[singlepic=323,400,,,right]The decision to take my career break began in August of 2007. I had reached an impasse in my career as a management consultant with my current employer and had decided it was time for me to pursue a new organization to continue my career path. For most people, the typical approach to leaving a job is to remain in their current position as they seek other opportunities. For me, I knew if I continued in my current position, my daily responsibilities would continue to take top priority over seeking a new opportunity. I’m not sure if this is a character flaw or my sense of dedication and work ethic, so I knew that taking a break was my best alternative.
What amazed me the most was the number of colleagues who advised me to take the typical approach to leaving a job. Of course for many of them, there were other responsibilities (spouse, children, mortgage) that I did not have to consider as part of my decision. But in the end, the choice to leave without another position secured did seem incredibly risky.
By nature, I’m not the most foolish individual, nor do I avoid a new challenge. I consider myself a prudent saver and investor, so I took this opportunity to invest in myself for a period of time. I wanted some time to examine what I had accomplished in my career and begin to understand not only my strengths and weaknesses, but also what were the characteristics I would be looking for in new position and employer.
