Danica Nelson is a career break coach and expert helping professionals plan and take career breaks and sabbaticals with clarity and confidence. Through her platform, Liberty Leave™, she teaches burnt-out women how to pause, plan, and pivot into more aligned careers and lives.
When I tell people that I help burned-out women plan and take career breaks, I’m often met with comments like:
“Employers are skipping past resumes with career break gaps on them.”
“It’s really hard to get hired after taking a sabbatical.”
“A career break sounds great until you have to explain it in a job interview.”
These concerns are valid. Taking time away from work can feel risky when the economy is unstable and career progress has long been tied to consistency and growth. Many professionals worry that stepping away from a career will signal a lack of ambition or unreliability, and ultimately undo years of progress.
The truth is, those fears come from an outdated idea about what success should look like. Even LinkedIn has recognized this shift. In 2022, the platform introduced a new way to represent a career break on profiles after finding that 51% of hirers say they’re more likely to contact a candidate who provides context on their career break.
With the right mindset and confident messaging, a career break can become one of the most valuable parts of your professional story. Here’s how to talk to an employer about a career break with confidence:
Own your decision
The way you describe your career break sets the tone for how it’s received. Instead of apologizing, downplaying it, or over-explaining, frame it confidently as an intentional choice that reflects leadership and self-awareness.
Before entering an interview, practice explaining it in one or two sentences, such as:
“I took a career break to reset, gain perspective, and return to work with a renewed sense of purpose and a sharper focus”.
Highlight what you gained
A career break often teaches lessons and skills that no job ever could. Reframe the gap as growth by focusing on what you learned and how you levelled up. That could be deepening self-awareness, learning to navigate change with more ease and resilience, or becoming more confident with boundary setting. These experiences can build emotional intelligence, empathy, and adaptability, which are important skills that make collaboration smoother in any industry.
Update your skills before returning
Refreshing your knowledge in a light and restorative way while on your career break can be helpful preparation when you re-enter the workforce. Read articles that genuinely interest you or listen to podcasts in your field.
As you begin job searching again, you can even consider pursuing a low-lift course or exploring a new tool at your own pace that can be referenced in interviews. Employers value candidates who stay curious, proactive, and show initiative.
Target supportive employers
Not every employer deserves your energy. Seek out companies that value flexibility, well-being, and sustainable success aligned with your own values. Choosing the right fit ensures your next employer sees your break as an advantage, which may also help you avoid ending up in another cycle of burnout.
Taking a career break doesn’t have to be seen as a setback. When you speak about your break with confidence, it becomes proof that you know when to pause with purpose and pivot into something more aligned and meaningful.
If you’re wondering whether it might be time for you to take your own career break, start with this free “Am I Ready for a Career Break?” checklist. It’ll help you understand if it’s time to take a step back to focus on regaining energy and direction before your next chapter.
Want to learn more about planning your sabbatical? Listen to my Girlboss Radio episode here.
MORE CAREER-BREAK ADVICE FROM DANICA
5 Signs It’s Time to Take a Career Break
How To Afford a Career Break Without Draining Your Savings
4 Types of Career Breaks That Can Actually Change Your Life
