career break
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
Good on ya for having the courage to do this. I've been doing it for years so it's kinda second nature to me now but it's still scary :-) The only problem I've had is having to explain big gaps in my work history (and we're talking years, not months) but when I explain to people that I've been away travelling, working as a musician or teacher, they generally take it pretty well. To be honest, any place that saw that kind of thing as a problem is not somewhere I would want to work anyway. A career is not everything. In fact, it's a pretty small thing when you take the time out to really think about it :-) Just be warned that when take time off like this, you won't want to go back :-)
The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity. - Harlan Ellison Awasu 2.1.2 [^]: A free RSS reader with support for Code Project.
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
On the other hand, I love my job, actually toooo much of work to do each day. Well you may say that I dont have life other than work, just imagine you are asked to do something you always wanted to do and people pay you for that. I love my job. :)
-prakash
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
I quit a job back in the Summer of 1998 because it was getting me down. I only took a month out (duration of the World Cup ;-) ), but it got me back on track and enjoying software development again. The problems you may face are when you try and get back into work, especially in a depressed market where employers can pick and choose. Employers might think if you've got fed up once, you may do it again. Which in my case was true as I nearly did the same in 2000 and did actually terminate a contract in 2003 (although I was my own boss in 2003, so its not quiet the same) Good luck and enjoy your break. Michael CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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I quit a job back in the Summer of 1998 because it was getting me down. I only took a month out (duration of the World Cup ;-) ), but it got me back on track and enjoying software development again. The problems you may face are when you try and get back into work, especially in a depressed market where employers can pick and choose. Employers might think if you've got fed up once, you may do it again. Which in my case was true as I nearly did the same in 2000 and did actually terminate a contract in 2003 (although I was my own boss in 2003, so its not quiet the same) Good luck and enjoy your break. Michael CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
do you guys have to quit the job, cant you ask your employer for unpaid leave or if lucky paid one. So that you are sure that you have a job and plan ahead .
-prakash
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do you guys have to quit the job, cant you ask your employer for unpaid leave or if lucky paid one. So that you are sure that you have a job and plan ahead .
-prakash
Mr.Prakash wrote: do you guys have to quit the job, cant you ask your employer for unpaid leave or if lucky paid one. In my experience, employers aren't very sympathetic about these things. The one in 1998 didn't understand why I needed a break. In fact, I wasn't even allowed to work my notice. That's one of the reasons I'm my own boss. I can work as little or as much as I like and when I get fed-up I can take the time off. Michael CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
Suzanne Boyle wrote: has anyone ever done something like this before I did it twice. First time i've changed the profession entirely and the adventure lasted for more then two years. I had an incredibly slow and painful comeback, it took some six months to recover. Second time was two months ago but this time i've been more wise, i think :~ , and i got back into bussiness after only one month of wandering. So do it! But keep in mind that the "I've saved enough for me to live off for a while" stuff is nothing but an illusion.
"tous les sifflets des trains, toutes les sirènes des bateaux m'ont chanté cent fois la chanson de l'Eldorado" rechi+
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Good on ya for having the courage to do this. I've been doing it for years so it's kinda second nature to me now but it's still scary :-) The only problem I've had is having to explain big gaps in my work history (and we're talking years, not months) but when I explain to people that I've been away travelling, working as a musician or teacher, they generally take it pretty well. To be honest, any place that saw that kind of thing as a problem is not somewhere I would want to work anyway. A career is not everything. In fact, it's a pretty small thing when you take the time out to really think about it :-) Just be warned that when take time off like this, you won't want to go back :-)
The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity. - Harlan Ellison Awasu 2.1.2 [^]: A free RSS reader with support for Code Project.
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I don't think me not wanting to go back will be a problem. I still live with my parents :-O and I can see me and my mother driving each other mad with me in the house all day. After a few months of that and I'll be desperate to get back to work. SuzyB
Meh, so get out :rolleyes: I'm in Thailand now and you can live quite happily for GBP 10-15 per day. And that's in Bangkok. Go up-country and it's even cheaper. And there are cheaper places still elsewhere in the world.
The two most common elements in the universe are Hydrogen and stupidity. - Harlan Ellison Awasu 2.1.2 [^]: A free RSS reader with support for Code Project.
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
I did this a few years ago. My career was not going in the direction I wanted it to go, so I stopped working for 8 months. In that time I went on some training courses to learn some new skills for the job that I wanted to do. I eventually got a job doing what I actually like doing. So it worked out pretty well. Just remember to start job hunting again with enough time before your money runs out. It took me 3 months to find a job - however that was when the dot.com bubble had burst, the market is better now.
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
I left my job as a controls engineer a year ago, sold my house in S.California, moved to Denver, bought a house thats 3 times bigger with land for half of what I sold my hose for and just spent a year with my 3 kids, and going skiing.(got 23 days in this year). I dont regret it , but I'll have to look for a job soon. I did a similar thing when my first was born 8 years ago. .nuetter
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
I took nearly 4 months off from mid November 2003 until early March 2004 to deal with a "major life event" (most people here will know what I'm talking about; for those who don't it's in my online journal). Although not quite the same thing (for one thing I was still being paid...it was technically planned sick leave) it did give me a chance to step back and re-evaluate my life. It's probably no co-incidence that I left that job just 5 months later. As part of that I've been learning about business practice and running a small company on the side, so that has helped to keep my CV interesting. It probably helps that what I'm doing now isn't noticeably different from what I was doing before...but now, I have more say in what I do and when. If you are contemplating a complete career change of course, it's much harder. Do you have any idea what you would like to do with your life in future? Anna :rose: Riverblade Ltd - Software Consultancy Services Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter "Be yourself - not what others think you should be" - Marcia Graesch "Anna's just a sexy-looking lesbian tart" - A friend, trying to wind me up. It didn't work.
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Mr.Prakash wrote: do you guys have to quit the job, cant you ask your employer for unpaid leave or if lucky paid one. In my experience, employers aren't very sympathetic about these things. The one in 1998 didn't understand why I needed a break. In fact, I wasn't even allowed to work my notice. That's one of the reasons I'm my own boss. I can work as little or as much as I like and when I get fed-up I can take the time off. Michael CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
Michael P Butler wrote: I wasn't even allowed to work my notice That's not uncommon, even today, although it used to be more prevalent. I consulted for a company back in the 80's. Someone in upper-level management found out the manager I reported to had interviewed somewhere else. Two hours later she was escorted to the door by a security guard.
Software Zen:
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
Don't waste your life doing what other people tell you to do. Do what you want to do. Suzanne Boyle wrote: So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. What Taka said, and keep the door open to discovering you want to do something completely different, career-wise. Marc My website
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I left my job as a controls engineer a year ago, sold my house in S.California, moved to Denver, bought a house thats 3 times bigger with land for half of what I sold my hose for and just spent a year with my 3 kids, and going skiing.(got 23 days in this year). I dont regret it , but I'll have to look for a job soon. I did a similar thing when my first was born 8 years ago. .nuetter
I admire your courage and I need an advice: How to do the same when: have a mortgage , a non-working pregnant wife (she is a student), a 15 month old kid,and a job that doesn't give enough income to close the month. Any advices are welcome.
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
No, but I know the feeling. Sometimes I wish that comapnies rotated each other's employees so that work would not be dull. If I can afford to go back to college and get another degree in astronomy, archaeology, or law, just for a change, I'd do it. "If only one person knows the truth, it is still the truth." - Mahatma Gandhi Web - Blog - RSS - Math
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I've been pretty miserable lately. Actually I've been very miserable lately. I hate my job...not just the job but the actual work as well. I just don't care about it anymore. So I've decided to take a break. Just get away from work for a few months. I've been saving up this year for a holiday but, since I don't have rent or tax to pay, I've saved enough for me to live off for a while so money isn't a problem. So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. SuzyB If I had a better memory I would remember more.
I quit my regular job a month ago out of unhappiness. I do like software engineering, but after 8 years of working for companies I am fed up with the way managers treat their people (the Dilbert comic is all true sadly). So I decided to go contracting and have a bit more adventure! (Anybody need a talented C# programmer towards the end of September? :-)) So my suggestion is take a chance: no nuts no glory (although I don't know yet how it works out for me). And if you end up broke, you can go back to a boring job again, but then at least you've taken a peek at the other side of the fence.
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I admire your courage and I need an advice: How to do the same when: have a mortgage , a non-working pregnant wife (she is a student), a 15 month old kid,and a job that doesn't give enough income to close the month. Any advices are welcome.
sergeyv2002 wrote: I admire your courage and I need an advice: How to do the same when: have a mortgage , a non-working pregnant wife (she is a student), a 15 month old kid,and a job that doesn't give enough income to close the month. I don't know if you have ever heard of the "fickle finger of fate" but that little sucker has got you by the short hairs. Been there - done that. In my case I kept the job I had ( working for the phone company ) while looking for another job that paid more. I found one after about 3 months and moved on ( this was a long time ago 1973 ). That experience was horrible but at the same time it taught me a very valuable lesson. As the Boy Scouts saying goes -"Be Prepared". Richard In a world of pollution, profanity, adolescence, zits, broccoli, racism, ozone depletion, sexism, stupid guys, and PMS, why the hell do people still tell me to have a nice day? --Unknown
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Don't waste your life doing what other people tell you to do. Do what you want to do. Suzanne Boyle wrote: So, has anyone ever done something like this before, taken a break from their career to try and get back on track. Is there anything I need to bear in mind before I jack in my job. What Taka said, and keep the door open to discovering you want to do something completely different, career-wise. Marc My website
Latest Articles: Object Comparer String HelpersMarc Clifton wrote: Don't waste your life doing what other people tell you to do. Do what you want to do. But there are limits to this. As the song says: "There ain't no money in poetry and that's what sets the poet free. And I've had all the freedom i can stand" A person has to make a living or be a bum and let society provide for him. Richard In a world of pollution, profanity, adolescence, zits, broccoli, racism, ozone depletion, sexism, stupid guys, and PMS, why the hell do people still tell me to have a nice day? --Unknown