timing of when you actually make your request, and timing of when you’re away.

How will your manager react?

• A good relationship with your line manager  is fundamental and I can’t emphasise this enough. If you don’t get along with your manager, you can practically forget about asking for a career break. I am lucky to have a fantastic manager and I’m very, very grateful.
• Is your line manager open-minded and flexible ? Their attitude towards the concept will determine the initial reaction to your request. You can still work on convincing them even if they’re not the most modern or understanding of managers, but it certainly helps!
• Consider the personal experiences of your manager . Have they ever benefited from time out such as a career break or maternity/paternity leave? Whatever you’d like to be doing in your career break, whether it be studying / travelling / volunteering, has your manager already done this and is therefore better able to understand your request? My manager and I both studied languages at university, both spending a year abroad and both having an interest in foreign countries, so she could understand my motivations and need to travel .
• How honest and close  are you with your manager? If you’re used to having heart-to-hearts and discussing your performance, career and personal development openly with your manager, then he or she will already have an idea of your need for a change of scenery. For example, my manager had known since Day 1 of the job that at some point I wanted to work internationally again, move up the career ladder, gain responsibility and about 6 months before I made my request, I told her I was keen to add line management experience to my skillset. So we were both already on the same page and it didn’t come as a huge surprise to her when I asked.
• Give lots of prior warning  if possible. Plan in advance! The more prior notice you can give, the more time your manager has to prepare for and cover your absence.

What’s the impact on your team?

• Your manager will obviously consider the impact on your team , so that’s a factor to consider. Do your colleagues have the capacity and skills to cover your role? Is there a good team dynamic and are the team comfortable with a change in the status quo? Is anyone else in your team seeking time off for maternity/paternity leave, study leave or a career break at the same time? How will they feel if you’re granted a career break? How open-minded are your teammates?
• Consider what happens to anyone you manage. If you already have people working for you, who will manage them in your absence and how will this disruption affect their morale? This is another reason I wanted to take a career break before  having a team of my own.
• Offer to help find a temporary replacement for your role while you’re away.

• Hopefully you’re already doing a pretty decent job and are valued in your company. If so, then they probably won’t want to lose you and will be happy to negotiate in order to get you back after the career break. If you’re performing badly, then obviously they’ve little reason to want you back.
• Show that you really do want to come back to the company. The best way to show this is by making the career break relevant to your career, or showing how the break will benefit the team or company. I’ll go into detail later, but having a long-term career plan and demonstrating how the break fits in and complements this plan is the best way to show your commitment .
• Why is now the right time for you to take a career break? Timing is everything, so why is now key? If your manager asks you to wait a year and and then ask, make sure you have an explanation for why it can’t wait. For me, the request coincided with my 1-year anniversary in the role and my manager was aware that I intended to seek other opportunities/roles after 1 year in the job.
• What’s your motivation and why are you requesting a career break? My motivations were a change of scenery, a breath of fresh air, international experience and leadership skills that I couldn’t find within my company, hence why I had to look elsewhere, to my volunteering project in Nepal and my course at the ICD in Berlin . I showed enthusiasm and proactivity for my plans, proving that I’d use the career break in a productive way, not just for an extended holiday lying on a tropical beach for 6 months.
• How will your career break benefit the company? In my case, the experience I will gain in team leadership and the skills I learn in Nepal will benefit the company when I return, as they’ll have upskilled their employee at zero financial cost to them, and I’ll be more useful to them after these 6 months away. I will also be more motivated after a stint abroad and will feel really positive about the company after their demonstrated investment and interest in my personal development. Happy employee = higher productivity and better performance at work. When requesting the career break, focus on the skills aspect of what you’ll bring back, but the wellbeing and employee happiness is also something to bear in mind.

What will you actually do on your career break?

Unless you have a seriously  chilled line manager, bumming around on a beach for 6 months is unlikely to fly. Would you approve such a request if you were your manager and had to stay in the office, picking up someone else’s workload while your employee swans off to Bali to top up their tan and drink cocktails at sunset every night?

• Travelling may  be approved, but I’d imagine it’ll be harder to convince your manager, unless you have happen to work in the travel industry or have a specific reason for your travels, such as family living abroad or a once-in-a-lifetime trip like an extended honeymoon or a specific challenge like sailing round the world, etc. For example, if your company operates in South America, you could use the time to travel around the region, studying Spanish and Portuguese and bringing back valuable in-market familiarity.
• Studying is an attractive use of a career break from the perspective of the line manager if it’s relevant. Most employers appreciate that active learning reinvigorates the brain and encourages creativity. If your course also has a part-time option that your manager might ask you to choose instead, then prepare a reason why you want to study full-time instead. A career break also allows you to study outside of your city, opening up your options. I spent 2 weeks studying in Berlin at the ICD and 2 weeks studying Russian in St Petersburg, two courses that I just couldn’t find at home in London.
• Volunteering is also a valid activity, especially if, like my company, yours invests a lot of time and energy into social responsibility and actively encourages employees to volunteer. If so then there’s a strong chance they’ll support you in a volunteering project like my 4-month project in Nepal with Raleigh.
• Paid work  could be an option, as long as there’s no direct conflict with your company’s own work. If your company is seeking to innovate and needs more of an entrepreneurial mindset, you could work at a start-up and bring back more efficient ways of working and specific technical skills.
• Dedicate yourself to a hobby or start your own business . You’ll have to consider how this hobby or business would continue once you return to work, but this experience could teach you some valuable skills that you couldn’t acquire within your company.

How much time should you request?

• My company’s HR policy said I could request up to 1 year, however I didn’t think that a whole year would be approved (for reasons of timing and business climate) and I was also conscious that I need to earn some money to live! My savings can happily sustain me for 6 months but a year would be pushing it.
• Also consider how your expertise and knowledge may go out-of-date while you’re away, and you might miss out on promotion opportunities if you spend too long on a career break. It’s an individual decision for you to take, but try to be realistic. I’ve heard stories of some managers approving career breaks for half the amount of time requested so consider how that would affect your plans.

How to actually ask for a career break?

If you take into account all of the above then you’re pretty well set to actually have the talk with your line manager, but here’s a summary of the key points to remember.

• Give prior warning and open the communication lines in advance – Test the waters to gauge your managers reaction before diving into the full proposal, as this may come as too much of a shock if it’s out of the blue.
• Time your request well –  Bring up the subject in a private 121, away from other people’s ears, during an appropriate review or meeting to discuss your personal development. Choose a moment when you’re manager isn’t stressed, in a rush or distracted.
• Treat it like a business case – By answering all of the questions in this blog post your business case is complete, so I’ve made it easy for you! Highlight the benefits to the company upfront and do your best pitch. Prepare answers for possible questions and be prepared to negotiate and compromise. Hopefully your request will receive a positive reaction, but more than likely you should be prepared for your manager to think it through, consult HR and get back to you at a later date with a decision.

What next – if it’s a yes!

• Great news, you’ve got yourself a career break! Time to firm up your plans, apply for study courses, volunteers projects, book flights or get key activities confirmed before you agree the exact start and end dates of your career break.
• Once a date is set, you need to tell your colleagues and prepare them for your absence, planning who to handover your work to and finishing up projects before you leave. Potentially you many have to recruit or find another member of staff to temporarily step into your role
• Don’t go on and on about how excited you are to leave the office – that’s not going to help matters!
• Set your Out of Office message and agree with your manager how much you’ll be in touch and how to reach you if anything important happens.

What next – if it’s a no…

• If it’s a no, you have to consider your next move carefully. Threatening your manager with your resignation is probably a bad move and not something that’s likely to change their mind! They will have already considered that consequence and therefore it’ll just create bad sentiment if you resort to threats!
• Try negotiating or asking your manager what they would allow – a shorter period of time? A more relevant activity? A later date?
• Work out how much the career break means to you: are you willing to leave your job to do it? How happy will you be to stay in your job and will it bother you? How easy will it be to find another job after your career break? How important is job security to you or do you fancy a change of company anyway? Are you sacrificing an upcoming bonus or promotion prospects by leaving the company to take your career break?

          I’m pleased to say that I didn’t need to consider the last few questions because my manager agreed to my 6-month career break (and was incredibly flexible about it) and even let me more-or-less choose my start and end date, and she handled HR and more senior colleagues on my behalf. She’s such a champion and I am so grateful to her for understanding what this break means to me and the opportunities and benefits it brings.

I wish you good luck if you’re also contemplating a career break and I hope this helps!

Do you like the idea of a career break and what would you do with it? Or have you already taken one and how did you manage it?

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6 Comments »

My partner and I have been lucky enough to be granted the time off so we can cycle across Canada this summer. However in the past I’ve been happy to give my notice and walk away no strings attached. Finding a new job isn’t that hard, but if you have one you want to come back to and it will be there waiting that’s a great thing.

Wow that’s one long cycle! For cycling inspiration check out my interview with Charlie Walker who cycled around the world for 4 years! Enjoy the trip.

did you get paid during this break. Understood it is possible

My sabbatical was with unpaid leave. I think certain professions may offer paid sabbaticals for travel (maybe teaching or research?) but the majority of employers I know of only offer unpaid leave for this kind of break.

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Career coach who's helped 700+ clients: Don’t be afraid to leave a bad job—'stay a full year' is 'outdated, oversimplified' advice

Sarah felt trapped. After months of searching, she'd landed what she thought was a dream job — but the reality, she discovered just a month in, was a nightmare. Her team was stretched too thin. Her supervisor, who'd seemed so charismatic, was incompetent and disengaged.

"This place is a complete dumpster fire," Sarah, a marketing specialist in her late 20s, vented in her first career coaching session with me. "I don't know how I'll make it a year."

"Then don't," I replied. 

Confused, she asked the question I knew was coming: "Won't it look bad on my resume if I'm in a job for less than a year?" 

As a career coach who's supported more than 700 clients across age groups, job functions, and industries, I've had many unsatisfied employees ask how to "grin and bear it" to avoid looking like a job-hopper .

The fear is legitimate, or at least it was for a very long time: In a 2022 survey by HR consultancy Robert Half , 77% of senior managers named "frequent job hopping" as a top factor that gave them pause when evaluating resumes, slightly more than "vague descriptions of past jobs" (76%) and "insufficient skills for the position" (74%).

That's why "stick it out for a year" and its variations are such common refrains. But this outdated, oversimplified career advice is some of the worst I've heard. It keeps people in harmful, miserable jobs longer than necessary. 

Why 'stay a full year' is out-of-date and lacks nuance

Some recruiters and hiring managers still cling to the old idea that if a candidate has been at a job for a while, they're more likely to be a reliable high performer who's easy to work with. 

But many job seekers, especially millennials and Gen Z , see things differently: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, as of 2022, the median tenure of workers ages 25 to 34 years was 2.8 years, compared to 9.8 years for workers ages 55 to 64. More than a third (35%) of turnover takes place within the first year of employment, according to the Work Institute's 2023 retention report . And 80% of respondents said it's OK to leave a job in under six months if it doesn't meet their expectations, according to a 2022 Muse survey . 

The people in charge of hiring are starting to catch up and recognize that economic shifts and changing workforce dynamics  — especially in the pandemic and post-pandemic era — have made shorter stints more common for even the most talented workers. 

So while a pattern of super short employment spells might still raise red flags for some recruiters, one or two shorter jobs won't scare off a reasonable hiring team, especially if you can explain the circumstances. And if it does deter them, that's a good warning for you about the company culture. 

How to decide whether to stay or go if you're unhappy at work

"Sticking it out" isn't worth it in the face of harassment, burnout, or an unsafe work environment — especially if you have viable financial or professional alternatives. Short of those more extreme circumstances, here's how to decide whether to hit the eject button before a year has passed.

Get another perspective 

Talk to friends, family, industry peers, and mentors. Avoid asking vague questions like, "What do you think?" and opt for specific questions like, "Do you think this experience is typical?" or "Do you think it's possible for this to improve over time?" 

You may want to talk to a career coach if your loved ones can't help or if you don't have a solid professional network. 

Try to resolve pain points within your control 

Your colleagues and supervisors aren't mind-readers. Clearly communicate your challenges — try to be as specific and objective as possible — and attempt to negotiate a change. Try to suggest at least one potential solution and ask the other person to weigh in. 

If it's clear the situation won't improve despite consistent and strategic efforts on your part, it's OK to cut your losses. 

Check your track record 

If most previous roles on your resume are one or multiple years long, a couple shorter stints are unlikely to raise major red flags. 

But even if you do have a choppier job history, I'd argue it's still smart in some cases to look for a better fit — if you have the bandwidth to continue applying — than to endure a bad one just to avoid looking like a job-hopper. 

Don't live your life for hypothetical recruiters hiring hypothetical roles. 

How to get into a good job ASAP

If you're confident that staying put is unsustainable, start strategizing. Here's how to leave your job with grace and set yourself up for success:

• Make the most of your current job while planning your exit. Prioritize tasks that will build valuable skills, foster relationships with mentors or potential references, and create portfolio pieces that showcase your work. 
• Document your accomplishments. Even small wins matter when telling your story to potential employers. 
• Protect your personal time and energy so you can conduct an effective and focused job search.
• Answer interview questions about your short tenure with clarity and confidence. It's natural for a hiring manager to ask, so be prepared with a brief, honest explanation. It's OK to say that the role wasn't a good fit for your long-term goals or that the company underwent unexpected changes after you started. Keep your answer concise and professional, and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position in question.

Above all else, avoid jumping into a new role out of desperation. Take time to assess what's working and not working, and what you truly want next. 

Rushing headlong into the first opportunity that seems promising can land you in an even worse job. 

Phoebe Gavin is a career coach, speaker and trainer specializing in career strategy, negotiation and empathetic leadership. She's the author of " The Workplace Guide to Time Management: Best Practices to Maximize Productivity ."

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