Career Breaks Are the New Norm! On the Importance of Career Breaks in Professional Development.

June 7, 2024

Embracing a Career Break: Make It Your Official Professional Status on LinkedIn!

“Career break” has become an official professional status on LinkedIn. Why? Well, so many people consciously take career breaks that there is no more need to mask them under the excuse of additional education or charity work.

Relations with work are like relations with people: sometimes you need to go separate ways for a while to regain passion and start again with double force.

Career Breaks Are the New Norm.

This exposure given to career breaks is not without a reason. According to a global survey of 22,995 workers and 4,017 hiring managers conducted by Censuswide on behalf of LinkedIn (January 2022), the majority of professionals active today took a break at least once in their careers.

Moreover, the recent report by ManpowerGroup reveals that 84% of Millennials plan significant career breaks for the future. Therefore, as a person with a career break, you are a member of the overwhelming majority – and the recruiter should appreciate your honesty in sharing your professional story!

Can taking career breaks be beneficial for your career? Yes! Here are some Here are some potential advantages:

Rest and Rejuvenation: A career break allows you to recharge both physically and mentally. It can help reduce burnout, stress, and fatigue, ultimately improving your overall well-being.

Perspective and Reflection: Stepping away from your routine provides an opportunity for reflection. You can assess your career goals, values, and priorities, gaining clarity on what you want from your professional life.

Skill Development: Depending on how you spend your career break, you may acquire new skills. Whether you engage in training, education, or pursue personal projects, these experiences can enhance your skill set and make you more versatile.

Personal Growth: Career breaks often coincide with periods of personal growth. Whether you’re traveling, volunteering, or pursuing hobbies, these experiences can broaden your perspective and enrich your life.

Career Change or Pivot: A career break may give you the time and space to explore different industries or career paths. It can be a strategic move if you’re considering a career change or pivot.

Entrepreneurship: Some individuals use career breaks to start their own businesses. This period can be a valuable time for entrepreneurship, allowing you to turn a passion or a side project into a full-fledged venture.

Family and Personal Commitments: Career breaks can be essential for fulfilling family responsibilities, such as raising children or caring for a family member. This time can strengthen personal relationships and contribute to a more balanced life.

Improved Mental Health: Taking a break from work-related stressors can positively impact your mental health. It provides an opportunity to address and manage mental health concerns and build resilience.

Networking and Relationship Building: Depending on how you spend your career break, you may have the chance to build new relationships and expand your network. Networking can open up new opportunities when you decide to re-enter the workforce.

Increased Job Satisfaction: A well-timed career break can lead to increased job satisfaction upon returning to work. Taking time off to pursue personal interests or address burnout can help you return to your career with renewed enthusiasm.

Career Breaks As the “Fifth Mode” for Resting Your Brain.

1. Speed Resting.

Power naps, lunch, coffee breaks, and micro-breaks during the day. Let’s be real: no one can consistently deliver 8 hours of uninterrupted, high-focus deep work; we all need little venting during the workday.

2. Low-interval Resting…

…also known as night sleep. It might be the key to your professional success. You can use apps like SleepCycle to measure the quality of your night sleep. And please invest time into researching your chronotype and optimal sleeping patterns.

3. Medium-interval Resting.

…a.k.a. weekends. As a rule of thumb, unless you are a freak running on adrenaline for a lifetime such as Elon Musk, you will need at least a day a week of complete rest. So, please be reasonable about your working scheme — even God rests a day a week.

4. High-interval Resting…

…a.k.a. vacations. We need at least 2 weeks of interrupted vacation of a year to fully recover our bodies and minds from the work-related clutter. The number of officially required paid vacation days highly varies from country to country, with the highest number of paid vacation days in the following countries: Brazil (30), Finland (30), France (25), Germany (30), and Sweden (25-30).

5. Career Break…

…a.k.a. sabbatical. Today, it is becoming increasingly popular to consciously plan and take career breaks between contracts, or take sabbaticals — for as long as 6-12 months.

Some people can function without vacations and sabbaticals. For others, vacations are enough. But, some people need career breaks to stay mentally stable and better strategize their careers in the long run. And this is perfectly fine.

You Can Explain Career Breaks to the Recruiter in a Way That Doesn’t Spoil Your Chances for Getting a Job!

Taking a career break is not only beneficial to mental health, but also contributed to multiple art masterpieces, groundbreaking discoveries and new technologies. Examples of people who, famously, took a career break to come back stronger, include:

Steve Jobs.

After being ousted from Apple in 1985, Steve Jobs took a career break. During this time, he founded NeXT Computer and Pixar Animation Studios. His experience at NeXT contributed to the development of technologies later used by Apple, and Pixar became a major success in the animation industry.

Elizabeth Gilbert.

The author of “Eat, Pray, Love” took a break from her regular life to travel and find herself. This journey of self-discovery became the basis for her bestselling memoir, which was later adapted into a successful film.

Julia Child.

Before becoming a renowned chef and TV personality, Julia Child worked for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. It was only later in life, in her 30s, that she attended Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in France, leading to her groundbreaking career in culinary arts.

Arianna Huffington.

The co-founder of The Huffington Post experienced a burnout, which prompted her to reassess her life and priorities. She took a career break to focus on well-being and eventually founded Thrive Global, a company dedicated to promoting mental and physical health in the workplace.

Tim Ferriss.

The author and entrepreneur took a break from his corporate job to travel and experiment with different lifestyle designs. This period of exploration led to his bestselling book “The 4-Hour Workweek,” which became a guide for many seeking a more efficient and fulfilling life.

Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah took a break from her daytime talk show to start her own television network, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). This move allowed her to have more creative control and explore new avenues in media.

Mark Twain.

Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, took a break from writing to invest in various business ventures. Although not all of his investments were successful, the experience provided him with insights into entrepreneurship that he later incorporated into his work.

Conclusions: Talking Career Break at a Job Interview – Hot or Not?

Recruiters appreciate brutal honesty and openness at the job interviews. And yes, you can present your career break in a constructive way and impress the interviewer with your self-awareness and maturity. So, earn the recruiters’ trust where others stutter and fail! Explain why you took a career break and what you learned within this time — about the world and about yourself!

Please check out our other articles to learn more:

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At this intensive online training, you will focus on discovering your identity as a professional, and learn effective career development strategies for landing great jobs.

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Please find all the information about our incoming, game-changing program here:

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Please cite as:

Bielczyk, N. (2024, January 19th). Sample Post? Retrieved from https://ontologyofvalue.com/career-breaks-are-the-new-norm/

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10 self-reflection questions for career growth

June 13, 2024

As the year draws to a close, it is vital to pause and reflect on your journey and relationships in your personal lives and careers. Self-reflection is a powerful tool for introspection, helping us understand our core nature and facilitating personal growth as we work towards a better version of ourselves. Whether you’re evaluating your work-life balance , personal development , or career progression , self-reflection can be incredibly empowering and beneficial for your overall well-being. The value of reflection and introspection Harnessing the power of reflection As we approach the end of the year, taking the time to reflect on the past twelve months is not just a ritual but a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. Reflection allows us to pause in our fast-paced lives and examine our experiences, decisions, and actions. It allows us to celebrate our successes, learn from our mistakes, and acknowledge our growth areas. By looking back, we gain valuable insights that empower us to approach the future with a more informed and intentional mindset. Understanding ourselves better Introspection is a vital component of self-reflection. It involves diving deep into our thoughts, feelings, and motivations. This process helps us understand why we do what we do, what drives our decisions, and how our actions align with our core values and goals. Understanding ourselves better is crucial for personal development and helps us make more authentic and aligned choices in the future. Setting the stage for future success Reflecting on the past year sets the foundation for setting realistic and meaningful goals for the new year. It helps us identify what we truly want, what areas need more attention, and what strategies worked or didn’t work. This clarity is essential for setting goals that are both ambitious and achievable and aligned with our personal and professional aspirations. Promoting well-being and reducing stress The act of reflection can be therapeutic. It allows us to process our experiences, both positive and negative, and can lead to a greater sense of peace and closure. This is especially important in today’s world, where we often rush from one task to another without taking the time to process our experiences. Reflecting on the year helps us close chapters, reduce stress, and approach the new year with renewed energy and optimism. Fostering continuous learning and adaptability The world is constantly changing, and adaptability has become a crucial skill. Reflecting on how we’ve navigated changes in the past year, both expected and unexpected, prepares us for future uncertainties. It reinforces continuous learning and adapting, essential in personal and professional contexts. Year-end review: 10 questions for self-reflection Here are 10 thought-provoking questions to guide your year-end reflection. These questions cover various aspects of your life, including work experiences, personal growth, work-life balance, and future aspirations. As you answer them, be honest and consider writing down your responses for a more tangible record of your thoughts and goals. Sample answers help guide and inspire you as you reflect upon your year. These example answers provide a glimpse into the kind of introspection and planning that can result from such reflective questions, helping you assess your current state and set meaningful goals for the future. 1. Best and worst work experiences What were your best and worst work experiences in the last 12 months? Be specific about projects, teams, roles, and activities. Sample answers Best: Leading a successful project launch, mentoring a new team member, and receiving positive client feedback. Worst: Facing a project delay due to miscommunication, struggling with a software tool, and experiencing a stressful team conflict. 2. Job success and satisfaction elements Can you identify three elements of your job that contributed to your success and satisfaction? Conversely, what three elements hindered your success and fulfilment? Sample answers Positive: Collaborative team environment, challenging tasks that foster learning, and recognition from management. Negative: Limited resources, unclear company direction, and infrequent feedback. 3. Skills development What five skills, talents, or pursuits would you like to develop or attain in the next 12 months? Sample answers Improve public speaking, learn advanced data analysis, enhance leadership skills, develop a new programming language, and cultivate creative problem-solving techniques. 4. Passion in work What topics in your work can you talk about non-stop? Does this energise you consistently? Is this your passion or something else? Sample answers I am passionate about designing user interfaces. Discussing design trends and user experience energises me and is a significant part of my job satisfaction. 5. Unachieved goals What’s one significant goal you didn’t achieve in the last 12 months, and why? How would you change the outcome? Sample answers I aimed to get a professional certification but couldn’t due to time constraints. I plan to manage my time better and enrol in a course next year. 6. Fearless ambitions What would you aim to achieve in the coming year if you knew you couldn’t fail? Sample answers If I knew I couldn’t fail, I would aim to start my own tech startup focusing on innovative educational tools. 7. Role evaluation How would you rate your current role out of 100%? What factors prevent you from reaching 100%, and how can you overcome them? Sample answers I’d rate my role at 75%. To reach 100%, I need more creative freedom and opportunities for professional development. With these, I could be fully satisfied. 8. Future aspirations Without any limitations, what experiences, skills, activities, and responsibilities would you like to have in the future? List up to 12. Sample answers Lead larger projects, develop expertise in AI, participate in international conferences, mentor others, work abroad, achieve work-life balance, publish industry articles, learn a new language, adopt sustainable work practices, engage in CSR initiatives, explore different company roles, and start a professional blog. 9. Personal growth and development How have you grown personally over the past year? What personal qualities or habits have you developed, and what would you like to work on? Sample answers I’ve become more resilient and patient over the years. I want to work on my time management and stress management skills. 10. Challenges and overcoming obstacles Reflect on the biggest challenge you faced this year. How did you overcome it, and what did you learn? Sample answers My biggest challenge was adapting to remote work. I overcame it by creating a structured daily routine, investing in a better home office setup, and improving my digital communication skills. Reflect to grow Remember, the purpose of these questions is not just to reflect on what has been but also to pave a path for what lies ahead. By understanding where you currently stand and identifying your goals and aspirations, you can approach the new year with clarity, purpose, and a renewed sense of direction. Source: https://www.pagepersonnel.com.au/advice/career-and-management/success/self-reflection-questions-for-career-growth

Difference Between Job Enlargement And Job Enrichment

June 13, 2024

Both job enlargement and job enrichment are human resource strategies used to improve employees engagement and increase efficiency that helps to achieve organizational more effectively. Job enlargement refers to increase tasks and responsibilities to the existing role of the employees. On the other hand, job enrichment is a technique of motivating employees by adding extra responsibilities to make job more challenging and meaningful. Difference Between Job Enlargement And Job Enrichment The main dissimilarities between job enrichment and job enlargement are as follows: 1. Introduction Job Enlargement: It involves increasing the number of tasks and duties to be performed by workers to an existing role. Job Enrichment: It involves increasing responsibilities and content in the job to increase challenges and scope that provides opportunity for growth. 2. Nature Job Enlargement: It is purely quantitative in nature because number of tasks are increased for employees. Job Enrichment: It is qualitative in nature. It means this technique is used to increase the content and quality of the job. 3. Objective Job Enlargement: The main objective of job enlargement is to increase employee motivation and engagement by decreasing monotony and boredom. Job Enrichment: The main objective of job enrichment is to promote growth and development by making jobs more challenging and exciting. 4. Additional Skill Job Enlargement: It does not require additional skill because tasks are increased as per the qualification and ability of employees. Job Enrichment: It requires some additional skills because it involves new responsibilities that require creativity, decision making and problem solving. 5. Authority Job Enlargement: It does not increase the level of authority as it only increases the number of tasks. Job Enrichment: It increases the level of authority as per the creativity and ability of employees. 6. Supervision And Control Job Enlargement: It requires more supervision, direction and control because it increases the workload of employees that increases the chance of errors and mistakes. Job Enrichment: It requires less supervision and control than job enlargement because workers exercise self-control. 7. Training Need Job Enlargement: It does not require additional training because employees are familiar with the jobs and responsibilities. Job Enrichment: It may require additional training to empower workers to increase creativity, decision making and control over the job. 8. Result/Outcome Job Enlargement: Results may be positive or negative depending on the motivation level and workload of the employees. Job Enrichment: Generally, it gives positive result because of increased morale and self actualization. Basis Job Enlargement Job Enrichment Nature It is quantitative by nature It is qualitative by nature Objective To reduce boredom and monotony To promote growth and development Additional Skills Not Required Required Increase In Authority No Yes Outcome Positive Or Negative Positive Supervision And Control Requires more supervision Requires less supervision Distinction Between Job Enlargement And Job Enrichment In Brief * Job enlargement refers to quantitative expanding of jobs. But job enrichment is qualitative improvement of the job. * Job enlargement does not require special training, but job enrichment requires training and development program to improve the performance. * Job enlargement requires more supervision than job enrichment * Job enrichment increases the level of authority but job enlargement increases the number of tasks only. * Job enlargement is horizontal expansion of job and job enrichment is vertical expansion. * Job enlargement does not promote growth and development but job enrichment helps in personal growth and career development Source: https://marketinglord.blogspot.com/2024/05/difference-job-enlargement-job-enrichment.html