Revitalise your career: take a purposeful break

This article has been written by Cadi Kuchel during her CareerTrackers Internship with LinkedIn. CareerTrackers is a national non-profit organisation creating pathways and support systems for Indigenous young adults to attend and graduate from university and gain industry experience.

Four thousand weeks.?

That’s how long, on average, we have on this planet — a point popularised by author Oliver Burkeman .

That's not very long when you consider how much time is spent lengthening our to-do lists, being overwhelmed by full inboxes and haunted by a nagging guilt to get more done. No wonder more than?45% of Australians aged 25-54 feel they are always or often pressured for time.

What if you gave yourself the time to completely stop and evaluate your day-to-day? What would you change to live a life that provides you with fulfillment and purpose?

I did just that.?

Gap years can change your life

After finishing school, I decided to take a gap year rather than rush into a university degree when I had no particular direction in mind.

That year working abroad in a boarding school quickly made me realise I had a love for working with children, subsequently altering my study pathway to study teaching.

Last year, I ventured on a six-month adventure across 13 countries that was filled with new people, stories, picturesque landscapes and cultural wonders. Since returning, I allowed myself the time to reflect more deeply on what these worldly experiences gave me.

I realised I have not only been discovering the world but discovering and improving myself along the way.

• New environments honed my communication skills as I navigated through diverse cultures and languages and introduced myself to people from all corners of the world.
• Adaptability became second nature as I embraced unexpected changes and challenges, from finding myself phoneless in the bustling streets of Paris to missing trains in Madrid.
• I was constantly making decisions in often difficult situations that were out of my control, and I found the way I dealt with these moments largely came down to an openness to learn and using that knowledge to improve my travels going forward.?

It is this growth mindset that has sparked a hunger to learn and try new experiences. Now, as a LinkedIn Intern, I have been able to harness the skills developed whilst travelling to propel me into my professional career. Effective communication has been vital to building relationships, collaborate productively amongst my team, express ideas clearly and listen effectively. The ability to adapt to new challenges and responsibilities in a changing environment has allowed me to quickly learn and apply new skills to my various projects as I navigate shifting priorities.

In a world that demands constant productivity, taking a career break is becoming far from a taboo .

Rather, it's seen as an experience that promotes curiosity, growth, and discovery, that can thrust you forward in your career. Whilst these experiences have helped to shape the beginning of my career journey, no career trajectory is linear.

Travel could be your best way to develop skills

Intentional pauses can be a strategic investment in both your personal and professional growth. Global LinkedIn data shows 62% of employees have taken a career break, with more than a third of workers inspired to take one in the future .

The truth is, career breaks have proven to many as opportunities to take hold of your life, create new perceptions of success and put yourself in a position that is meaningful.

It's not just me who is seeing the benefits of these breaks. Enterprise Customer Success Manager Louise Bakhos recently took a 12-month career break and gained a broader perspective.

"We tie a lot of our self worth to our job title, career, and what we should be doing in our jobs … not leaving a lot of headspace to pause and reflect on myself and where I wanted to go with my life," Bakhos said.

She says travel reminded her "how important networking was, meeting new people and hearing different perspectives" and suggests those looking to take a career break figure out their ‘why’ first.?

While solo backpacking throughout South America, Louise particularly found personal growth in her confidence, resilience and vulnerability.

"The time gave me a renewed sense of purpose and motivation," she said. "It also reminded me how important networking is — meeting new people and hearing different perspectives."

The ability to leverage other people’s knowledge to gain new perspectives and understanding can be incredibly powerful when starting at a new company, because ultimately it is the connections you make that can be the building blocks to help you succeed in a new work environment. In reality, this confidence looked like the ability to step into an environment she wouldn't normally put herself in and proactively "reaching out to new people became more natural".

After returning home Bakhos realised her experiences could help to secure a new job by making it easier to reach out to others she had not met and to show a level of vulnerability in the interview.

“When interviewing for new roles, employers appreciated the diverse experiences and perspectives I gained during the year off,” she said.

"What travel did for me, is to realise that time is precious."

Is there a right time to take a career break? Short answer, no. However, whether you are just stepping out into the workforce or have accumulated years of professional experience, there can always be something to gain from taking a step back.’

What skills have you gained while travelling or on a gap year? Share your experiences in the comments below.

Resilience is an important professional skill many of us pick up on a career break — like while trying to navigate a foreign public transport system. Check out this unlocked LinkedIn Learning course to build this vital skill.