Does Taking a Sabbatical Help or Hurt Your Career?
So you’re thinking of taking a break from the rat race; to get away from it all and do something you’ve wanted to do, but which has always been put on hold because of work.
Perhaps you hit a wall and wonder if there’s more to life than just facing the computer, endless meetings and corporate dinners. You feel drained like there was nothing more to give. Or you feel like you’re just stagnating and you need to learn something new or enhance your academic qualifications. Heed the warnings – you’re on the verge of career burn out – if you’re not already there!
Short vacations usually give you the much needed boost in energy, allowing you to recharge your batteries for work. Sometimes, though, you need more than just a quick break. Your option is a sabbatical from the everyday grind. It provides the “time-out” you crave to assess your personal as well as professional life; re-evaluate your career or even complete educational and career goals that were placed on the back burner. A sabbatical generally offers a chance to see life from a different perspective.
Unfortunately it isn’t always as easy as it sounds or as simple as saying, “I need a break.” First you have to face the glaring question of whether taking a sabbatical can help or hurt your career. Here are a few things to contemplate before taking a sabbatical.
1. Check your company’s Human Resources policy on sabbaticals if you simply want to take a break but intend to come back to the same job. Some companies do encourage career breaks; but smaller ones may not have the capacity to cover for you while you’re away and may decide to hire another full-time employee to take over your position.
2. If you like the job and position you have right now and you’re heading for a promotion, it might be best to continue as you are until you’ve been promoted. If it looks like it’s going to happen soon, leaving, even for just a few months, could jeopardize and upset your career plans.
3. Ask yourself whether you really just want a break or actually thinking of changing careers. You may be totally burned out, in which case you do need a break; or you may be at the end of your tether and any amount of recharging may be futile. If you conclude that it is the latter, you may want to consider taking a more drastic step. Conversely, if you remain undecided, you can take the break and make up your mind while you’re on sabbatical.
4. There may be some resentment from your colleagues when you return from a sabbatical. Although it could only be short term, you have to be aware that they might be envious and office dynamics could direct negative change towards you.
5. A lot of employers make stipulations that while employees are guaranteed a job back at the end of a sabbatical, the employees’ job functions may change. You need to carefully assess this aspect to arrive at an educated decision.
Discussing things openly and honestly with your employer might help make up your mind, if a sabbatical is indeed the best thing for you and your career. Just don’t make hasty and impulsive decisions.
June 8th, 2010 at 7:58 am
Blog Post: Does Taking a Sabbatical Help or Hurt Your Career? http://ow.ly/1Vzh6
June 8th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Karen,
This is a great post with good, solid advice. I can only add that sabbaticals are very much a growing trend and we often have people contact us who WANT the sabbatical but are in a company where no one has ever had one. They ask, “Can I really do this?” Glad to report that with a good sabbatical proposal written, bosses are saying “yes” because they want to keep the talent in their organization.
There’s so many possibilities!
June 8th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Glad you feel that way Barbara
I guess what stops them too is the size of the company…if the operations are too lean, then basically they have no option but to replace you and leave you out in the cold. The possibilities are endless, indeed…the doors just have to open.