11–20 of 42 posts
It seems like everyone agrees that it's not really a problem to take off half a year or even a year. I'm curious: Are there people who have taken longer breaks? What were the consequences for the careers?
* Sitting in a beach chair gets old in one or two weeks. Use the time to skill up: spend a few hours a day building something, or do a masters degree or short term course - maybe somewhere picturesque in Europe.
* Starting up is going to burn you out more than you are now. And possibly in addition to being burnt out you will have much less money than you do now.
* You will find another job unless you quit into the start of the recession.. then you have hiring freezes all around and you might need to take a sh*y job or work with sh*y people.
* Even if the bubble doesn't pop - for your next gig its unlikely you come in from a position of strength. They WILL low ball your comp on your next job. HR scum have seen this movie enough times.
* Boredom breeds a gambling habit. Don't use your free time to trade exciting markets.
* Cut up your credit cards. Its super easy to pile up "just a months income when I get back to work".
* Put half your money into a long term investment account. Put the rest in a cash account. Never eat into that long term account. When the cash account goes to 10% of what you started with drop everything and begin searching for paid work.
* Be accountable to yourself. Try to something meaningful to show for yourself when you're done.
It seems like everyone agrees that it's not really a problem to take off half a year or even a year. I'm curious: Are there people who have taken longer breaks? What were the consequences for the careers?
When I was a teenager, I had my jobs to acquire some discretionary cash for things my parents refused to fund (e.g. build a skateboard mini-ramp in the backyard). I got a job to get the money to buy the supplies, and spent years enjoying it.
In the intervening decades, I forgot how satisfying it is ot see the job as a means to fulfilling a personal goal.
To me, this purposefulness, this I'm-here-to-achieve-this-personal-goal, eliminates concerns about what a current or potential employer would think about your time not working. As any job is in service to a larger personal goal.
Also, for very experienced people, it sometimes it takes 6-12 months to find the next right role.
Take care of yourself.
From the been-there-done-that department: * Sitting in a beach chair gets old in one or two weeks. Use the time to skill up: spend a few hours a day building something, or do a masters degree or short term course - maybe somewhere picturesque in Europe. * Starting up is going to burn you out more than you are now. And possibly in addition to being burnt out you will have much less money than you do now. * You will fi…
This is the daydream that keeps me going now.
I think you have some salient points; I would stay busy in the sense of making things (software) while I'm away.
> You will find another job unless you quit into the start of the recession..
This is probably what I fear, and why I'm asking around. With the inflation & supply chain issues recently, and with the current yield curve inversion, at least in a short-to-medium term sense I think the music is going to stop soon. But macro-economies are cyclical and although bad stuff spreads quickly, I don't think software specifically will have much of a dip even if some other economic sectors do.
I wasn't a professional in 2000-2003 after that downturn, but I was online during that time & witnessed the steady decline of "tech". I'm cautious of the "this time it's different" thesis, but the analog-only lifestyle that was possible in 2000 isn't what people do today - there will be long-term demand for what we/I do (this is my opinion).
To address the point directly: I think if we are starting a recession now-ish, in 6 months' time the subsequent upswing might already be starting - I recall Apr - Sept 2020. I'm confident that I'm average-or-above, which should guarantee work somewhere. If the recession starts in 6 months, I have another 6 months' runway still comfortably, and I can start the search early. I recall in previous recessions companies are still hiring developers.
> Boredom breeds a gambling habit. Don't use your free time to trade exciting markets.
This is sound advice; I only gamble in the sense of a family-and-friends regular poker night. I buy bonds & index funds on a set schedule otherwise in markets. I'm not attracted to gambling; I've met people who are, I don't think it's me. But like you say, don't take chances.
> Be accountable to yourself. Try to something meaningful to show for yourself when you're done.
It sounds like based on yours and other commentary, if the "me" time is successful, I should have artifacts to show it. The time off shouldn't represent a material issue during the subsequent job search. Since you say you have personal experience, what is your anecdote? what did you do, what would you have done differently?
Could you arrange with your boss to take a month off to resource yourself?
My 3-month gap to avoid burn-out came up in interviews, including for the job I have now. It was a hard gap - no work, no training, just recovery - and I did have to explain it, but it didn't block any opportunities. And frankly, if it had cost me an opportunity, I don't think I would've wanted to work there.
When was your last sabbatical and how long was it? You might just need a vacation. There could be a middle ground where you don't have to quit your job and that your employer would be happy to accommodate (if they care about their employees). Could you arrange with your boss to take a month off to resource yourself?
> There could be a middle ground where you don't have to quit your job and that your employer would be happy to accommodate (if they care about their employees).
I would love to discuss this type of exchange - how should I approach this with my current boss? My team has about 5 people but about 10 peoples' worth of incoming work - we are all feeling the pain. I'm fully ready to amicably part ways & not come back - but it seems like it's common to come back to the place one departs from.