career pause
Work life break
A career pause is a deliberate break from professional work, typically to care for children, attend to health, pursue education, or address other life priorities.
The term reframes what was once called a "gap" in employment history, removing the stigma of interrupted work: She took a two-year career pause after her twins were born.
Career pause has gained currency as employers increasingly recognize non-linear career paths.
- sabbaticalExtended leave from work
- hiatusBreak in activity
- breakInterrupt continuity
- gap yearPlanned educational hiatus
- leaveSanctioned time away
taking time off · personal leave · timeout · intermission · burnout · recharge · off the grid · reflection · pivot · transition · life transition · unemployment · maternity · paternity · stepping back · breathing room · reset · reinvention
career pausecareer advancement
Professional upward mobility
promotion · upward mobility · career progression · climbing the ladder · professional growth
career pauseretirement
Leaving the workforce permanently
career end · return to work · reentry · resignation · early retirement
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