When to take a career break

Lake and palm trees

When you take your career break is really up to you and really depends on your individual situation. There is never a perfect time to go somewhere, but the longer you take planning your career break, the better it will be.

There are 3 main things to consider when deciding when to take your career break:

Your personal life

Most career breakers take a career break before they have children. The reasons for this are both practical and financial. Although it's possible to take a career break when you have children (and people do it every year), it's usually easier when you have no dependents, especially if you want to do voluntary work.

The majority of travelling career breakers are single, and many of these have chosen to travel after their long-term relationship broke up. If you have a partner it can sometimes be harder to schedule your career breaks together, and if you want to volunteer, it may take longer to find placements that suit you both in the same area. Some career breakers leave their partners at home (and send lots and lots of postcards).

Your job and career path

If you are able to take a sabbatical (paid or unpaid), your career break will depend on what you negotiate with your company. You will usually have to work there for at least 2 years before requesting a sabbatical, and you may be asked to take it at a particular time of year. You may want to think about:

  • When your pay review is due (if you're on your career break at the time, you will not usually receive a pay rise)
  • How your career break will affect your pension payments
  • Your finances - you will almost certainly be unable to do paid work (although you can usually accept expenses for voluntary work)
If you are leaving your job, you'll need to consider:
  • The best time to leave your current job - is it worth staying for your end-of-year bonus, for example?
  • Your industry (assuming you're staying in the same one). When you return, will it be a good time to start looking for a job?
  • The job market generally - it tends to go a bit flat in the summer and over Christmas.

Remember that, unless you leave your job at the beginning of April, you will probably be entitled to an income tax refund (which you can apply for when you get back). You can print off the forms you need from the HM Revenue & Customs site.

What time of year to travel

If you're travelling around the world, think about where you're going to be and when. There's always a 'best' time of year to go somewhere, but there are benefits to going places at low season too. Think about:

  • Your favourite destination - if you're going to a number of countries but you have one you're more excited about, decide when you want to be there and work the rest of your trip around it.
  • Climate - for some people it doesn't matter too much, but if you want to do something like ski, it's vital!
  • Festivals and events - you might want to join in local celebrations or take part in festivals. Remember that a lot of events effectively shut everything down (like Christmas here, or New Year in China). It can be a bit dull unless you have a host family to spend time with.

Benefits to being somewhere at the 'best' time of year:

  • Lots of things to do
  • Plenty of fellow travellers to meet and talk to
  • Good weather
  • More opportunities to join in local traditions and events

Benefits to being somewhere during the less popular times:

  • Easier to find rooms in hostels and guest houses
  • Cheaper
  • May get more chance to meet locals (as they won't be overwhelmed with backpackers)
  • Things won't close down if you're not there over a major holiday

This site's advanced search facility lets you choose when you want to go.