The idea of a career break is completely foreign to many working citizens of the United States. It’s a concept that has many people saying, “That would be great, but I couldn’t possibly do that.” Too many people have a grave misconception about what a career break actually is and who takes them. Most don’t realize that they, too, can take one if they make it a priority.
Detractors of career breaks define these people as running away from real life, when in fact many will come back with a great number of skills gained. There are all types of career skills that travel can improve, from time management to social skills to learning new languages to dealing with stress. Travel puts people in difficult and uncommon situations and forces them to figure things out.
Still others think that the only people who take career breaks hate their jobs and are in desperate need to find something else. It is true that there are plenty of people who dislike the careers they chose back when they were young and in college, and many career breakers are looking to be inspired and hopefully find a new calling in life. But there are just as many who just want a break from the chaos of everyday life to re-assess their lives, re-focus on their careers, and have an experience that will help their career going forward. Who knows, a career break may be the best career move you’ll ever make.
If the thought of taking a career break, sabbatical, or time off work to travel the world has crossed your mind, it’s time to realize that you’re not alone. There are plenty of others around the world who have done it, are planning to do it, and dream of doing it, and those who have done it are eager to offer tips to help prospective career breakers out. If you don’t already know about Meet, Plan, Go!, then be sure to check out their site and see all they have to offer. They will be hosting an event in 17 cities across the United States and Canada on October 18, with panelists of travelers who have taken the plunge themselves. The audience will be filled with people yearning to take that next step, and the panels will assist and inspire those audience members to get motivated and do it. So if you are anywhere near any of these 17 cities, be sure to check out this one-of-a-kind event.
- Austin, Texas
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Chicago, Illinois
- Denver, Colorado
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Los Angeles, California
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- New York, New York
- Orlando, Florida
- Portland, Oregon
- San Francisco, California
- Seattle, Washington
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Toronto, Ontario
- Washington D.C.