4 Things to Do During the Middle of Your Career Break
The middle of a career break can be an unexpected place to find yourself.
The excitement of making the decision may have faded. Your new routines have become, well, routine. Days can start blending together, and you may even catch yourself wondering, “Who am I now?”
I like to think of this stage as the "messy middle."
It's easy to feel like you're standing still, but it’s often where the most meaningful growth happens. The choices you make now can not only impact your life today but can also make returning to the paid workforce much easier when you're ready.
Here are four ways to make the most of this stage of your career break.
1. Start networking now, not later
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is waiting until they're ready to return to work before they begin networking.
Instead, start planting those seeds now.
Reconnect with former colleagues. Grab coffee with an old coworker. Comment on someone's LinkedIn post. Stay in touch with people in your industry, even if you have no immediate plans to job search.
Think about it this way. If someone hasn't heard from you in ten years and the first message they receive is asking for job leads, it can feel a little one-sided. Compare that to someone who has stayed connected over time. When they reach out to let you know they're ready to return to work, the conversation feels much more natural.
Networking isn't just about finding your next job. It's about maintaining relationships that will support you throughout your career, including during your career break.
2. Explore new interests
Once you've settled into your routines, you may find yourself with a little more mental space than you had at the beginning of your career break.
Use some of that space to explore something that genuinely interests you.
It doesn't have to be related to your career. In fact, sometimes it's better if it isn't.
During my own career break, I signed up for a six-week online children's book writing course. I had never written a children's book before, but it sounded interesting.
That one small decision sparked something I hadn't expected. I ended up writing a children's book (which still hasn’t seen the light of the day but one day it will!), but more importantly, it re-ignited my love of writing which eventually led me into freelance writing.
You never know where following your curiosity might lead.
Exploring your interests allows you to discover (or rediscover!) what energizes you. And when the time comes to return to work, having a clearer understanding of what lights you up can help you make more intentional career decisions.
3. Do a mini skills audit
When you're living your career break day after day, it can be difficult to recognize how much you're actually learning.
Take a few minutes to write down the experiences you've had and the skills you've developed.
If you're raising young children, think about everything that goes into navigating a toddler meltdown in the middle of the grocery store. That situation calls for patience, communication, empathy, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and sometimes a little creativity.
Those are real skills.
The same is true whether you've been caregiving, volunteering, managing a household, organizing school events, or supporting family members.
A career break doesn't put your growth on pause. It simply gives you different opportunities to develop skills that can absolutely translate back into the workplace.
4. Take stock of where you are
Before you started your career break, I encouraged you to write down your reasons for stepping away from work.
Now is the perfect time to revisit them.
Ask yourself a few honest questions.
Has this experience been what you expected? What's been easier than you imagined? What's been more challenging? Are there areas where you need more support?
If things have been difficult, that's okay. This is a great opportunity to make adjustments. Maybe that means asking for more help from your partner, reconnecting with friends, or intentionally making space for activities that bring you joy.
And if this season has been everything you hoped it would be, celebrate that.
Career breaks don't last forever. They're a chapter in your life, and it's okay to appreciate the gift of being fully present in it.
The messy middle is where growth happens
The middle of a career break can feel uneventful on the surface, but don't mistake quiet for lack of progress.
This is the season where relationships are strengthened, new interests are discovered, confidence quietly grows, and skills continue to develop. Those things may not always be obvious in the moment, but they'll become incredibly valuable when you're ready for your next chapter.
And if you're wondering how to best position your unique, amazing and talented self in your job search book your free discovery call to set yourself up for success as you return back to the paid workforce.