I think a " career break" is not very common in Taiwan. People will consider you as lazy or laid back. But, why do the best professionals need to work at the same place forever? I mean, if you already worked 3 -4 years and have some savings, you never took any extended vacation, you sacrificed many things you wished to do while you were working, etc. Don’t you deserve time for your own personal growth? Do you need to work hard, sweat a lot or get sick to prove you are competent? Are you proving to who? I am thinking about a career break after 5 years. I will spend at least a year improving myself, relaxing, and learning something new. Has anyone ever thought about this?
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It’s pretty common. Idk about in taiwan. I know a couple friends who got “great” jobs in the US that’s high paying for people entering the work force but of course also high demand. 60+hrs a week purposely get canned and collect a severance package and unemployment for a while.
I’ve known a couple of Taiwanese who quit their jobs to travel a bit, then found a new job after they were done. Though it did take one of them a while.
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Another reason working in Taiwan sucks. My friends at home working for the gov can easily take career breaks .
If you ask a Taiwanese boss about a career break, he will say “Huh? What? This doesn’t exist in Taiwan.”
When I take a career break, I will get a nice Nikkon professional camera. I will travel anywhere and take the best photoshoots. Who knows the photography might be my next career?
Vacation during the first year of a job doesn’t exist in Taiwan at most companies I believe.
It may do now., Can’t remember but possibly 3 days in first 6 months?
If I find a job that pays a lot, but it demands 60 hours a week. I would work only 2-3 years. I would do the best to save money. Savings are emergencies during the career break.
Nobody will take a vacation during the first year. During the first year, everyone is worried to keep the job.
I took a career break for one year and it turned to over three years. I only did it because I had enough money to survive with no worries and had no major expenditures to consider like house payment or car payment or kids or yada yada yada
Most Taiwanese especially in Taipei do not understand it because they only know work. Most professional people anywhere in the world kind of has the same thoughts. Either you’re working or you’re a bum. But there’s an alternative group of people that believe other.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of taking a break is constantly trying to explain it to people I meet who won’t understand the concept. Especially in Taiwan and some other places where the first thing you do when you meet is exchanged business card so people know who you are and what your level is.
I took a career break 30 years ago. Still going strong.
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I will get a nice Canon professional camera.
There I fixed it for you.
What are your expenses for 1 year? Mainly your rent? And how much have you saved?
A lot of adults I meet do it all the time. They say they are between jobs, but really they just got tired of the boss continually crapping on them so they quit.
Also because of the really shitty vacation given to workers in Taiwan , most just quit their jobs and take a few months off to chill, then find a new job. I met this one boss who was pissed that all her workers kept quitting to take a break, then complained they were too soft and couldnt take her criticism.
The problem is “why do we need to explain to people who don’t pay our bills?” Here is the point. Some people are only worried about other people’ lives than themselves. I know a career break could be risky. But, like you said “no kids, house payment, car payment” . Then, we are free to do whatever we want. Of course, we should be worried when we don’t have forever savings. During a career break, we still can make some earnings. We can be self-employed, sells stuffs online or find some fun seasonal jobs. People who only know to work, don’t know how to live.
I would totally take 8-12 months off then.
Same here.
After 5 years of working? How are you ever going to make it to retirement if you can’t hack 5 years?