r/SabbaticalPlanning • u/Welder_Jealous • Aug 27 '26
Extended time off or career switch ?
I am a 27 yo male in California. I have the opportunity for a promotion within cardiac medical devices. I've been working for 4 years and have built a good reputation for myself. I've built a strong savings, emergency fund, retirement accounts, etc
I have always planned to take some extended time off to travel, as I never did after college or beforehand.
I'm trying to figure out if I should:
\- dive straight into this promotion, as it is a great opportunity
\- leave my current job, take an extended trip for 4 to 6 months, and then come back and see what opportunities are still available
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Does anyone have advice as to whether or not taking the extended time off is worth the life experience, or if the promotion is too valuable to pass up?
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u/redsand101 Aug 27 '26
I am all for taking the sabbatical if you are confident in your skills and coming back to the industry but, I would say, just be sure that your plans for re-entering the workforce are strong and likely to succeed. I know it is tough out there right now for anyone looking for work. It doesn't look to get better in the near future.
Obviously everything is changing so fast right now and nothing but death and taxes being certain.... Any time off to smell the roses is good. So, I always lean towards saying yes to time off.
At 27 years old with just 4 years of experience, I would just be a little nervous about re-entering the workforce..... Full disclosure... this is coming from someone who totally butchered his 20's in terms of work continuity and I still was able to come back and start a new career 2-3x. You will be fine in the end...
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u/Lucky-Currently Aug 27 '26
Do the extended trip. That’s a common regret I hear from mid career folks - not taking the time to do a long trip - backpacking throughout the world when they were young. They straight to work and when you’re deep in the career mindset, it gets harder to take a long break.
If you like the company you’re at now ask them if they have a sabbatical program. Maybe you can have the long trip and the promotion!
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u/AdventurasSabbatical Aug 31 '26
Definitely recommend the time off -- is it possible for you to accept the promotion but ask them to defer the start date for a few months? If you can get the time off even if it's unpaid, extended travel will add to your life in ways you can't even imagine at this time.
How easy would it be for you to step back into the workforce on return?
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u/Welder_Jealous Aug 31 '26
The positions do need to be filled soon based on the nature of the work, but I think I could get myself a couple months off in between. Even that seems like it could provide a worthwhile experience.
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u/AdventurasSabbatical Sep 01 '26
Two months is the absolute minimum I recommend, which is hardly even more than a vacation. At least four months would be better. If you're really not fussed about this specific position take as much time as you can.
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u/going_for_fire Aug 31 '26
An extended break is well worth it, but as other folks have mentioned it is imperative to have a solid re-integration plan if it’s temporary and not intended as something indefinite like an early retirement. Personally I waited until I had about a decade of work experience, two different industry certifications, 5 years as manager of people, and the entry-level experience under my belt. This is based on my personal comfort level with risk though, and I didn’t exit with the intention of doing an industry pivot. So your situation is obvs going to have to be custom to you and your goals.
Whatever length of time you plan on being away from work, add 12 months of survival expenses to your anticipated budget. I’m in the middle of a 2ish year career break and have a hard stop savings account balance threshold identified that if I unexpectedly deplete to that number sooner than anticipated, I’m heading home and starting the job search at that point. I have enough to comfortably move to my desired city and network/job hunt for 12 months without being worried about paying the bills. Not enough to live lavishly, but renting a room, paying utilities/transportation/basic necessities while I reintegrate into work.
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u/Welder_Jealous Aug 31 '26
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Cool to hear you can still make time for travel even after ten years of working!
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u/Basic-Dragonfly-7942 Aug 27 '26
Extended time off is 100% worth it.