Taking a career break

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NaturallyHorizontal
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Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2022 12:08 pm

Taking a career break

Post by NaturallyHorizontal »

I’m looking for some advice / guidance on taking a career break. Or caution against it.

​Context:​
​Married, living in HCOL​ area
Age: 33​, DH 3​4​​
Kids: ​​none yet​, but hopefully 2 in the near future​
​Total h​ousehold income: 400k​ pre-tax (my contribution is ​180k)
Expenses: ~90k annually
Assets/debt: Cash and investments 550k, retirement 400k, home 680k with 530k mortgage at 2.8%, 30k student loans at 2%

​Situation:​
I'm a mid-career generalist in the health policy/ health economics / public health field with experience most recently in consulting and biotech. I'm feeling disengaged and burned out at my current job. There has been a lot of reorganization / turnover since I joined, and with this turmoil, I haven't been able to gain the experience or learn the technical skills I came for.

I'm making a great salary and am trying to hold out for maternity leave (trying to conceive), but at this point, I absolutely dread work, my performance is suffering, and I am not any closer to specializing / moving away from being a generalist. Trying to address the burnout and develop some sort of an expertise while staying afloat at my current role hasn't been successful, especially since I joined with some degree of burnout from my last job.

Ideally, I'd like to take a career break to give myself some time to fully recover and make a smart decision about how and where to specialize for long-term career advancement and contentment. Financially, I think we are ok. I am more concerned about walking away from a great salary for an unknown path that might be similarly stressful with less pay. I’d love to hear —

Successful and not so successful career breaks?
Is the job market still amenable to unemployed candidates?
I may end up in a position where I am job searching while pregnant. Anyone have experience with this specific circumstance?
Experiences navigating mid-career changes? How did you find your right path?
Any other advice or feedback?

Thank you for your guidance!
delamer
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by delamer »

Would it be possible to take a break that would include some further education or training in the technical areas that you feel you need to advance your career?
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howard71
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by howard71 »

I took a two year break while suffering from the double whammy of career burnout and my wife dying of cancer, leaving me with a grandchild to raise on my own. Did a little contract work but spent most of it travelling in an RV.

Not only did I lose two years of income but also had to tap into my IRA but I've never regretted it. It gave me a second wind that allowed me to finish out my career. Not sure I would have made it otherwise.
ThankYouJack
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by ThankYouJack »

I have experience taking a couple career breaks and always find it takes a bit longer (and more work) to get a great job again than anticipated. It tends to work, but is something to consider.

Since you dread your current job, I would look for another job while employed then take a break this early in your career.

Also, it's extremely beneficial to save a lot (as you're doing) before having kids. This opens up a lot of possibilities and flexibility down the road when the kids are young.

But mainly what it comes down to: You're doing a great job living below your means and the finances are there, so it's a personal decision on how you and your spouse feel about it.
Steve723
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by Steve723 »

My wife was working full time in R&D for a big food company at about your age when she was pregnant with our second (our first is only 18 months older, so we also had a small toddler at the time). It was a fairly intense role, with semi-frequent travel and a pretty awful commute (i.e. stressful!). She went to part-time during the second pregnancy in order to achieve an additional degree of work/life balance, but felt she was halfway in and halfway out. Her performance suffered and eventually her position was eliminated.

It ended up being a huge relief for her, as she was very stressed about her situation at work anyway. She took the next couple of years to focus on being a full-time Mom with two little ones and hit the reset button on her career. She eventually started dabbling in math/science tutoring for adult learners pursuing their college degree as a volunteer. That ultimately led her to an adjunct teaching opportunity at a local university. After 10 years of adjunct teaching, she got an opportunity to get hired on as a full-time professor. And after three years doing that, she achieved tenure last year!

She of course didn't earn the income she probably would have had she stayed on the full time R&D track at a big company, but she ended up following a path that was right for her and right for us as a family.

If things don't feel right to you and you are super stressed, don't be afraid to take the leap! In my wife's case, the company made the decision for her, but it all worked out in the end.
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greg24
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by greg24 »

I'd suggest you find another job, and save up your career break for when you have little ones.
dboeger1
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by dboeger1 »

I took an unintentional 18 month break after a mass layoff from my first adult job in tech. Despite the industry being red hot at the time and all my friends, family, and acquaintances insisting jobs should be falling out of the sky for me, it took a lot longer to get an offer than I had planned. I was originally planning to take 6 months off, extended that to about 10 months to spend additional time with a dying elderly friend, and then it took another 8 months or so of applying to get a good offer.

The thing I found out the hard way is that even if companies are supposedly begging workers to apply and throwing huge compensation offers around, many of them are really stuck in their ways when it comes to certain administrative policies. The one that blocked me from getting an offer was apparently automatically screening and filtering out any candidates with employment gaps of more than a couple of months or so. I would send out dozens of applications, talk to many recruiters, etc., and just get ghosted by all of them. I eventually did something a little slimy that I never wanted to have to do, but I mean, if it's what I need to do in order to put food on the table again, I'll do it. I basically lied by listing personal projects (which were legitimate and kept my occupied with refreshing my skills during the gap) as employment, so it would look like I had been continuously employed. When asked for more detail, I just said I was self-employed. Once I got through to hiring managers and tech leads who actually cared about the candidate's skills and experience instead of some stupid automated screens, I was able to get offers pretty quickly. It's a shame that it works this way, and I assume the problem is exacerbated in tougher job markets such as during a recession.

Overall, I don't regret taking the time off I did. My elderly friend passed away not long after I went back to work, and I was really burnt out from my first job, so having that time off really recharged me. It was frustrating struggling to get offers while everyone in my industry was telling me how easy it should be. I've been working continuously since then and doing better at my current job than that first job, so I guess you could say it was a success in some sense. Obviously, it's a financial setback, but the way I see it, if the point of pursuing early retirement (which I am) is to take off from work, having the means to do it for some time while young isn't so bad.
Parkinglotracer
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by Parkinglotracer »

Can you take a leave of absence or do anything to keep the option of going back to your job after the break you need? Can you go part-time? Sabbatical to get an advanced degree?


I have returned to a job after a 3 year retirement and it worked out but I wouldn’t count on it.

Congrats on living within your means.
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Watty
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by Watty »

NaturallyHorizontal wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 9:38 am ​Total h​ousehold income: 400k​ pre-tax (my contribution is ​180k)
Expenses: ~90k annually
Assets/debt: Cash and investments 550k, retirement 400k, home 680k with 530k mortgage at 2.8%, 30k student loans at 2%
Your net worth is not very high for your income and expenses so would be concerned that your expenses might be a lot higher than you think

You might want to get so counseling to help figure out how to deal with the work situation. It was not clear just what you would do if you took a break and your spouse kept working. That can also be stressful on a marriage so make sure that you are both OK with whatever you decide to do.

It could also be that finding a job with a different company would make your situation better even if it pays less.
sailaway
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by sailaway »

It sounds like you are spending $90k pre kids. Have you worked out a budget with kids? Does the $90k include sinking funds for replacing cars and the like? You might have to make some lifestyle changes to go to one income and have kids.

Can you take even just two weeks of staycation or a few long weekends in the near future to rest, restore and plan?
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AnnetteLouisan
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

I would check out Leslie Bennetts’ book, The Feminine Mistake, or watch her YouTube presentation to Google employees, on this precise topic. I’ve re-read it so many times. It often helped keep me from quitting due to flagging work satisfaction or the like. The book opens one’s eyes as to all the ramifications and potential consequences of taking time off from one’s career. Make your decision but make it with eyes open.
GreenLawn
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by GreenLawn »

I took multiple career breaks throughout my life. Not having children made it easier.

Financially it didn't make sense at all, but here I am retired with enough money to be comfortable, if not as wealthy as the typical Boglehead.

My thinking is time off in your 20's, 30's, and 40's is not the same as time off in your 60's and 70's for a variety of reasons including amount of energy, openness to new experiences, and a younger more vibrant social circle.

It appears you can use a break to reconsider the path your life is on. I'd definitely take it. I don't see any serious repercussions, you may fall behind a couple of years in your career, but you'll be working for decades so it will fade in significance as time goes on.

The consequences of not taking a break is what would concern me, I'd give that plenty of thought. Though our lifespans are lengthy, the various stages we go through are not. With rare exceptions, once your childless thirties are gone they can't be replaced, so if there is something special about that status that appeals to you, now is the time to experience it.
dboeger1
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by dboeger1 »

Watty wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 5:47 pm
NaturallyHorizontal wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 9:38 am ​Total h​ousehold income: 400k​ pre-tax (my contribution is ​180k)
Expenses: ~90k annually
Assets/debt: Cash and investments 550k, retirement 400k, home 680k with 530k mortgage at 2.8%, 30k student loans at 2%
Your net worth is not very high for your income and expenses so would be concerned that your expenses might be a lot higher than you think
To be fair, we don't know how long their household income has been that high. A lot of these types of questions tend to come in shortly after someone has moved into a more stressful high-paying job.
Horton
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by Horton »

This probably isn’t the politically correct thing to say, but…women take “career breaks” all the time to have kids or try to have kids. My wife did it; in fact, she’s still on a break.

If you’re burned out now, just wait until you have some kids! :beer

This isn’t a financial decision given your overall family income, expenses, and assets. It’s a personal decision you and your husband should make together.
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homebuyer6426
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by homebuyer6426 »

I took a 1 year break between jobs at age 29. It ended up making me pretty unhappy and filled with uncertainty about my future.

But, I was single during my break and you will not be. I think that makes a big difference. You also have a great amount saved already.

You can afford to do it, just make sure it's the right decision for your family's happiness.
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KneeReplacementTutor
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by KneeReplacementTutor »

Naturally Horizontal,

Burnout can lead to very serious chronic physical and mental health conditions. Take off the golden handcuffs. Restore yourself. Don't expect it to be easy or fast. It literally took me five years. Totally worth it. My break allowed me to create a whole new endeavor using my past experience and expertise to do something I'm excited about. It cost me a lot of money in the form of lost income. It may have saved my life. I feel younger, instead of older, than I am. This wasn't always the case. Zero regret.

Best,

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KneeReplacementTutor
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by KneeReplacementTutor »

howard71 wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 11:44 am I took a two year break while suffering from the double whammy of career burnout and my wife dying of cancer, leaving me with a grandchild to raise on my own.
That must have been difficult. If things like that "build character" you probably have a lot of it.
howard71 wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 11:44 am I've never regretted it.
Me either. Looking back it was one of the best things I could have done at the time. :happy
phinanciallyfit
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by phinanciallyfit »

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 6:12 pm I would check out Leslie Bennetts’ book, The Feminine Mistake, or watch her YouTube presentation to Google employees, on this precise topic. I’ve re-read it so many times. It often helped keep me from quitting due to flagging work satisfaction or the like. The book opens one’s eyes as to all the ramifications and potential consequences of taking time off from one’s career. Make your decision but make it with eyes open.
This is pretty good advice. It seems to me (though can't be certain) that the folks who mentioned having success in taking career breaks are men. My husband also quit a lackluster job without knowing his next step and it worked out, but the uncertainty of what his future path would look like and what the break would potentially do to his career path was extremely stressful for him. It worked well from me because he could handle more of the toddler duties and he enjoyed the time with said toddler, but I cannot express how stressful and scary it was for him enough. He had physical manifestations of stress that were not present in his past or current stressful job.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I do not think gaps taken by women are perceived the same way as they are for men. Yes, many women take time off to parent, but I have yet to meet one that goes back to a similar level in their career or even the same career. Those who navigate this with the most success, typically go back to school when they are ready to return to the workforce and use that to properly a new career. This could be hard to stomach for someone who already went to graduate school for their career.

I opted for a lower paying (though still solidly good, but half of yours) job that is very flexible, full-time, and low stress. I like having a career, but do not want my career to own my life. It works for me. I maintain skills and continue to develop more skills so that if I ever want to jump to a higher paying job, I can.

That said, everyone in public health seems burned out right now. I know our state public health department has had tremendous turnover throughout the pandemic with constant demands for their services. It is a hard time.
ScubaHogg
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by ScubaHogg »

phinanciallyfit wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 2:44 pm
Perhaps I'm wrong, but I do not think gaps taken by women are perceived the same way as they are for men. Yes, many women take time off to parent, but I have yet to meet one that goes back to a similar level in their career or even the same career.
This is probably more a function of training than gender. My wife and I have both taken career breaks. It’s undoubtedly hurt me but has had zero effect on her. But she’s in the medical world, so her job is easy to turn in and off.

That being said, I don’t regret the times I’ve had off
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PowderDay9
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by PowderDay9 »

I'd recommend looking for a new job. Your current job will only be worse if you have a kid or two. With both of you working full time, the overall stress levels will increase with kids. I'd suggest looking for a new job that hopefully will be less stressful. Try to find something that has a good work life balance as that will be really nice with little kids. Just be mindful of how long until your eligible for benefits at a new job. You have to be employed for 12 months to be eligible for FMLA.

If you stay at your current job, I'm guessing you'll quit soon after having kids. They can be even more work and stress than your job.
uglymcmuffin
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by uglymcmuffin »

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 6:12 pm I would check out Leslie Bennetts’ book, The Feminine Mistake, or watch her YouTube presentation to Google employees, on this precise topic. I’ve re-read it so many times. It often helped keep me from quitting due to flagging work satisfaction or the like. The book opens one’s eyes as to all the ramifications and potential consequences of taking time off from one’s career. Make your decision but make it with eyes open.
DW and I watched the whole video, amazing!! We agreed with 90% of the content. I guess I have made the feminine mistake… it always bothers us when people can only comprehend that I quit working as “retirement” and follow up with a deluge of questions about financial independence, but for a woman nobody would ask any questions and make no inquiries into their finances.

As for OP, DW took a small sabbatical (3 months) from work to change careers. She’s actually changed fields 3 times. But she took time off, and used that time to find a new job. She took a demotion to change fields, but works half as much for twice the pay at a much larger company so there is more room to grow.

They say fertility can be impacted by work stress. That’s something that we considered as well. She was worried about her career path getting derailed from maternity leave, but it’s my job to make sure she feels confident about work (so I don’t have to go back to work). She also found other women at work who were promoted while they were on maternity leave which gave her more assurance of the company’s values. The hormones of pregnancy definitely made her question a lot of things so be prepared and make sure you have good support in place to give you strength.
harrychan
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by harrychan »

My DW was forced to resign from her job due to a mixup with immigration and her losing her work permit. Upon sorting it out, she got a more senior level IC position with another department. Unfortunately, her new boss was a micromanager who was unethical at best when forcing her to do things, (borrow someone's credentials to pull health data to get what she needed). When she was told she would be put on a PIP, she quit. She's been a full time SAHM for 4 years now. We live below our means but still take time to go on vacations. Kids still go to private schools and college savings, retirement is on track. We miss out on some things such as home remodels or luxury items but in the end its worth it.
This is not legal or certified financial advice but you know that already.
dcw213
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by dcw213 »

This is a tough question and unfortunately you likely need to experience some things to truly know what you want. Speaking for myself, I was generally stressed and unhappy at work for all of my career but advanced very quickly nonetheless. I was saving aggressively in hopes of early retirement. Hit a number and decided to quit my executive level job for family reasons and to take what I thought was my desired break. I was back at it 6 months later as, much to my surprise, I struggled with my sense of purpose and missed being in senior management (even though I was generally unhappy while there!). Up until this break, I thought I had everything figured out and knew exactly what I wanted in life. I was wrong.

I’m very happy I took the break as I was burnt out and my kids needed me during the pandemic for a variety of reasons. I also learned a lot about myself, including several things that surprised me. I feel I am now able to think longer term with more perspective than I was able to before.

Just my experience - I know others who walked away from jobs and have never been happier. Turns out everyone is in fact different. 😀
whatdoIknow
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by whatdoIknow »

PowderDay9 wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 2:59 pm I'd recommend looking for a new job. Your current job will only be worse if you have a kid or two. With both of you working full time, the overall stress levels will increase with kids. I'd suggest looking for a new job that hopefully will be less stressful. Try to find something that has a good work life balance as that will be really nice with little kids. Just be mindful of how long until your eligible for benefits at a new job. You have to be employed for 12 months to be eligible for FMLA.

If you stay at your current job, I'm guessing you'll quit soon after having kids. They can be even more work and stress than your job.
agree with this. worst case is you may not qualify for maternity leave (if life should happen that way) but you will have employment.
I too have never met a woman come back for a similar paying position post break. unless, like others have said they went back and earned a new degree.
LegalFI
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by LegalFI »

I took a several month career break a few years into my career; it was life saving. I hated my first job so much that I fantasized about getting hit by a bus on the way to work so I could avoid going. I used the time off to do things I enjoyed and to talk to people in my field and try and identify which people liked their jobs. I obtained a better job as a result of that informational networking. I'm in the middle of another career break now. I'm much happier as a result. No downsides at all. I'm not worried about getting a job in the future, though, because I don't need much money and I know many ways I could make the money I need without a typical employment relationship.

For the people here that say unemployment can be stressful, that may be true but it's important to weigh relative stresses. If your job is just annoying, I agree unemployment could be more stressful than working, especially if you're around people who think you should be working (like a spouse or other family members). But if your work stress is high enough, then I can't comprehend how removing that stress could be anything other than a net positive. My well being went from a 1 or 2 out of 10 to an 9 or 10 after leaving my first job. If you spend the majority of your waking time doing something that makes you miserable, then eliminating that activity should be a huge positive. If it's not, then I think that's a sign of deep problems -- like depression or wrapping your identify too closely in your job role/status.
Topic Author
NaturallyHorizontal
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by NaturallyHorizontal »

delamer wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 11:37 am Would it be possible to take a break that would include some further education or training in the technical areas that you feel you need to advance your career?
I have an MPH and no interest in pursuing a PhD. Knowing where I want to head would help a lot in defining what that technical training should be. That's part of what I'm struggling with in my current state coupled with tough family planning timing.
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NaturallyHorizontal
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by NaturallyHorizontal »

howard71 wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 11:44 am I took a two year break while suffering from the double whammy of career burnout and my wife dying of cancer, leaving me with a grandchild to raise on my own.
Thank you for sharing your experience and I'm so sorry for your loss. That's an impossible combination.
howard71 wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 11:44 am Not only did I lose two years of income but also had to tap into my IRA but I've never regretted it. It gave me a second wind that allowed me to finish out my career. Not sure I would have made it otherwise.
A good reminder that sometimes the financial hit is well worth it.
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NaturallyHorizontal
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by NaturallyHorizontal »

dboeger1 wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 12:27 am
Watty wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 5:47 pm
NaturallyHorizontal wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 9:38 am ​Total h​ousehold income: 400k​ pre-tax (my contribution is ​180k)
Expenses: ~90k annually
Assets/debt: Cash and investments 550k, retirement 400k, home 680k with 530k mortgage at 2.8%, 30k student loans at 2%
Your net worth is not very high for your income and expenses so would be concerned that your expenses might be a lot higher than you think
To be fair, we don't know how long their household income has been that high. A lot of these types of questions tend to come in shortly after someone has moved into a more stressful high-paying job.
That's exactly it. I was making much less 5 years ago, but really pushed myself to get to this position / income. It makes it harder to take a break when it's such a clear opportunity to build up our net worth.
Topic Author
NaturallyHorizontal
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by NaturallyHorizontal »

LegalFI wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:51 pm I took a several month career break a few years into my career; it was life saving. I hated my first job so much that I fantasized about getting hit by a bus on the way to work so I could avoid going. I used the time off to do things I enjoyed and to talk to people in my field and try and identify which people liked their jobs. I obtained a better job as a result of that informational networking. I'm in the middle of another career break now. I'm much happier as a result. No downsides at all. I'm not worried about getting a job in the future, though, because I don't need much money and I know many ways I could make the money I need without a typical employment relationship.

For the people here that say unemployment can be stressful, that may be true but it's important to weigh relative stresses. If your job is just annoying, I agree unemployment could be more stressful than working, especially if you're around people who think you should be working (like a spouse or other family members). But if your work stress is high enough, then I can't comprehend how removing that stress could be anything other than a net positive. My well being went from a 1 or 2 out of 10 to an 9 or 10 after leaving my first job. If you spend the majority of your waking time doing something that makes you miserable, then eliminating that activity should be a huge positive. If it's not, then I think that's a sign of deep problems -- like depression or wrapping your identify too closely in your job role/status.
Thank you for sharing your experience and what steps you took to find the right career path. Can I ask what field you're in?

What I'm garnering from these responses is that taking care of your mental health is worth a lot too. I've been so fixated on FIRE (and still have a long way to go to get there) I lost sight of needing to balance a livable day to day life.
ThankYouJack
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by ThankYouJack »

Is there any chance you could take a hiatus from your job to fully recover, destress, recharge, see how you feel after stepping away for a few months...but still have something lined up to return to (worst case scenario)? Or switch to part-time or roles?
NaturallyHorizontal wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 9:57 pm
What I'm garnering from these responses is that taking care of your mental health is worth a lot too. I've been so fixated on FIRE (and still have a long way to go to get there) I lost sight of needing to balance a livable day to day life.
I would definitely put health first. You dread your job so time to make a move to another job or a work break. Have you thought about what your break would be like day to day? You seem like the driven type, and my experience with long breaks is if I don't have stuff to do (travel, hang with family/friends, play sports, be productive) and am just hanging out around my house all day, than that's probably worse for my overall health than job related stress.
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jh
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by jh »

NaturallyHorizontal wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 9:38 am I’m looking for some advice / guidance on taking a career break. Or caution against it.
I did the same thing this year at the end of June. I'm not sure if I am retired or just taking a break....

I'm 46 and could work longer, but I have enough money I can live off of because my living expenses have always been low (around $35k). I've got almost $1M in taxable and then a pension with 21.5 years vested, another $100k in 401k/Roth/HSA and $50k cash. My dividend income alone in taxable is roughly $31k off of a 3.34% yield. So, I'm not worried about the job market.

My job was more demanding and work environment more toxic than I wanted to put up with any longer. I worked in IT as a systems administrator. I am not sure if I will be able to get back into IT again or not if I am out for a year or more, but I don't really care. When I quit I decided that I might never work in IT again and I'm fine with that.

If I go back to work again it might just be a part time minimum wage job. Maybe be a caddie at a golf course. Maybe walk dogs. It would be good exercise and get me outside.

Maybe I will try the slow travel expat thing for a while and live over seas in different countries for 3-6 months at a time on travel visas and then move onto another country. I think I could do that for $1,500 a month excluding travel costs.

I've also thought about getting a camper van and traveling around the US picking up some seasonal jobs here and there.

I have enough money where I'm not worried about having money, and I'm still healthy and relatively young. No kids or spouse to worry about either, and I am a renter. So, I don't even a house tying me down to any particular location.
Retired in 2022 at the age of 46. Living off of dividends.
Steve723
Posts: 272
Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2014 4:44 pm

Re: Taking a career break

Post by Steve723 »

jh wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:30 am
NaturallyHorizontal wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 9:38 am I’m looking for some advice / guidance on taking a career break. Or caution against it.
I did the same thing this year at the end of June. I'm not sure if I am retired or just taking a break....

I'm 46 and could work longer, but I have enough money I can live off of because my living expenses have always been low (around $35k). I've got almost $1M in taxable and then a pension with 21.5 years vested, another $100k in 401k/Roth/HSA and $50k cash. My dividend income alone in taxable is roughly $31k off of a 3.34% yield. So, I'm not worried about the job market.

My job was more demanding and work environment more toxic than I wanted to put up with any longer. I worked in IT as a systems administrator. I am not sure if I will be able to get back into IT again or not if I am out for a year or more, but I don't really care. When I quit I decided that I might never work in IT again and I'm fine with that.

If I go back to work again it might just be a part time minimum wage job. Maybe be a caddie at a golf course. Maybe walk dogs. It would be good exercise and get me outside.

Maybe I will try the slow travel expat thing for a while and live over seas in different countries for 3-6 months at a time on travel visas and then move onto another country. I think I could do that for $1,500 a month excluding travel costs.

I've also thought about getting a camper van and traveling around the US picking up some seasonal jobs here and there.

I have enough money where I'm not worried about having money, and I'm still healthy and relatively young. No kids or spouse to worry about either, and I am a renter. So, I don't even a house tying me down to any particular location.
According to your tagline, you are retired! Sounds like you have a lot of options to go explore the world and go pick up a little income as you feel the need! Enjoy!
4nursebee
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by 4nursebee »

At first recall I suffered burnout the entire time I was working. I hated my job at times. More likely the emotions came and went, sometimes for longer duration. Wallowing did me no good. I never tried to improve my lot at work, chose to just be average and focus on things I had control over. I maximized my savings, did no overtime, became a loser (https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/t ... he-office/) and enjoyed life outside of work. I was trading my time for money. I was overlooked, underappreciated, skipped over, underpaid.

If work did not sufficiently suck we would not save and retire.

I recall discussion about stages in ones career, moving from newbie, to capable, to expert. Each had peaks and valleys of emotions. I wonder where the OP is at their age?

This morning on FB, a former coworker stated that our line of work sucked. 15 people have commented, 45 responded. Of the ones I know, none of them obsessed about savings and retirement. I'm reading from home, no alarm clock, retired at 52. All because work sucked.

Welcome to adulthood.
Pale Blue Dot
LegalFI
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by LegalFI »

NaturallyHorizontal wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 9:57 pm LegalFI wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 7:51 pm
I took a several month career break a few years into my career; it was life saving. I hated my first job so much that I fantasized about getting hit by a bus on the way to work so I could avoid going. I used the time off to do things I enjoyed and to talk to people in my field and try and identify which people liked their jobs. I obtained a better job as a result of that informational networking. I'm in the middle of another career break now. I'm much happier as a result. No downsides at all. I'm not worried about getting a job in the future, though, because I don't need much money and I know many ways I could make the money I need without a typical employment relationship.

For the people here that say unemployment can be stressful, that may be true but it's important to weigh relative stresses. If your job is just annoying, I agree unemployment could be more stressful than working, especially if you're around people who think you should be working (like a spouse or other family members). But if your work stress is high enough, then I can't comprehend how removing that stress could be anything other than a net positive. My well being went from a 1 or 2 out of 10 to an 9 or 10 after leaving my first job. If you spend the majority of your waking time doing something that makes you miserable, then eliminating that activity should be a huge positive. If it's not, then I think that's a sign of deep problems -- like depression or wrapping your identify too closely in your job role/status.
Thank you for sharing your experience and what steps you took to find the right career path. Can I ask what field you're in?
NaturallyHorizontal wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 9:57 pm Thank you for sharing your experience and what steps you took to find the right career path. Can I ask what field you're in?

What I'm garnering from these responses is that taking care of your mental health is worth a lot too. I've been so fixated on FIRE (and still have a long way to go to get there) I lost sight of needing to balance a livable day to day life.
I'm in law. I like your point on mental health. FIRE can become a justification for staying in a job you don't like. Your long term financial health -- and likely your health generally -- will be better served by finding a job you like or find meaningful in some way.
Volando
Posts: 188
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by Volando »

Does your field offer part time or per diem opportunities? My first job was incredibly stressful and left me feeling very burnt out. Switching to per diem at another employer was just what I needed. It allowed me to continue working at my own pace while I transitioned my career direction.
Parkinglotracer
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Location: Upstate NY

Re: Taking a career break

Post by Parkinglotracer »

4nursebee wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 8:14 am At first recall I suffered burnout the entire time I was working. I hated my job at times. More likely the emotions came and went, sometimes for longer duration. Wallowing did me no good. I never tried to improve my lot at work, chose to just be average and focus on things I had control over. I maximized my savings, did no overtime, became a loser (https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/t ... he-office/) and enjoyed life outside of work. I was trading my time for money. I was overlooked, underappreciated, skipped over, underpaid.

If work did not sufficiently suck we would not save and retire.

I recall discussion about stages in ones career, moving from newbie, to capable, to expert. Each had peaks and valleys of emotions. I wonder where the OP is at their age?

This morning on FB, a former coworker stated that our line of work sucked. 15 people have commented, 45 responded. Of the ones I know, none of them obsessed about savings and retirement. I'm reading from home, no alarm clock, retired at 52. All because work sucked.

Welcome to adulthood.
Reminds me of Ricky g’s show afterlife. Funny but somewhat depressing.

Not all jobs suck.

I’d try to find one that doesn’t.

I saved so I could retire early and do what I wanted to do vs going to a job because I had too.
SGM
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by SGM »

I took 2 career breaks. The first was in my late 20s when I left a low paying teaching job to get an M.S. which qualified me to work as a chemist and instrument engineering job in the petroleum industry. This greatly increased my income and involved national and international travel.

Later I left industry to become a physician. By that time, I had a family and did no longer want to be away from home while traveling. Medicine also allowed me to work anywhere in the country. We could be close to our extended family. For 4 years I had little earned income. The first summer of medical school I developed a course for the petroleum company I had left. I also had money from the sale of a house in a HCOL area prior to medical school. I also received company stock that I had sold and reinvested at a large profit. In my residency I received a salary which was small but helped with expenses.

Changing careers made work more interesting. I enjoyed the various careers I had and had no desire to completely leave the workplace until age 66.
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AnnetteLouisan
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

uglymcmuffin wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 3:10 pm
AnnetteLouisan wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 6:12 pm I would check out Leslie Bennetts’ book, The Feminine Mistake, or watch her YouTube presentation to Google employees, on this precise topic. I’ve re-read it so many times. It often helped keep me from quitting due to flagging work satisfaction or the like. The book opens one’s eyes as to all the ramifications and potential consequences of taking time off from one’s career. Make your decision but make it with eyes open.
DW and I watched the whole video, amazing!! We agreed with 90% of the content. I guess I have made the feminine mistake… it always bothers us when people can only comprehend that I quit working as “retirement” and follow up with a deluge of questions about financial independence, but for a woman nobody would ask any questions and make no inquiries into their finances.

As for OP, DW took a small sabbatical (3 months) from work to change careers. She’s actually changed fields 3 times. But she took time off, and used that time to find a new job. She took a demotion to change fields, but works half as much for twice the pay at a much larger company so there is more room to grow.

They say fertility can be impacted by work stress. That’s something that we considered as well. She was worried about her career path getting derailed from maternity leave, but it’s my job to make sure she feels confident about work (so I don’t have to go back to work). She also found other women at work who were promoted while they were on maternity leave which gave her more assurance of the company’s values. The hormones of pregnancy definitely made her question a lot of things so be prepared and make sure you have good support in place to give you strength.
Glad you got a lot out of it. The book is, if anything, even better. Years of zero income can affect your social security, 401k, IRA eligibility and have other more subtle consequences, like people imposing on your time more.
ThankYouJack
Posts: 5704
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2014 7:27 pm

Re: Taking a career break

Post by ThankYouJack »

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Sun Aug 21, 2022 8:29 am
Years of zero income can affect your social security, 401k, IRA eligibility and have other more subtle consequences, like people imposing on your time more.
Would be interesting to run some numbers as the impact on social security would likely be very minimal. It's covered a bit in this Bogleheads Live podcast - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1973223/1085 ... y-retirees

Also, the OP should still be eligible for an IRA as a nonworking spouse.
phinanciallyfit
Posts: 365
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by phinanciallyfit »

SGM wrote: Sat Aug 20, 2022 8:58 am I took 2 career breaks. The first was in my late 20s when I left a low paying teaching job to get an M.S. which qualified me to work as a chemist and instrument engineering job in the petroleum industry. This greatly increased my income and involved national and international travel.

Later I left industry to become a physician. By that time, I had a family and did no longer want to be away from home while traveling. Medicine also allowed me to work anywhere in the country. We could be close to our extended family. For 4 years I had little earned income. The first summer of medical school I developed a course for the petroleum company I had left. I also had money from the sale of a house in a HCOL area prior to medical school. I also received company stock that I had sold and reinvested at a large profit. In my residency I received a salary which was small but helped with expenses.

Changing careers made work more interesting. I enjoyed the various careers I had and had no desire to completely leave the workplace until age 66.
Would you mind sharing at what age you went back to school to become a physician? It always seemed to me that once you got to a certain age it would be extremely difficult to balance the long hours and variable schedule of residency. It is something I have discussed with a family member and have not met anyone who did a career switch like this.
chassis
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Re: Taking a career break

Post by chassis »

NaturallyHorizontal wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 9:38 am I’m looking for some advice / guidance on taking a career break. Or caution against it.

​Context:​
​Married, living in HCOL​ area
Age: 33​, DH 3​4​​
Kids: ​​none yet​, but hopefully 2 in the near future​
​Total h​ousehold income: 400k​ pre-tax (my contribution is ​180k)
Expenses: ~90k annually
Assets/debt: Cash and investments 550k, retirement 400k, home 680k with 530k mortgage at 2.8%, 30k student loans at 2%

​Situation:​
I'm a mid-career generalist in the health policy/ health economics / public health field with experience most recently in consulting and biotech. I'm feeling disengaged and burned out at my current job. There has been a lot of reorganization / turnover since I joined, and with this turmoil, I haven't been able to gain the experience or learn the technical skills I came for.

I'm making a great salary and am trying to hold out for maternity leave (trying to conceive), but at this point, I absolutely dread work, my performance is suffering, and I am not any closer to specializing / moving away from being a generalist. Trying to address the burnout and develop some sort of an expertise while staying afloat at my current role hasn't been successful, especially since I joined with some degree of burnout from my last job.

Ideally, I'd like to take a career break to give myself some time to fully recover and make a smart decision about how and where to specialize for long-term career advancement and contentment. Financially, I think we are ok. I am more concerned about walking away from a great salary for an unknown path that might be similarly stressful with less pay. I’d love to hear —

Successful and not so successful career breaks?
Is the job market still amenable to unemployed candidates?
I may end up in a position where I am job searching while pregnant. Anyone have experience with this specific circumstance?
Experiences navigating mid-career changes? How did you find your right path?
Any other advice or feedback?

Thank you for your guidance!
Your spouse's $220k salary can cover expenses, so do what you want if your quality of life is suffering.

The question to ask yourself is how are your future financial goals addressed if you take a break?

I am all for taking a break. But if you do so, do it with eyes wide open.
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