Should I take a career break?
A break only works if you know what it is for. Rest, redirection, and escape look identical from the outside and produce completely different outcomes. Name yours before you hand in notice.
What to actually weigh
Rest, redirection, or escape?
Rest ends when you are recovered. Redirection ends when you have a direction. Escape has no end condition, which is why it tends to become permanent.
What does the runway actually cover?
Months of expenses, not months of savings. Add the re-entry period, which is usually longer than people budget for.
What is the story on the other side?
You will be asked about the gap. Deciding now what it was for makes that a good answer instead of an apology.
Frequently asked
Will a career break hurt my CV?
A break with a stated purpose reads as a decision. An unexplained one reads as a gap. The difference is whether you can say in one sentence what it was for.
How long should a career break be?
Long enough to reach the thing you took it for, short enough that your runway survives re-entry. Set the end date before you start — you can always extend a deadline you have.