I often get asked what the difference is between these two types of breaks and sometimes the line is blurry. It’s probably good to start with explaining exactly what a sabbatical or career break actually is.

A career break can mean different things but exactly that, a break in your career.  Whether intentional or not, this is a period of time where you are not working.  It’s often called a sabbatical if you’re still employed by your company and especially if you are still paid during this time.  A sabbatical is an extended break from your normal employment. One where you don’t have to report to work or perform your duties for an extended agreed period of time.

The term career break tends to be used for a break between employers or a longer period of time off, still technically employed but not paid. 

There are a couple of differences between a sabbatical or career break and vacation. 

Time

Firstly, the length of time, sabbaticals tend to be longer.  They last for varying lengths of time depending on the individual’s desire and the agreement with their employer.  Usually though they last anywhere between a couple of months and a couple of years. 

My first career break lasted a month, as my husband and I emigrated to Australia we took some time to travel through Asia before embarking on our new life. 

Our second career break was longer and more intentional.  We took 8 months off work unpaid to travel, return back to the UK to spend time with family and visit our derelict barn that we bought 15 years prior.  The intention was to decide on what our next chapter of life would look like. 

My third career break was a solo one, I had worked for the same company for 16 years, fallen into a 6-month contract and before transitioning to permanent I was keen to take some time out for me! 

Intention

In my opinion, the primary difference between the two types of leave is the intention. Vacation time is usually recreational. People often use this time for family events, travel, rest and recuperation and leisure.  Extended leave offers an opportunity to do something that you wouldn’t be able to do while employed full-time. 

Due to the typical length of a sabbatical, employees are often able to take on educational or professional development opportunities. These might include working on a book, taking a course, traveling, or any number of other activities. 

DJ DiDonna from The Sabbatical Project explains that employees taking a minimum, 4 months to unplug from work go through 3 phases:

Recovery – a period of relaxation normally lasting 6-8 weeks.  A crucial part of the process this allows yourself to detach from ‘what was’.

Exploring – a phase of discovery. Embarking on those things that you didn’t ‘have the time’ to do before. You’ll explore activities such learning / education, exploring curiosities, writing, blogging, art projects, volunteering.

Practicing – actively putting all of your learnings into action. This is the phase where you will do what you decided to do whilst exploring the opportunities.  Think, traveling to a country to practice the language, creating that art masterpiece, starting a blog. 

During my second career break, I spent 4 weeks chilling out at home, which at that time was Manly, Australia, before embarking on our trip.  During this time, I explored the possibility of starting a blog and building a website from scratch.  With a strong passion for tourism leakage I decided to start here. Tourism leakage refers to the phenomenon where money spent by visitors to a country leaks out of the community.

I felt driven to create a travel blog that showcases locally owned options in contrast to booking with an international conglomerate through the likes of booking.com.  My sabbatical was the perfect time, and so Community Back Pocket was born. 

Stepping back from our routine lives can offer us perspective, can restore our health both mentally and physically and can if maximised encourage us to return to our lives with intention. 

Travelling as part of a career break amazing, but it can also be hard to do. Not just financially, or logistically, but also psychologically. 

Taking off, especially if you don’t know where you’re going to land next, takes courage.  This is where, as a travel coach I can support you. I assist individuals who find themselves at a career crossroads or in a life transition, often seeking to incorporate travel into their sabbatical or career break. They are dedicated to self-development and strive to make the most of their time traveling, seeking meaningful experiences and personal growth along the way.

  For more information and to book an introductory call, get in touch.