Career break

johnmck

I put in for a 1 year career break and had it granted last month before this madness kicked off. Got completely disillunsioned with life in Dublin over the past 5 years. During the career break I've planned on getting some remote online work, further educating myself in my area of expertise with an online course, caring for my elderly parents for a while and doing some traveling.

Have money saved that I can fall back on, but now having some 2nd thoughts with all that is going on.
Before anybody says, yes I know I'm lucky to have a job, lucky to have a job that allows for a career break. I love my job, I just don't love Dublin. And yes I did try to get a job outside Dublin. They're like hens teeth.

I'd appreciate logical feedback with your thoughts on taking a career break at this time.

whampiri

johnmck wrote: »

I put in for a 1 year career break and had it granted last month before this madness kicked off. Got completely disillunsioned with life in Dublin over the past 5 years. During the career break I've planned on getting some remote online work, further educating myself in my area of expertise with an online course, caring for my elderly parents for a while and doing some traveling.

Have money saved that I can fall back on, but now having some 2nd thoughts with all that is going on.
Before anybody says, yes I know I'm lucky to have a job, lucky to have a job that allows for a career break. I love my job, I just don't love Dublin. And yes I did try to get a job outside Dublin. They're like hens teeth.

I'd appreciate logical feedback with your thoughts on taking a career break at this time.

I'm in the same boat and took mine in September. It's a big scary jump to go from the security of a job to nothing but it's definitely worth it if you're looking to get out of Dublin. I hated the rat race up there and wanted to come home after too many years away. Best thing I've ever done.
Getting work is tricky but I've registered as self employed and am doing a little consultancy and sales from home or Poland. Love the work but the trade off is the significantly lower earnings. Still wouldn't change it.

My advice is take the year, you can always go back afterwards.

johnmck

whampiri wrote: »

I'm in the same boat and took mine in September. It's a big scary jump to go from the security of a job to nothing but it's definitely worth it if you're looking to get out of Dublin. I hated the rat race up there and wanted to come home after too many years away. Best thing I've ever done.
Getting work is tricky but I've registered as self employed and am doing a little consultancy and sales from home or Poland. Love the work but the trade off is the significantly lower earnings. Still wouldn't change it.

My advice is take the year, you can always go back afterwards.

Thank you, it is pretty scary, but if I don't do it now when will I!

Luckily I've enough strings to my bow to get other kinds of work, plus rent free in my home house in the country

De Danann

I'm also on a career break that was granted a couple of months ago!

I agree with the above poster, it's a bit scary right now with the virus and a little more difficult to pick up work but you can always go back Stick it out for now and do as much as you can that you had planned.

The only pity is the travel option being stunted for now. I had taken my break for a once in a lifetime backpacking trip, had to come home only a month into it. But thems the breaks!

gourcuff

unfortunately hundreds of thousands of irish people (despite the unrelenting global tide of urbanisation) have rejected dublin as an urban centre to live in.

Greater choice and ease of travel have meant irish people have chosen to move and live in cities at the top of the liveable cities index like melbourne, sydney, vancouver, toronto etc.

We need an urgent review of placemaking in irish urban centres to try to encourage people back to live in our cities particularly dublin.

i think this would address the quality of life, placemaking, urban design issues that push people to leave dublin

s1ippy

johnmck wrote: »

Thank you, it is pretty scary, but if I don't do it now when will I!

Luckily I've enough strings to my bow to get other kinds of work, plus rent free in my home house in the country

I would recommend the safer option. I was going on a career break to complete a masters programme but I've cancelled the career break and I'm still going to try and compete the masters. AFAIK most programmes will try and be flexible around what you can do, so long as you're not totally taking the p!ss with late deadlines.

I would consider things like "what if switching workplaces increases my risk?" "what security am I left with?" "how can I secure accommodation near my place of employment?" and if coronavirus will have an impact (it probably will), factor them in when you're making your decision.

I hope to be able to do my career break for personal development in the final year of the Masters but who knows at this point!! Best of luck.

johnmck

s1ippy wrote: »

I would recommend the safer option. I was going on a career break to complete a masters programme but I've cancelled the career break and I'm still going to try and compete the masters. AFAIK most programmes will try and be flexible around what you can do, so long as you're not totally taking the p!ss with late deadlines.

I would consider things like "what if switching workplaces increases my risk?" "what security am I left with?" "how can I secure accommodation near my place of employment?" and if coronavirus will have an impact (it probably will), factor them in when you're making your decision.

I hope to be able to do my career break for personal development in the final year of the Masters but who knows at this point!! Best of luck.

I pulled out, I, weighed up what I was doing. My plans were not solid enough. I'm going to work on my personal projects and once one of them takes legs I'll put in for it again next year.

johnmck

gourcuff wrote: »

unfortunately hundreds of thousands of irish people (despite the unrelenting global tide of urbanisation) have rejected dublin as an urban centre to live in.

Greater choice and ease of travel have meant irish people have chosen to move and live in cities at the top of the liveable cities index like melbourne, sydney, vancouver, toronto etc.

We need an urgent review of placemaking in irish urban centres to try to encourage people back to live in our cities particularly dublin.

i think this would address the quality of life, placemaking, urban design issues that push people to leave dublin

I moved 4 times in 2 years in Dublin. ****ty houses, ****ty apartments, ****ty landlords, ****ty housemates. I'm back in the country right now, in my home house, relaxed, but before I left I was paying €850 without bills for a double room in a shared apartment with a disgusting gross animal from Tyrone, who didn't flush the toilet after himself. So sick of it, I'm a working professional nearing his 40s, I should have been able to get some sort of decent living arrangement but I wasn't, maybe now when this is over I'll be able to get myself a one bed apartment at somewhat reasonable money.