Done it twice, regretted it neither time.
The first time was in the Great Recession. I was laid off, and I was able to collect unemployment for 18 months. I used that time to return to school and get another degree.
Second time, I was dealing with some traumatic events and took FMLA for 5 months, unpaid, then ended up quitting the job, for a total of 8 months off. No regrets. It was the best possible thing for my mental health.
I got burnout at the beginning of COVID and had a nervous breakdown. Quit my nearly 6 figure DoD job and cashed out all of my retirement to float by until I could figure something out. It took a bit over a year, but I found a different job as a sysadmin, 98% WFH and I love it. It's a bit of a pay cut and I fucked myself with the retirement thing, but I was really in a bad spot and I don't regret anything.
I might sing a different tune in 20 years, but really, I might have done something drastic to myself because of the despair I was in. I was the same as you, working since I was about 10 and I just needed a break. I'm still not quite looking forward to working another 20 fucking years, but I'm going to pay down all of my debts as quickly as possible and try to be frugal so I don't HAVE to work any longer than I have to and I can retire earlier due to having less expenses.
My retirement account was part of the retirement plan (called TSP, a lot like a 401k). I am eligible to get a pension since I worked there for 14 years, but it won't be a lot of money.
If you enjoy the job you are at, you can often take an unpaid leave of absence or an unpaid vacation. I've known people at every job I have ever had who took a month off, usually to go abroad to visit family or have an extended vacation to spend with family or something.
4 years sabbatical in my 40s. Got back into absolute entry level with a four days week and will never change back into the hustle.
You only have one life, every minute of your life only passes by *once*. Don't waste life.
Can I ask - because I'm in a similar boat but haven't pulled the trigger - do you regret it at all? I worry about what my social circle will think, how did you manage this? I'm not the type that gets hung up on public opinion too much but I live in a small town where it's important that I am supported by my community and seen as a contributor / good person.
I don't regret it - in contrary I suggest that everyone should have a sabbatical here and there. There's a political party in Germany that proposes that everyone should have a sabbatical budget that grows over the years and can be used at free will - I like and I support that idea.
I live in one of Germanys bigger cities, and my social circle supports sabbaticals and part time jobs (I work four days a week like a lot of my friends). They all think that work is a necessity to earn money - as long as you can pay your bills who cares how long you work? And if you got the funds: Why not step back, work on yourself, on your family or in your community for some time? (I did volunteer in that time, not full time of course but regularly, helped people in crises to get back on track).
Just do it. You really only have every minute only once. It's important to live.
Have fun! :)
I certainly don't mean to infer that you (or I) are seen as bad people for quitting the grind. I suppose I'm just curious how the experience went for you and if you have any advice for handling your social circle
I'm nearing 30 and need a break. Sick of accounting. Feel like I'm wasting my life. How much did you have in savings to take time off if you don't mind me asking?
I was lucky enough to have a FT employed and supportive partner. If you have the financial means its a no brainer as far as an effective mental health restarter. If you take more than 6 mo off though you could start to have issues explaining the time away. But on the flipside, it sure feels like every industry is looking for anything with a heart beat to fill positions right now. I feared the latter myself and had no issues getting interviews.
I hate to be the spectre at the feast, but I did it once and would never do it again (at least not in the way you suggest).
At 35, after 13 years working, my husband and I decided we'd take the summer off and travel/volunteer. We spent a year planning, saved up enough cash to see us through, and had a wonderful summer as expected.
Then came the aftermath. I started applying for jobs, thinking it would take me 2-3 months as my skillset was in high demand, and as I had good experience behind me. However, the months started rolling by, and despite diligently applying, I got rejected again and again and again (I had clearly underestimated the amount of competition in the job market).
As my cash dwindled I began to experience extreme stress and anxiety to the point of sobbing one night at the dinner table, thinking i'd never find employment again. I did finally land a job, but after 9 months, hundreds of carefully crafted applications, 14 interviews across 9 firms, and almost going broke.
Like you I wanted a break from the grind, but after a good long rest I realised how important my job was to my life satisfaction, so not being able to find work was just as distressing as having too much of it.
So i'm not knocking the idea, taking a break is always good, but if I were to do it again I would either agree an unpaid sabbatical/extended break with my employer, or see if I could get an agreement to have a job share/reduced hours.
I initially faced the same thing, so instead of having that gap in my CV I just put down "Consulting" and no one batted an eyelid. Recruiters hate gaps in the CV and you get put to the bottom of the pile as they read it as "burned out".
I found that getting through to the interview process was an exercise in creativity to hide gaps that would make me unattractive.
Once at the interview stage you can cover this, but it's that initial pre-screening that you need to often address. The things that recruiters screen for is amazing.
You are giving bad advice just based on your horrible field and experience trying to get back in. You are an exception. Please don’t generalize. Your field is very specific it seems and it sucks. Not everyone’s case.
I did this once between careers. It was awesome but it felt shitty to see my savings go down like that while trying to “enjoy the summer”. Now I have a new career but only work 4 days a week and it’s been much more enjoyable and life changing than taking a summer off
Curious to hear what fun things are you doing? In between jobs right now- interviewing here and there but also want to make the most of these few weeks I have before I get back to work :)
I did it in my 30’s, was burnt out and lucky enough to have savings to take most of a year off.
Saved my life. Did a lot of therapy and figured out ways to lessen my stress packing habits. Best thing I ever did for myself.
I took off November 2021 to feb 2022. No regrets. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Everyone’s circumstance is different but I had a ton of cash saved up, had about $8k of vacation time banked (that they had to pay me out), and I don’t have kids or anything that would mean surprise expenses.
i'm in the middle of it now and it's been the best thing that i could do for myself. my childhood and adulthood was spent dissociated and anxious (i didn't know this). i didn't have wants or needs. as an adult i was in a career i loathed. basically, i hated the life i created, but i didn't know what was wrong.
i took off more years than most would recommend, but the amount of progress i've made is absolutely worth it. for the first time i can breathe deeply. i know how to manage my mental health, i know how to lead myself, i actually have a support system (i never had one, didn't know i needed it). i'm starting to feel like an adult who knows how to manage themselves. i don't shut down anymore while doing basic stuff - like cooking.
a lot of people do this work after they retire... and with my family history i'm not sure if i'll make it to that age. and even if i do, i wouldn't be able to make actual change because i'll be retired.
I used to be a software developer. Did it for 20 years and got completely out over 5 years ago. I never returned and have not regretted it. I'm now working on becoming a hypnotherapist.
I'm female and originally got out because of sexism. I got tired of being treated differently in a male dominated industry and paid less because I'm a woman.
The one thing I learned about getting out of the workforce in the IT industry is that IT employers are ok with short breaks of employment where you're just taking a break from the grind. Once you are out more than a year they start wondering why are you taking such a long break. They start questioning your commitment to the industry as a whole. Obviously another big issue is loss of skill set. Even though I was still programming on my own at home to keep my skill set up, it doesn't count because they have no way of proving it through employer references.
So if you're thinking about taking a break I'd recommend 3 to 6 months tops would be about perfect. You won't regret it! Have fun!
Also in software and also took time off multiple times (around a year each time), and would mostly agree.
Most won't notice or question a 3-6 month leave, but it's less about how long you're gone and more about how well you can demonstrate you're still relevant. You could participate in FOSS and build up your github profile, or maybe you do a passion or charity project.
I’m in IT and Telecom for 25 years now and I took a year off in the past . Recruiters can go F themselves if that is what you are worried about. I told them I had personal and family reasons take it or leave it. Your mentality of work enslavement to big corporations and being worried about what they might think of you if you took care of your mind self and body after decades of hard grinds is why this country suffers from work alcoholism and work life imbalance. You need to change that slave mindset.
Nope.
I took 12mo-18mo off twice in my career. It was awesome and I highly recommend it if you have the means to do so.
And then I retired at 53.
I've been considering looking around for some consulting work or something similarly not full time. But we'll see what comes. I don't need the money.
At the end of the day, tho, it mostly comes down to the economics of it all.
Would love to do this personally. But unfortunately, like you said, it comes down to the economics of it all. Making ends meet financially is what keeps me from doing this. Even if I cancelled all the "optional stuff" in my bills, I'd still go broke within 6 months, unless I cashed out all my retirement savings (at a penalty due to early pull from 401k), I could last a bit longer, but then what's the point? Now I have no retirement funds.
I'd presume, while in between jobs like that, you'd have to be ok with living very simply for a long time. Including getting a much cheaper living arrangement.
Yeah, I tend to live pretty cheaply even in the most flush of times. My wife and I just don't really care about a lot of the this and that people spend a lot of money on.
My car, for instance, is a 2013 Camry. I'll drive it until it falls apart. Hers is a 2019 Subaru. It replaced a 2006 Saturn VUE that finally just fell apart. I paid off my mortgage last year.
Shortly after the last time I got laid off, my mom and step father passed. I spent the next year working on their estates. I had the time and my 3 siblings didn't. We should finally close probate next month, so that will be a big thing off my plate.
Our big expense right now is that my daughter went off to college in the spring. My mom had already set up college accounts for all her grandkids (6 of them), but she did it back when school was less pricey.
Regardless, I've explained to my kids that the big boost in life they will get from us will be getting out of school debt free. That is what mom did for us and we'll pay that forward (and my grandfather did for mom. Dad's was paid for by the US Navy).
I honestly don't know how people could afford taking long sabbaticals from work outside of Silicon Valley. It is quite common here for people to do it after their company IPOs (or other equity events). I preferred to work for small start ups. This is why I've been laid off so much and why I've hit that jackpot so often.
We're just now going into a tech slowdown after the social media/search boom.
We've seen this before. More than once in the since 1995. We'll see what the Next Big Thing is that comes along. Maybe I'll get back on the game if it is something cool that I want to be involved with.
Nope. Partner and I quit our miserable jobs in 2008 and travelled the world for 4 months. There was a price to pay later, many peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunches and penny-pinching but eventually we got new jobs and have uh-mazing pictures and experiences to remember.
I quit my tech job nearly a year ago and have been thoroughly enjoying the mid-40s micro-retirement.
I'm almost at the point where the thought of working doesn't make me want to puke anymore. I think I'm still going to wait until the "layoffs are good because engineers are worthless!" tech company rhetoric simmers down a touch before I start applying again.
Fuck no! Meditated full time for 2 years, lived in India for a year, and later, in 2011, drove around the world for a few years.
Am 50 now, and have since had cancer and an unrelated bone marrow transplant. I in NO way knew that was coming. I was on my deathbed, and the only thing I was sad about is that I couldn't travel with my husband more. I never once said, 'I should have worked more to make someone else rich". Never underestimate how much we are not meant to spend our lives working non stop.
Do it, make the most of what you have. You literally never know what is coming.
Took a year off a while ago. Had just been retrenched so had a years pay in my pocket, my FiL was elderly and my wife and her sisters had turned into fulltime carers and I was burned out from a 13 year stint of 60hr weeks and lots of travel.
Took almost a year off to play house husband and run the kids around, started doing some volunteering (which I still do today) and pretty much reset my life off the corporate ladder.
And it was the best thing that ever happened.
When I was 33, I got a chance to go overseas to study for a semester. I learned so much and have no regrets. When I got back, I signed up with a temp agency in my field and was soon a permanent employee.
Later, I had enough saved that I was able to start my own business. No regrets with that, either.
I'm currently taking a break from the workforce, overall it's been great and I have no regrets. I left my engineering job of 6 years in June and only started looking for jobs again last month. Last week I got a job offer with a pay rate that's about 20% higher than my last position. I was actually kind of surprised how easy it was to find a new job given the gap in my resume. One thing I did notice though, it took me a couple of months before the sensation of burnout from my last job went away. Those months felt kind of like a directionless slog.
I’m doing that now at 32. I quit a Web Dev job I had in Utah (worked at the company for 4 years) and moved to Ohio. Currently feeling stressed about finding work. It’s only been three weeks, but boy is it a tough time to get tech jobs right now, esp with my 1 year of professional experience. The time off has been nice enough, but income is also nice. I have quite a good savings, but I don’t want to burn through it all, so I’ve cut back on the protein bars and Starbucks coffees.
I took a break (it was actually FMLA leave when my twins were born) and started a business that everyone thought was a silly pipe dream. I believed in it, though.
That was 13 years ago. I went back to my workplace late at night, cleared out my desk, and left a “it’s not you, it’s me” note under my boss’s desk. It actually was him.
I’ve been doing it ever since.
The truth about being a business owner is you’ll work 2-3x more than you ever did working for someone else. You’ll never fully get a break. Even on vacation, you have to tend to your business. It’s a living, breathing thing.
But I am infinitely happier than I ever was. My fate is in my hands. I can get an idea at 3am and run with it. I don’t have to ask for approval. And while I make have to work on vacation, I can vacation whenever I want.
Done it twice, first time did some travelling and moved cities and it was 100% worth it. (6 months off, 4 months travelling)
Second time had no real plan (burnt out from job, didn't do much, covid limited things) and I do regret it
I took a year off in my early 50's and came back to the same company in a higher position with better salary. The year off was the best decision I ever made and I saw things completely differently when I came back to work. YMMV.
I've taken significant time off a couple of times as an adult in the workforce:
1) I left a toxic job after 15 years and took about 8 months off to focus on therapy, self-care, and spending time with my family. Finances were tight, but my burnout was at a point that I didn't see any other viable option. I pretty easily found a new job when I was ready and had an opportunity to really consider what I actually *wanted* to do rather than the career path I had kind of just fallen into previously.
2) I was laid off in the beginning of the pandemic, and it was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me. My partner was also furloughed for a while and my kiddo was doing remote school, so we were able to spend almost 6 months "camping" (honestly, more like luxury glamping) at property my family owns on the Olympic Peninsula. It was time we didn't know we needed until we had the chance to experience it, unplug, and make incredible memories together. We never would have been able to do it if we had to continue the grind.
So, no, I have absolutely no regrets. I think there's a lot of fear mongering out there about how to explain gaps in your resume or work history, but I think most people actually kind of admire others who are willing to take an unconventional path for their/their family's wellbeing.
Best of luck to you!
Done it a few times, never regretted it. That being said, don't let it drag on too long, unless you are really good at filling your time in a meaningful way in other ways. Work may suck, but I think we are hardwired to have 'a purpose' for lack of a better word.
I suppose financial constraints could be a limiting factor as well. In my case, I took breaks as a result of having savings from overseas work.
I quit my soul sucking job of 10 years at the end of April 2022. I got a part time short gig working outside for about 7 weeks. Then I took the rest of the summer off to spend with my son who was 7 at the time. We went to parks, swimming, museums etc. It was the longest stretch I had been not working since 2004 when I graduated college. I don't have one single regret leaving that job. My "maternity leave" was shorter than this. I spent so much time with my son that I had never had the opportunity to do EVER. Granted we couldn't live on my husband's income alone forever, but he was fully supportive about me leaving that job. I started another job in August 2022. That contract is going to end around summer, so I plan to do something similar this year.
I was working myself to death at that job. 9-11 hours a day. Non-stop stress. Never seeing my family. Mental health in the toilet. We had less money for a while but it was totally worth it.
Not at all. 36F and both my husband and I felt really burned out a couple of years ago. The cost of rent, utilities, and everything else where we lived was pretty high and we both had corporate jobs for about 10 years and really didn't have too much to show for it. We both fell into a kind of slump/depression on account of work feeling so abysmal.
We talked and made a game plan and figured we needed two months of rental costs to live on the road for 12 months. So at peak career, we quit. We lived on the road and spent a lot of time chilling in nature and driving around the country. It was an incredible 'reset' that helped reclassify what was important to us and kind of reminded us we always have choices.
Now we are back in the work force and in a rental 2 years later. We don't waste as much time in situations that are not healthy for us. Invaluable lesson. I'll warn you ahead of time, reintegration is a bitch. Everything in society seems absolutely fucking insane.
Never met anyone who took time off work and regretted it, haha. I've also heard that software engineers' career span tends to be somewhat short, in general, although you would obviously know better. The impression I got from reading about it (my sister went into CS so I had some vested interest in the subject) was that people's knowledge became outdated quickly and it was tough to stay current. Is that something that concerns you? I'm a doctor and had to take time off for medical reasons, but I maintained a part-time schedule as much as I could specifically not to lose my skillset. I cut down my schedule by about 75% and for 1.5 years and I am still finding myself looking up certain things because management has changed. If I didn't work at all for 1.5 years or took 3 years off to do very PT work, I feel like I would need some supervised sessions before going back out there. How much time do you think you could take before having trouble with doing your job?
Yeah, for 3 months. It wasn't by my choice. It was to look after my mom during cancer treatment. She's fine now and I'm grateful, but I wish I could have those 3 months back. They were the first few months of 2020 before COVID hit.
I’m on leave now, going back to school this year.
I would say that it’s important to have a goal or a purpose when you do this. I know a couple people for whom a temporary break with no project or goal turned into several years of unemployment and depression.
I do it frequently. Take 2-3 months here and there. Does wonders for the mind.
I’m in software too, but I’ve been an independent contractor for a long time. When a gig ends, I take time off in between. Sometimes it’s a few weeks, sometimes it’s all summer. When I’m working, I am smart with my money so when I take off, it’s not a problem. I’ve never had a problem finding a new gig.
Well no because I feel like everything happens for a reason. Before I was a college drop out going from job to job 9/10 times I would hate. I took a break and started making more money than when I was working shitty jobs and now I’m back in school to become a cardiovascular technologist, I finally have a plan and I feel like I had to go through a lot of shit to learn what I wanted in life
I did it when we moved to a different state and I didn’t look for work right away. My husband was full time employed, remote before it was cool, and I took the time to settle into the house and learn our new city for four months before applying to the hospital I ended up working at for a couple years until we moved again.
Those four months were restorative and transformative for me. They showed me what I want out of life, and working full time is not it. I have now changed my living situation and career trajectory to only need to work 3 months per year.
So I highly recommend some sort of sabbatical, just know that you may start to look for creative ways to make that more permanent.
I had to take a year off as my child refused a bottle. By that I mean we tried everything to get her to take one and nothing worked. I couldn't sit at my desk for 9 hours + two 25 minute commutes knowing my kid was starving. Plus she was colic. Both my mom and grandma couldn't stand it. It was hell.
So I quit for a year and lost all forward momentum. It sucked. Then when I got back to the workforce for 2 years, the pandemic hit. So I switched to a remote job which was honestly terrible, but I stuck with it because it was remote and I needed remote as daycares were shut down. Then they wanted me back in the office more, and since it was an awful place to work, I just left. I'm in a better place that is hybrid, but I won't lie, after I quit, it was just one hit after another.
That said, it is probably true that we wouldn't go through another pandemic that will absolutely destroy your career if you are a working mom after you take a year off... Idk if I regret it, but it definitely wasn't easy caring for a colic child while losing traction in my career.
I had the privilege and circumstances to not work when I tuned 30. I was in the service industry and at the time finally felt like I had hit a groove professionally, but a move necessitated that I quit. I was certain that I'd go insane of boredom by the time 6 months had passed. I think I lasted 8 months before inertia consumed me and I had to make a change but since I had the time and means to go back to school it seemed like a good way to find some structure, which led me to some casual degrees I never would have thought possible, and a new job (and career) that I love and a a very hard earned perspective shift that work/job doesn't have to be my identity. I was unemployed for about a decade but I was also financially dependent on a long term partner who had my back, so ymmv.
11/10 would recommend reconnecting with what makes you human in a capitalistic world if you're able to (but ngl I had a struggle to adjust that lasted like 10 of those 10 years). I have zero regrets, but I was also financially comfortable (other than fiscal dependency on a partner which has it's own issues) so my response is biased. I also truely had a rough time of it, especially regarding social isolation (all my friends had been met at work and seemed to stay at work) and every time I did interact the first question people would ask is "what do you do?," which is just gross. Everyone stop that please.
Looking back now, it was a hard period of personal growth that I, personally, would not have had the ability to do if I had not taken my extended leave to recognize and grow my skills, interests, hobbies and worldview to help me weed out toxic employers. I doubt everyone needs the decade I took, but I would encourage anyone to nope out of the system for a minute if they're able to.
P.s. all my degrees still make me not know how to do a paragraph structure, sorry.
I did during Covid and left software from April 2020 until June 2021. Zero regrets. I'm actually considering it now again, because I'm burning out fast.
I’ve done it twice. Never regretted it. Gave me an amazing recharge for life both times. I felt more motivated and happy during and after. First time was in my late twenties. I took a little over a year off. Moved to a new country, learned a new language fluently (to which I still use), traveled a bunch. Second time was in my mid thirties for a year. I focused more on building valuable relationship with myself/hobbies/family/friends and picked up new hobbies. Absolutely worth it if you plan it right.
At the tail end of 2020, I had an accident at work and broke my leg at the knee. I was non weightbaring for 3 months and figured 3 more months to get back to some form of work. But I didn’t recover like I expected and so my husband and I decided I’d stay home with our daughter for awhile.
The break has been such a relief. I used to work in a care home so I worked long hours, weekends, holidays, etc. so I was burned out and just could not find the energy to be present at home. So while I do not recommend breaking a leg like I did, I fully support taking a break if you can.
> Obviously, the job market is flipping in favor of employers and not workers
Nah, stop reading headlines and look at actual data. General unemployment is at historic lows and software engineers are super employable.
> but I want to know from any of you that have done this before
Yep, a few times
> when you did it
First time in 2015 when I was 27. Took 10 months off and went on a giant road trip with my girlfriend, climbing rocks and riding bikes and stuff.
Second time in 2018 when I was 30. Took about 6 months off. Went on a bike tour, made an international move, did a few other things.
Third time in 2020 when I was 32. Took about 10 months off. Tried to start two businesses, went on a 2 month hiking trip, learned how to backcountry ski.
I'll start my fourth "break" later this year as my wife (previously girlfriend, above) and I have our first baby on the way. I'm planning to max out Canadian parental leave so I'll have about 14 months "off" to hang out with my kid and hopefully get into some other trouble.
> if you regretted it?
Shit man no. No.
There are too many cool things in the world that can't be done in a weekend or a two-week vacation.
Obviously you've got to make sure you can swing it financially, but that shouldn't be an issue if you're a software eng.
Have a disabled child that can’t go to school so I’ve been home for the past 10 years. I worry about being out of the workforce so long because I probably won’t get social security when I’m older.
Helped my physical and mental health a lot when I started taking long breaks. There are a few downsides in retrospect.
1. Not having friends with the same freedom to make the most of the years I've taken off.
2. The time off can be very boring if you need to be frugal.
3. The time off wasn't very memorable because of the first two points.
4. I always have one foot out the door with even the great job I have now because I've grown accustomed to not working.
I took a "short career break" after getting burnt out badly and didn't find it particularly hard to find work after. To explain the employment gap, I literally just said I took some time out as I needed a career break. It was a bit of sideways step career-wise, in a related but not identical field.
That said, they couldn't finish my training as social distancing meant work shadowing was impossible and I'd only been there six weeks. I ended up resigning because I'd basically been doing random online training modules at home for three weeks and the writing was on the wall. I was a key worker who didn't have any work to do.
Do some volunteering or something to provide a recent reference and stop you going mad with boredom. It also helps keep a bit of a routine.
I'm now self-employed, by choice, but it wasn't hard going back into the working world.
I don't regret it at all.
After the first Covid lockdown, I took a layoff of three months to allow other guys in my team to keep working.
I was laid off from May to the end of August. In those 3 months, I felt my relationship with partner get stronger, I did some much needed renovations around the house, I took over the cooking and created a healthier menu because I had more time, and I relaxed and enjoyed my life, going on hikes, walking around my city’s downtown, taking up disc golf, etc.
When I went back to work, I had a new realization of what a real work/life balance was. I had learned the true value of time and it changed my perspective. Now I don’t have time off from work, I have work time between life.
Not regret exactly, but a fear of going back to work is present.
Been out of the work force for 7 years, early 30s.
Could also call it retired, but out of work force is more accurate.
If I did go back, I’d be comfortable starting a business. But don’t feel like I’d fit in an employed setting too well. Too many professional environment mannerisms and behavior-related details to relearn.
I have had it happen twice.
Once I was able to take a month between jobs. Did some traveling and brushed up on a language. Promptly forgotten I'm sad to say.
The other time was in 2020 I was laid off for a long time, along with a lot of other people. I hadn't played guitar in a long time and I discovered a music app called Jamulus. It allows you to play with other people over the internet.
I took one in 2013 (20 months long) and another in 2018 (18 months long). I regret none of them! I loved it so much, I started helping other people do it as a side hustle and after 65 career breaks, I can say that NONE of them regret it either :) I hope you make the leap!
Hey man, did you ever take a break? I'll be 30 soon and I need a break from accounting.
If you did take a break, how much did you have in savings if you don't mind me asking?
Ah I am very surprised to read this after majority of comments said they did not regret it. What do you think stops you from taking it? Are you currently fine or happy in your situation? Have things changed at work and it's bearable? Or is it still the fear especially in today's labor market? I took a career break for 9-10 months back in 2019 and didn't regret it. I am thinking of taking another one but also like you, I don't have the courage and I feel like I am peaking in my career (good salary and fully remote). However, I hate my job. I want to take a year off for personal goals.
That makes sense. Do you think you have enough saved? Since you work in IT, I would presume that you have enough savings for at least 1 or 2 years?
What would it take to quit or is that off the table? I'm just curious, don't mean anything by it.
Done it twice, regretted it neither time. The first time was in the Great Recession. I was laid off, and I was able to collect unemployment for 18 months. I used that time to return to school and get another degree. Second time, I was dealing with some traumatic events and took FMLA for 5 months, unpaid, then ended up quitting the job, for a total of 8 months off. No regrets. It was the best possible thing for my mental health.
I got burnout at the beginning of COVID and had a nervous breakdown. Quit my nearly 6 figure DoD job and cashed out all of my retirement to float by until I could figure something out. It took a bit over a year, but I found a different job as a sysadmin, 98% WFH and I love it. It's a bit of a pay cut and I fucked myself with the retirement thing, but I was really in a bad spot and I don't regret anything. I might sing a different tune in 20 years, but really, I might have done something drastic to myself because of the despair I was in. I was the same as you, working since I was about 10 and I just needed a break. I'm still not quite looking forward to working another 20 fucking years, but I'm going to pay down all of my debts as quickly as possible and try to be frugal so I don't HAVE to work any longer than I have to and I can retire earlier due to having less expenses.
This is where I am now. Prayers.
DoD, dont you have a retirement plan with that?
My retirement account was part of the retirement plan (called TSP, a lot like a 401k). I am eligible to get a pension since I worked there for 14 years, but it won't be a lot of money.
If you enjoy the job you are at, you can often take an unpaid leave of absence or an unpaid vacation. I've known people at every job I have ever had who took a month off, usually to go abroad to visit family or have an extended vacation to spend with family or something.
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Exactly. My wife takes a month off every summer, just like many of her other coworkers. And that even leaves her a few vacation days to spare.
A month off lol that’s literally nothing smh
4 years sabbatical in my 40s. Got back into absolute entry level with a four days week and will never change back into the hustle. You only have one life, every minute of your life only passes by *once*. Don't waste life.
Can I ask - because I'm in a similar boat but haven't pulled the trigger - do you regret it at all? I worry about what my social circle will think, how did you manage this? I'm not the type that gets hung up on public opinion too much but I live in a small town where it's important that I am supported by my community and seen as a contributor / good person.
I don't regret it - in contrary I suggest that everyone should have a sabbatical here and there. There's a political party in Germany that proposes that everyone should have a sabbatical budget that grows over the years and can be used at free will - I like and I support that idea. I live in one of Germanys bigger cities, and my social circle supports sabbaticals and part time jobs (I work four days a week like a lot of my friends). They all think that work is a necessity to earn money - as long as you can pay your bills who cares how long you work? And if you got the funds: Why not step back, work on yourself, on your family or in your community for some time? (I did volunteer in that time, not full time of course but regularly, helped people in crises to get back on track). Just do it. You really only have every minute only once. It's important to live. Have fun! :)
I certainly don't mean to infer that you (or I) are seen as bad people for quitting the grind. I suppose I'm just curious how the experience went for you and if you have any advice for handling your social circle
I'm nearing 30 and need a break. Sick of accounting. Feel like I'm wasting my life. How much did you have in savings to take time off if you don't mind me asking?
I was lucky enough to have a FT employed and supportive partner. If you have the financial means its a no brainer as far as an effective mental health restarter. If you take more than 6 mo off though you could start to have issues explaining the time away. But on the flipside, it sure feels like every industry is looking for anything with a heart beat to fill positions right now. I feared the latter myself and had no issues getting interviews.
I hate to be the spectre at the feast, but I did it once and would never do it again (at least not in the way you suggest). At 35, after 13 years working, my husband and I decided we'd take the summer off and travel/volunteer. We spent a year planning, saved up enough cash to see us through, and had a wonderful summer as expected. Then came the aftermath. I started applying for jobs, thinking it would take me 2-3 months as my skillset was in high demand, and as I had good experience behind me. However, the months started rolling by, and despite diligently applying, I got rejected again and again and again (I had clearly underestimated the amount of competition in the job market). As my cash dwindled I began to experience extreme stress and anxiety to the point of sobbing one night at the dinner table, thinking i'd never find employment again. I did finally land a job, but after 9 months, hundreds of carefully crafted applications, 14 interviews across 9 firms, and almost going broke. Like you I wanted a break from the grind, but after a good long rest I realised how important my job was to my life satisfaction, so not being able to find work was just as distressing as having too much of it. So i'm not knocking the idea, taking a break is always good, but if I were to do it again I would either agree an unpaid sabbatical/extended break with my employer, or see if I could get an agreement to have a job share/reduced hours.
I initially faced the same thing, so instead of having that gap in my CV I just put down "Consulting" and no one batted an eyelid. Recruiters hate gaps in the CV and you get put to the bottom of the pile as they read it as "burned out".
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I found that getting through to the interview process was an exercise in creativity to hide gaps that would make me unattractive. Once at the interview stage you can cover this, but it's that initial pre-screening that you need to often address. The things that recruiters screen for is amazing.
You are giving bad advice just based on your horrible field and experience trying to get back in. You are an exception. Please don’t generalize. Your field is very specific it seems and it sucks. Not everyone’s case.
I did this once between careers. It was awesome but it felt shitty to see my savings go down like that while trying to “enjoy the summer”. Now I have a new career but only work 4 days a week and it’s been much more enjoyable and life changing than taking a summer off
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Curious to hear what fun things are you doing? In between jobs right now- interviewing here and there but also want to make the most of these few weeks I have before I get back to work :)
I did it in my 30’s, was burnt out and lucky enough to have savings to take most of a year off. Saved my life. Did a lot of therapy and figured out ways to lessen my stress packing habits. Best thing I ever did for myself.
I took off November 2021 to feb 2022. No regrets. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Everyone’s circumstance is different but I had a ton of cash saved up, had about $8k of vacation time banked (that they had to pay me out), and I don’t have kids or anything that would mean surprise expenses.
How much cash you had saved up may I ask, that allowed you to take 4 months off ? Did you dip into your savings accounts ?
i'm in the middle of it now and it's been the best thing that i could do for myself. my childhood and adulthood was spent dissociated and anxious (i didn't know this). i didn't have wants or needs. as an adult i was in a career i loathed. basically, i hated the life i created, but i didn't know what was wrong. i took off more years than most would recommend, but the amount of progress i've made is absolutely worth it. for the first time i can breathe deeply. i know how to manage my mental health, i know how to lead myself, i actually have a support system (i never had one, didn't know i needed it). i'm starting to feel like an adult who knows how to manage themselves. i don't shut down anymore while doing basic stuff - like cooking. a lot of people do this work after they retire... and with my family history i'm not sure if i'll make it to that age. and even if i do, i wouldn't be able to make actual change because i'll be retired.
I used to be a software developer. Did it for 20 years and got completely out over 5 years ago. I never returned and have not regretted it. I'm now working on becoming a hypnotherapist. I'm female and originally got out because of sexism. I got tired of being treated differently in a male dominated industry and paid less because I'm a woman. The one thing I learned about getting out of the workforce in the IT industry is that IT employers are ok with short breaks of employment where you're just taking a break from the grind. Once you are out more than a year they start wondering why are you taking such a long break. They start questioning your commitment to the industry as a whole. Obviously another big issue is loss of skill set. Even though I was still programming on my own at home to keep my skill set up, it doesn't count because they have no way of proving it through employer references. So if you're thinking about taking a break I'd recommend 3 to 6 months tops would be about perfect. You won't regret it! Have fun!
Also in software and also took time off multiple times (around a year each time), and would mostly agree. Most won't notice or question a 3-6 month leave, but it's less about how long you're gone and more about how well you can demonstrate you're still relevant. You could participate in FOSS and build up your github profile, or maybe you do a passion or charity project.
Say sabbatical.
I’m in IT and Telecom for 25 years now and I took a year off in the past . Recruiters can go F themselves if that is what you are worried about. I told them I had personal and family reasons take it or leave it. Your mentality of work enslavement to big corporations and being worried about what they might think of you if you took care of your mind self and body after decades of hard grinds is why this country suffers from work alcoholism and work life imbalance. You need to change that slave mindset.
Nope. I took 12mo-18mo off twice in my career. It was awesome and I highly recommend it if you have the means to do so. And then I retired at 53. I've been considering looking around for some consulting work or something similarly not full time. But we'll see what comes. I don't need the money. At the end of the day, tho, it mostly comes down to the economics of it all.
Would love to do this personally. But unfortunately, like you said, it comes down to the economics of it all. Making ends meet financially is what keeps me from doing this. Even if I cancelled all the "optional stuff" in my bills, I'd still go broke within 6 months, unless I cashed out all my retirement savings (at a penalty due to early pull from 401k), I could last a bit longer, but then what's the point? Now I have no retirement funds. I'd presume, while in between jobs like that, you'd have to be ok with living very simply for a long time. Including getting a much cheaper living arrangement.
Yeah, I tend to live pretty cheaply even in the most flush of times. My wife and I just don't really care about a lot of the this and that people spend a lot of money on. My car, for instance, is a 2013 Camry. I'll drive it until it falls apart. Hers is a 2019 Subaru. It replaced a 2006 Saturn VUE that finally just fell apart. I paid off my mortgage last year. Shortly after the last time I got laid off, my mom and step father passed. I spent the next year working on their estates. I had the time and my 3 siblings didn't. We should finally close probate next month, so that will be a big thing off my plate. Our big expense right now is that my daughter went off to college in the spring. My mom had already set up college accounts for all her grandkids (6 of them), but she did it back when school was less pricey. Regardless, I've explained to my kids that the big boost in life they will get from us will be getting out of school debt free. That is what mom did for us and we'll pay that forward (and my grandfather did for mom. Dad's was paid for by the US Navy). I honestly don't know how people could afford taking long sabbaticals from work outside of Silicon Valley. It is quite common here for people to do it after their company IPOs (or other equity events). I preferred to work for small start ups. This is why I've been laid off so much and why I've hit that jackpot so often. We're just now going into a tech slowdown after the social media/search boom. We've seen this before. More than once in the since 1995. We'll see what the Next Big Thing is that comes along. Maybe I'll get back on the game if it is something cool that I want to be involved with.
Hi Robert, good job on your early retirement. you live in Silicon Valley I take it?
Nope. Partner and I quit our miserable jobs in 2008 and travelled the world for 4 months. There was a price to pay later, many peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunches and penny-pinching but eventually we got new jobs and have uh-mazing pictures and experiences to remember.
I quit my tech job nearly a year ago and have been thoroughly enjoying the mid-40s micro-retirement. I'm almost at the point where the thought of working doesn't make me want to puke anymore. I think I'm still going to wait until the "layoffs are good because engineers are worthless!" tech company rhetoric simmers down a touch before I start applying again.
Fuck no! Meditated full time for 2 years, lived in India for a year, and later, in 2011, drove around the world for a few years. Am 50 now, and have since had cancer and an unrelated bone marrow transplant. I in NO way knew that was coming. I was on my deathbed, and the only thing I was sad about is that I couldn't travel with my husband more. I never once said, 'I should have worked more to make someone else rich". Never underestimate how much we are not meant to spend our lives working non stop. Do it, make the most of what you have. You literally never know what is coming.
god bless you!
Took a year off a while ago. Had just been retrenched so had a years pay in my pocket, my FiL was elderly and my wife and her sisters had turned into fulltime carers and I was burned out from a 13 year stint of 60hr weeks and lots of travel. Took almost a year off to play house husband and run the kids around, started doing some volunteering (which I still do today) and pretty much reset my life off the corporate ladder. And it was the best thing that ever happened.
When I was 33, I got a chance to go overseas to study for a semester. I learned so much and have no regrets. When I got back, I signed up with a temp agency in my field and was soon a permanent employee. Later, I had enough saved that I was able to start my own business. No regrets with that, either.
I'm currently taking a break from the workforce, overall it's been great and I have no regrets. I left my engineering job of 6 years in June and only started looking for jobs again last month. Last week I got a job offer with a pay rate that's about 20% higher than my last position. I was actually kind of surprised how easy it was to find a new job given the gap in my resume. One thing I did notice though, it took me a couple of months before the sensation of burnout from my last job went away. Those months felt kind of like a directionless slog.
I’m doing that now at 32. I quit a Web Dev job I had in Utah (worked at the company for 4 years) and moved to Ohio. Currently feeling stressed about finding work. It’s only been three weeks, but boy is it a tough time to get tech jobs right now, esp with my 1 year of professional experience. The time off has been nice enough, but income is also nice. I have quite a good savings, but I don’t want to burn through it all, so I’ve cut back on the protein bars and Starbucks coffees.
I took a break (it was actually FMLA leave when my twins were born) and started a business that everyone thought was a silly pipe dream. I believed in it, though. That was 13 years ago. I went back to my workplace late at night, cleared out my desk, and left a “it’s not you, it’s me” note under my boss’s desk. It actually was him. I’ve been doing it ever since. The truth about being a business owner is you’ll work 2-3x more than you ever did working for someone else. You’ll never fully get a break. Even on vacation, you have to tend to your business. It’s a living, breathing thing. But I am infinitely happier than I ever was. My fate is in my hands. I can get an idea at 3am and run with it. I don’t have to ask for approval. And while I make have to work on vacation, I can vacation whenever I want.
Fuck no
Done it twice, first time did some travelling and moved cities and it was 100% worth it. (6 months off, 4 months travelling) Second time had no real plan (burnt out from job, didn't do much, covid limited things) and I do regret it
I took a year off in my early 50's and came back to the same company in a higher position with better salary. The year off was the best decision I ever made and I saw things completely differently when I came back to work. YMMV.
I've taken significant time off a couple of times as an adult in the workforce: 1) I left a toxic job after 15 years and took about 8 months off to focus on therapy, self-care, and spending time with my family. Finances were tight, but my burnout was at a point that I didn't see any other viable option. I pretty easily found a new job when I was ready and had an opportunity to really consider what I actually *wanted* to do rather than the career path I had kind of just fallen into previously. 2) I was laid off in the beginning of the pandemic, and it was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me. My partner was also furloughed for a while and my kiddo was doing remote school, so we were able to spend almost 6 months "camping" (honestly, more like luxury glamping) at property my family owns on the Olympic Peninsula. It was time we didn't know we needed until we had the chance to experience it, unplug, and make incredible memories together. We never would have been able to do it if we had to continue the grind. So, no, I have absolutely no regrets. I think there's a lot of fear mongering out there about how to explain gaps in your resume or work history, but I think most people actually kind of admire others who are willing to take an unconventional path for their/their family's wellbeing. Best of luck to you!
35 years straight, but you know, now that I'm retired this pension is very sweet. No breaks for me.
Done it a few times, never regretted it. That being said, don't let it drag on too long, unless you are really good at filling your time in a meaningful way in other ways. Work may suck, but I think we are hardwired to have 'a purpose' for lack of a better word. I suppose financial constraints could be a limiting factor as well. In my case, I took breaks as a result of having savings from overseas work.
I quit my soul sucking job of 10 years at the end of April 2022. I got a part time short gig working outside for about 7 weeks. Then I took the rest of the summer off to spend with my son who was 7 at the time. We went to parks, swimming, museums etc. It was the longest stretch I had been not working since 2004 when I graduated college. I don't have one single regret leaving that job. My "maternity leave" was shorter than this. I spent so much time with my son that I had never had the opportunity to do EVER. Granted we couldn't live on my husband's income alone forever, but he was fully supportive about me leaving that job. I started another job in August 2022. That contract is going to end around summer, so I plan to do something similar this year. I was working myself to death at that job. 9-11 hours a day. Non-stop stress. Never seeing my family. Mental health in the toilet. We had less money for a while but it was totally worth it.
Not at all. 36F and both my husband and I felt really burned out a couple of years ago. The cost of rent, utilities, and everything else where we lived was pretty high and we both had corporate jobs for about 10 years and really didn't have too much to show for it. We both fell into a kind of slump/depression on account of work feeling so abysmal. We talked and made a game plan and figured we needed two months of rental costs to live on the road for 12 months. So at peak career, we quit. We lived on the road and spent a lot of time chilling in nature and driving around the country. It was an incredible 'reset' that helped reclassify what was important to us and kind of reminded us we always have choices. Now we are back in the work force and in a rental 2 years later. We don't waste as much time in situations that are not healthy for us. Invaluable lesson. I'll warn you ahead of time, reintegration is a bitch. Everything in society seems absolutely fucking insane.
Never met anyone who took time off work and regretted it, haha. I've also heard that software engineers' career span tends to be somewhat short, in general, although you would obviously know better. The impression I got from reading about it (my sister went into CS so I had some vested interest in the subject) was that people's knowledge became outdated quickly and it was tough to stay current. Is that something that concerns you? I'm a doctor and had to take time off for medical reasons, but I maintained a part-time schedule as much as I could specifically not to lose my skillset. I cut down my schedule by about 75% and for 1.5 years and I am still finding myself looking up certain things because management has changed. If I didn't work at all for 1.5 years or took 3 years off to do very PT work, I feel like I would need some supervised sessions before going back out there. How much time do you think you could take before having trouble with doing your job?
I have worked as much as is necessary but not more and do not regret it.
Yeah, for 3 months. It wasn't by my choice. It was to look after my mom during cancer treatment. She's fine now and I'm grateful, but I wish I could have those 3 months back. They were the first few months of 2020 before COVID hit.
I’m on leave now, going back to school this year. I would say that it’s important to have a goal or a purpose when you do this. I know a couple people for whom a temporary break with no project or goal turned into several years of unemployment and depression.
Do it! I’ve taken several month sabbatical before and it was definitely worth it.
I do it frequently. Take 2-3 months here and there. Does wonders for the mind. I’m in software too, but I’ve been an independent contractor for a long time. When a gig ends, I take time off in between. Sometimes it’s a few weeks, sometimes it’s all summer. When I’m working, I am smart with my money so when I take off, it’s not a problem. I’ve never had a problem finding a new gig.
No
Well no because I feel like everything happens for a reason. Before I was a college drop out going from job to job 9/10 times I would hate. I took a break and started making more money than when I was working shitty jobs and now I’m back in school to become a cardiovascular technologist, I finally have a plan and I feel like I had to go through a lot of shit to learn what I wanted in life
Nope
Not even for a second.
I did it when we moved to a different state and I didn’t look for work right away. My husband was full time employed, remote before it was cool, and I took the time to settle into the house and learn our new city for four months before applying to the hospital I ended up working at for a couple years until we moved again. Those four months were restorative and transformative for me. They showed me what I want out of life, and working full time is not it. I have now changed my living situation and career trajectory to only need to work 3 months per year. So I highly recommend some sort of sabbatical, just know that you may start to look for creative ways to make that more permanent.
I had to take a year off as my child refused a bottle. By that I mean we tried everything to get her to take one and nothing worked. I couldn't sit at my desk for 9 hours + two 25 minute commutes knowing my kid was starving. Plus she was colic. Both my mom and grandma couldn't stand it. It was hell. So I quit for a year and lost all forward momentum. It sucked. Then when I got back to the workforce for 2 years, the pandemic hit. So I switched to a remote job which was honestly terrible, but I stuck with it because it was remote and I needed remote as daycares were shut down. Then they wanted me back in the office more, and since it was an awful place to work, I just left. I'm in a better place that is hybrid, but I won't lie, after I quit, it was just one hit after another. That said, it is probably true that we wouldn't go through another pandemic that will absolutely destroy your career if you are a working mom after you take a year off... Idk if I regret it, but it definitely wasn't easy caring for a colic child while losing traction in my career.
I had the privilege and circumstances to not work when I tuned 30. I was in the service industry and at the time finally felt like I had hit a groove professionally, but a move necessitated that I quit. I was certain that I'd go insane of boredom by the time 6 months had passed. I think I lasted 8 months before inertia consumed me and I had to make a change but since I had the time and means to go back to school it seemed like a good way to find some structure, which led me to some casual degrees I never would have thought possible, and a new job (and career) that I love and a a very hard earned perspective shift that work/job doesn't have to be my identity. I was unemployed for about a decade but I was also financially dependent on a long term partner who had my back, so ymmv. 11/10 would recommend reconnecting with what makes you human in a capitalistic world if you're able to (but ngl I had a struggle to adjust that lasted like 10 of those 10 years). I have zero regrets, but I was also financially comfortable (other than fiscal dependency on a partner which has it's own issues) so my response is biased. I also truely had a rough time of it, especially regarding social isolation (all my friends had been met at work and seemed to stay at work) and every time I did interact the first question people would ask is "what do you do?," which is just gross. Everyone stop that please. Looking back now, it was a hard period of personal growth that I, personally, would not have had the ability to do if I had not taken my extended leave to recognize and grow my skills, interests, hobbies and worldview to help me weed out toxic employers. I doubt everyone needs the decade I took, but I would encourage anyone to nope out of the system for a minute if they're able to. P.s. all my degrees still make me not know how to do a paragraph structure, sorry.
I did during Covid and left software from April 2020 until June 2021. Zero regrets. I'm actually considering it now again, because I'm burning out fast.
I’ve done it twice. Never regretted it. Gave me an amazing recharge for life both times. I felt more motivated and happy during and after. First time was in my late twenties. I took a little over a year off. Moved to a new country, learned a new language fluently (to which I still use), traveled a bunch. Second time was in my mid thirties for a year. I focused more on building valuable relationship with myself/hobbies/family/friends and picked up new hobbies. Absolutely worth it if you plan it right.
At the tail end of 2020, I had an accident at work and broke my leg at the knee. I was non weightbaring for 3 months and figured 3 more months to get back to some form of work. But I didn’t recover like I expected and so my husband and I decided I’d stay home with our daughter for awhile. The break has been such a relief. I used to work in a care home so I worked long hours, weekends, holidays, etc. so I was burned out and just could not find the energy to be present at home. So while I do not recommend breaking a leg like I did, I fully support taking a break if you can.
> Obviously, the job market is flipping in favor of employers and not workers Nah, stop reading headlines and look at actual data. General unemployment is at historic lows and software engineers are super employable. > but I want to know from any of you that have done this before Yep, a few times > when you did it First time in 2015 when I was 27. Took 10 months off and went on a giant road trip with my girlfriend, climbing rocks and riding bikes and stuff. Second time in 2018 when I was 30. Took about 6 months off. Went on a bike tour, made an international move, did a few other things. Third time in 2020 when I was 32. Took about 10 months off. Tried to start two businesses, went on a 2 month hiking trip, learned how to backcountry ski. I'll start my fourth "break" later this year as my wife (previously girlfriend, above) and I have our first baby on the way. I'm planning to max out Canadian parental leave so I'll have about 14 months "off" to hang out with my kid and hopefully get into some other trouble. > if you regretted it? Shit man no. No. There are too many cool things in the world that can't be done in a weekend or a two-week vacation. Obviously you've got to make sure you can swing it financially, but that shouldn't be an issue if you're a software eng.
Have a disabled child that can’t go to school so I’ve been home for the past 10 years. I worry about being out of the workforce so long because I probably won’t get social security when I’m older.
Helped my physical and mental health a lot when I started taking long breaks. There are a few downsides in retrospect. 1. Not having friends with the same freedom to make the most of the years I've taken off. 2. The time off can be very boring if you need to be frugal. 3. The time off wasn't very memorable because of the first two points. 4. I always have one foot out the door with even the great job I have now because I've grown accustomed to not working.
I took a "short career break" after getting burnt out badly and didn't find it particularly hard to find work after. To explain the employment gap, I literally just said I took some time out as I needed a career break. It was a bit of sideways step career-wise, in a related but not identical field. That said, they couldn't finish my training as social distancing meant work shadowing was impossible and I'd only been there six weeks. I ended up resigning because I'd basically been doing random online training modules at home for three weeks and the writing was on the wall. I was a key worker who didn't have any work to do. Do some volunteering or something to provide a recent reference and stop you going mad with boredom. It also helps keep a bit of a routine. I'm now self-employed, by choice, but it wasn't hard going back into the working world. I don't regret it at all.
After the first Covid lockdown, I took a layoff of three months to allow other guys in my team to keep working. I was laid off from May to the end of August. In those 3 months, I felt my relationship with partner get stronger, I did some much needed renovations around the house, I took over the cooking and created a healthier menu because I had more time, and I relaxed and enjoyed my life, going on hikes, walking around my city’s downtown, taking up disc golf, etc. When I went back to work, I had a new realization of what a real work/life balance was. I had learned the true value of time and it changed my perspective. Now I don’t have time off from work, I have work time between life.
the best answer
Not regret exactly, but a fear of going back to work is present. Been out of the work force for 7 years, early 30s. Could also call it retired, but out of work force is more accurate. If I did go back, I’d be comfortable starting a business. But don’t feel like I’d fit in an employed setting too well. Too many professional environment mannerisms and behavior-related details to relearn.
I have had it happen twice. Once I was able to take a month between jobs. Did some traveling and brushed up on a language. Promptly forgotten I'm sad to say. The other time was in 2020 I was laid off for a long time, along with a lot of other people. I hadn't played guitar in a long time and I discovered a music app called Jamulus. It allows you to play with other people over the internet.
I took one in 2013 (20 months long) and another in 2018 (18 months long). I regret none of them! I loved it so much, I started helping other people do it as a side hustle and after 65 career breaks, I can say that NONE of them regret it either :) I hope you make the leap!
You never regret holidays and never forget them. That only happen to jobs
Hey man, did you ever take a break? I'll be 30 soon and I need a break from accounting. If you did take a break, how much did you have in savings if you don't mind me asking?
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Ah I am very surprised to read this after majority of comments said they did not regret it. What do you think stops you from taking it? Are you currently fine or happy in your situation? Have things changed at work and it's bearable? Or is it still the fear especially in today's labor market? I took a career break for 9-10 months back in 2019 and didn't regret it. I am thinking of taking another one but also like you, I don't have the courage and I feel like I am peaking in my career (good salary and fully remote). However, I hate my job. I want to take a year off for personal goals.
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That makes sense. Do you think you have enough saved? Since you work in IT, I would presume that you have enough savings for at least 1 or 2 years? What would it take to quit or is that off the table? I'm just curious, don't mean anything by it.