Why A Career Break Might Be the Key to Unlocking Your Next Chapter
Have you found yourself at a crossroads in this second half of your life? Perhaps you are considering taking a career break, either by choice or due to circumstances beyond your control. Career breaks are often seen as a taboo in our society, especially for women over fifty. There is a prevailing belief that taking a break will hinder your career progression and make you less desirable to potential employers. But let me tell you, whilst career progression is a risk to be managed, taking a break can be one of the best decisions you make for yourself and your career.
How common are career breaks after 50?
Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive national data on the number of women over fifty who take career breaks in Australia. However, various surveys provide insights. For example, a 2023 survey by SEEK found that 21% of women over 50 had considered taking a career break in the past year, suggesting a significant interest in the idea. Similarly, a 2022 McCrindle Research study revealed that 30% of women over 50 had taken a career break at some point.
Why do women take breaks?
There are multiple reasons why women over fifty take career breaks and not all of them are within a woman’s control:
Redundancy: Role changes and restructures can result in women leaving employment without another job lined up.
Caring responsibilities: Supporting aging parents, looking after grandchildren, or caring for a sick partner.
Health and well-being: Addressing burnout, prioritizing self-care, or managing personal health challenges.
Personal fulfillment: Pursuing personal interests, travel, volunteering, or spending time with family.
Professional development: Upskilling, pursuing further education, or exploring new career paths.
Financial considerations: Early retirement, managing personal finances, or seeking alternative income streams.
The rise in voluntary breaks
Interestingly, data suggests a rise in voluntary career breaks, driven by a desire for personal growth, reprioritization of life goals, and a changing relationship with work in later life. For many women, especially post the pandemic, life after fifty is a time accompanied by a yearning for something beyond the familiar. A yearning for a pause, a breath, a chance to rewrite the narrative and reclaim the rhythm of their own lives. A time for bringing more meaning and purpose into to their lives. This trend reflects a broader shift in societal understanding of success, with an emphasis on personal fulfillment, well-being, and lifelong learning alongside traditional career achievements.
A personal story
Where I connect with this topic stems back to 2021. After almost ten years in my role, it was probably time for me to move on, but I hadn’t turned my mind to this question yet. I loved my job and, as the sole parent of three young people, I was compelled to work. However, I no longer had the drive I experienced earlier on and had no idea what to do next or how to make a change.
Then along came COVID and I found myself working faster and for longer hours, with the ever-present anxiety that the funding for my team would dry up. Coupled with this, I had my young people at home with me - all day, every day – as they moved between stressed, distressed and depressed. It was hard going. As a result, by the end of 2020 I was deeply burnt out and in early 2021 needed time off to recover and regroup. It was not a voluntary break. I became unwell and my body said “JUST STOP! NOW!” And I did.
Career breaks can be awesome, mine was.
Despite my ill health and slow recovery, I made use of the time to recalibrate many aspects of my life. I re-introduced a morning routine and journaling. I walked every day. I took time to reflect on what had been going on and what I wanted to do next. I had therapy, saw my coach, and in between lockdowns, I pampered myself with massages and spa treatments. I spent time with ME.
As I gradually felt my mind, body, and soul come back to life, I started to hear an internal whisper: “Try something new. Go for it.” But what? That was the question I was faced with and not an easy one to answer. Like many women, I wanted my next role to be meaningful to me and the world. The story of how I got to where I am now is too long to include in this post, but here are a few of the lessons from my journey.
Four key lessons
My identity had become synonymous with titles, projects, and deadlines so a career break offered me a sanctuary, a space to silence the external noise and listen to the voice within. For me, the answer emerged quite smoothly because I had created the conditions for change. I had the space I needed to really hear my heart’s desire.
Reconnecting with yourself; your strengths and values, and reassessing your priorities, leads to rediscovering what truly sparks your joy. This isn't ‘navel-gazing’; it's a chance to calibrate your inner compass and chart a course for a future that honours not just professional aspirations, but your overall well-being. Deadlines loosen their grip, schedules dissolve, and the tyranny of the clock gives way to a new rhythm driven by your aspirations alone. For me, a career break wasn’t merely a respite; it was a fertile ground for cultivating new skills, reigniting dormant passions, and recalibrating my professional trajectory with new found clarity.
The beauty of a career break lies not just in the pause, but in the return. I re-entered the professional world not as a faded version of my former self, but as a vibrant version of the woman I was becoming, bringing my many life experiences with me. My skills hadn't vanished; they'd been polished, and I was invigorated by renewed passion. As a result, I’m no longer just working; I’m a collaborator, a mentor, a voice of experience with a fresh perspective. I am more me than I have been in a very long time.
Career breaks aren’t risk-free. There is ample evidence that ageism abounds in Australian workplaces and makes it harder for women over fifty to land a job. It’s a fact we can’t escape. So if you have a choice, weigh up your situation and make sure you take a calculated risk. If you don’t have a choice, don’t be discouraged. I’ve heard many amazing stories of success including women like me who have taken completely new career directions.
Final words
If a whisper is rising up within you, don't silence it. Embrace it. Plan your break, own your choices, and face the challenges with the quiet fierceness of a woman who knows her worth. Or if you are facing a break that is not of your making, know that there are ways to turn this misfortune into a blessing. And remember, life isn't a linear race; it's a journey with hidden twists and unexpected turns. This pause isn't a step back; it's a magnificent leap forward, a chance to reinvent yourself and write your most exhilarating chapter yet. Imagine re-connecting with your inner compass with the luxury of uncluttered days.