career break

redpete

Two months is too short to be considered a 'career break'. It would be fine to say you were fortunate to be able to afford a couple of months off whilst travelling and looking for new opportunities. I would avoid the phrase 'take time out for myself', I would start wondering if the person could cope with a full-time permanent role.

theoretica

I wonder if you are at risk of sounding like you are protesting too much: you have had a wonderful and rare break. The more you dress it up with how valuable (rather than how fun) the courses were, and other justification, the more it could sound like you are making excuses.

motivate6

I think that reason that they are probing is because the roles are similar to role that I left. I think that I am going to say that I took some time to travel for few months. I also did courses for self improvement. I am going to state that I chose to leave my job of my own accord and my references will confirm this.

motivate6

Thanks for that I will just play down the courses and say that I did them for fun.

missbiggles1

cupid07 wrote: »

Theres nothing wrong with a career break. Nobody knows the OPs circumstances of why a break was taken financially or emotionally. I'd play it as a "career break", state you wanted a change in direction or time to concentrate on other projects/self-improvement. Think of all the actors out there who have "breaks between films", are they "unemployed?" - no, its called enjoying the fruits of ones labour.

With actors it's called "resting" and everybody knows that, unless you're a superstar, it means unemployed.

motivate6

I say April however I did go for a role with a earlier start date which I would accepted if I got the role. I was prepared to end my career break for that role.

motivate6

There were personal reasons for the career break as well that I would prefer not to disclose.

motivate6

I think the key is stick to truth that I left of my own accord and the references will confirm this. I will include the travel and courses but I will not make out that I needed to take time out to do them.

motivate6

Thanks for your comments. I aiming to get a new job by April at latest so I will not be long term unemployed. The reason why I have started looking for a job now is so that I can pick the right job.
Its my choice that I am not working at the moment and that is the message that I need to get across in my interviews.

shortcrust

motivate6 wrote: »

I am not the first person that has left a job without having a job to go to. How do other people get around this in job interviews?

I've been in this situation a couple of times before and simply said my contract had ended. It was true - I ended it. It was never a problem at interviews.

That it's your choice you're not working really isn't a good thing unless there's a chunky reason (e.g. a year travelling, taking time to care for a relative, substantial studying). Employers want people who are going to stay, not people who are going to work for a bit and then need a few months out. You're making yourself look like a risky bet.