[Closed] Career break

When I was 28 I chucked in my job, sold my house and went off for a couple of years adventuring.  Profits from the house paid for the adventures.  Downside was coming back at 30 and starting from scratch again hence being mortgaged until I was 58.  If I hadn't taken the gap I would have been mortgage free at 45 or so.

Regrets?

Packed my job in at 25 and did the usual year in Oz and buggering about in Asia. Took redundancy last year at 54, toured the Great Divide route and am going back to the US next week for a different 2800 mile off road route. I'll be back around the end of October and really need to find a job.

Most I ever took off was 3 months between jobs. Last time was 10 years ago, remember it fondly, considering doing it next year for longer or maybe permanently.

Hammy.  I never regret anything like that.  Its pointless.  Its done and your life has moved in a different direction

I left my graduate trainee job at 25 and went to Oz via Mexico and the South Pacific. Actually came back early to do a contract to fund my Divemaster training back in oz and was the catalyst for me spending another 10 years doing contract work when I came back. It has held back my career, but I’ve got a lot of awesome memories.

I admire the commitment of anybody who does the same sort of thing with kids in tow.

Just quit my job to head back to university. It's career related but still feels like a break. Have also taken two big chunks out to travel. Am definitely further behind than some of my colleagues and really would like to get on the property ladder (am 34) but otherwise no regrets.

My Industry seems to have gone contracting mad so not too worried about picking up work if necessary. Not what I want to do long term but might need a post study cash injection.

Did it when I was younger. Just used savings and lived very cheaply in Africa. Did a little bit of dive guiding, more for free diving than money. Very glad to have done it. Probably held my career back a bit but I'm not desperate to climb the corporate ladder. My dad did it quite a bit both young (before I was around) and older by renting out the house to cover the costs. Life is short, go and do it (but do it on the cheap so don't completely knacker tomorrow 🙂 )

Just taken over a year and a half off. Moved from the uk to Geneva and have been riding my bikes everyday.

i save a huge amount of cash before I left so this is funding my time here.

moving to Dublin on Oct as my time here is done. Getting bored of the place and wouldn’t want to move to France.

I did NZ while I was still young enough to get the years visa

Do you want a break without any work at all?

You could get a casual job during the career break

Not technically a career break but I did a year's job swap to Oz. My kids went to school there and we got to travel around Oz, NZ the Cooks etc. Also took a career break by retiring early and never regretted it for one moment. As a colleague used to say to me in Oz when I was fussing about work issues, 'Come on now Bill mate, it's only a ******* job.' And indeed it was.

I quit in my office job at 25 to go work in oz for a year, then spent the next 7 being a beach bum in various corners of the world. Met my missus in oz and now have residency out there.

Jacking my office job was the best thing I ever did. When we finally settled down abit I retrained as a sparky which whilst not glamorous means I can take extended breaks and not worry about gaps on my cv.

We also always rent out our apartment as a short term let when travelling to cover the mortgage and bills etc.

Anyone done it? How did you fund it? What did you do

part time job, lots of debt and a deep case of hindsight lol  I did it to raise a child then another child.  unfortunately I was basically forced into due to personal circumstances.  I personally wouldn't recommend it.

Well for ten year "service" I get the option of 3 months off full pay (or 6 months half pay)

Will be touring round Oz or NZ in a camper van with the wife and kids before aphex jnr goes off to high school. (I've hinted at Canada, purely for selfish mountain biking reasons - might just work as some Canadian friends have finished their stint with the Navy here and moved back... I might need to work this a bit more to please mrs Aphex! Not impossible though).

I think the big difficulty will be going back to work after a long break.

Nice one, cheers. Just thinking about a year off to recharge and do a part time job just to tick over. Aged 38 btw. Fair mortgage but not massive.

Just concerned about burn out and I nice carrot in a couple of years time at 40 might be a good incentive.

Done travelling early 20’s so no urge to up sticks.

Thanks for the replies.

Well for ten year “service” I get the option of 3 months off full pay (or 6 months half pay)

I got a £250 John Lewis voucher...

I'll get bugger all, so don't knock the £250 vouchers!

I ‘retired’ at 35 which lasted a week as realised everyone else was working ! Now have 12 weeks off a year and take it despite a lot of negativity and comments about me slacking off! Have also booked a 8 week block next year and considering a career break after that - in all likelihood it will probably mean going back PT. basically if you can afford it and also adjust to perception go for it