|
|
|
Career breaks
|
|
Career breaks are becoming an increasingly accepted, ‘normal' aspect of modern day working life. More and more companies and places of work are coming round to the idea that offering staff the opportunity to take a career break is the best way to stop some of their most valuable employees leaving on a permanent basis. For example many companies offer career breaks in the form of an unpaid sabbatical, whereby an employee who has worked for the company for a qualifying number of years can take unpaid leave with the promise that his or her job will be kept open for an agreed length of time (usually somewhere between 3 months and a year). Indeed, the Civil Service has embraced the concept of career breaks so much that civil servants are even able to take two career breaks during the course of their career.
 |
So, what exactly are career breaks?
Good question! A career break is essentially an opportunity to take a break from the daily pressures of the ‘rat race' and re-charge your batteries by getting stuck in to travelling for a while.
Career breaks don't always involve an entire year out
You may just want to be away for a month or two on your career break, that's absolutely fine. Equally, career breaks can involve travel to literally anywhere on the planet. Where you travel to on a career break will entirely depend on your personal preferences or, more literally, where you have always dreamed about visiting.
Some career breaks are simply all about relaxing, having some fun, seeing new places and experiencing new cultures. Some people taking a career break, however, decide they would also like to ‘give something back' whilst they are away by getting involved with volunteer projects.
|
What type of people travel on career breaks?
The answer to this one is anyone and everyone!
There is no general stereotype of the sort of people who travel on career breaks.
 |
Travellers taking career breaks fall in to all types of age brackets and come from a wide variety of backgrounds. For example many people taking career breaks are young professional people who have been working for a number of years and simply want to take an extended ‘holiday' before returning to work. Other types of people taking career breaks are parents taking advantage of having fewer responsibilities (because their children have now grown up and left home) and people who have recently retired. Generally, though, the only real stereotype you can make about people taking career breaks is that they are all people who have decided to ‘get their life back' for a while. |
About fifty per cent of people travelling on career breaks with Gap Year For Grown Ups are single with the other fifty per cent travelling with a friend, partner or spouse. In our experience people travelling on a career break alone generally meet people far easier and more quickly than those travelling as a couple. So, if you are single, don't be discouraged from taking a career break - you're in good company!
 |
What do you do on career breaks?
Whatever you want to do!
Career breaks can involve anything from travelling on a round the world trip to basing yourself just in one place and getting involved with worthwhile volunteer projects. It's worth spending a decent amount of time researching career breaks by exploring all of the various options on the GYFGU website. Another excellent source of advice and information regarding career breaks are Real Gap's team of expert travel advisers - all of whom have travelled extensively themselves. If you can't find what you're looking for, or have any questions regarding any of our programmes, then give one of them a call!
|
 Back to Career Break Advice
|
|
