7 Career Break Myths That Need to Be Busted

If you’ve taken a career break to care for your kids, your parents, or a loved one, you already know this:

1. People have opinions

2. Most of them are wrong

   
   

There are so many assumptions wrapped up in career breaks. Some are subtle. Some are loud. And some are so deeply ingrained that we start believing them ourselves.

Today, I want to bust seven of the most common myths, some of which I unfortunately bought into before I took my own career break.

Myth #1: Taking a Career Break Is a Luxury

Some people believe that if you’re able to step away from your career for any length of time, you must be swimming in money (you know Scrooge McDuck style!). 

That you chose to step away from your career because you wanted to, not because you had to.

Often the opposite is true.

Many people step away from work because they can’t afford not to.

For a lot of families, the math simply doesn’t work. Staying home becomes the only viable option, not a luxury.

Framing career breaks as indulgent or optional completely misses the reality that many caregivers face. 

Myth #2: You Have to Justify Your Decision

Once you step away from paid work, the questions start.

Are you planning to work again?

Don’t you miss your career?

Do you feel like you’re wasting your degree?

Sometimes they come from people close to you. Sometimes from total strangers.

I once spoke with a woman who took a 30-year career break to raise her children. During that time, her husband’s coworkers repeatedly asked him when she was going to “go back to work” or when he was going to “make her” return.

These were people who had no involvement in their family life, no understanding of their decisions, and yet she still felt the pressure to explain herself. What?!

Here’s the truth:

You don’t owe anyone an explanation for the decisions you make.

If you have a partner, their opinion matters. Yours matters. 

Everyone else’s is just noise.

Myth #3: You’re Wasting Your Education or Experience

This one comes up all the time, and it’s one I felt personally.

Before I stepped away from my career, I worked in HR. And yes, I worried that all of that education and experience was going to waste while I was home with my son.

Then I realized something.

My HR background prepared me incredibly well for motherhood.

Conflict resolution.Communication. Navigating different personalities. Problem-solving.

Those skills didn’t disappear when I stepped away from paid work. If anything, they got stronger.

You’re not wasting your experience when you take a career break. You are applying it in a different context. 

And remember, many of the skills you’re developing as a caregiver translate directly back into the workplace.

Myth #4: You Have to Figure This Out Alone

Let’s be honest. The system in the U.S. is not set up to support caregivers.

No paid parental leave at a national level.

Affordable childcare is like finding a needle in a haystack.

More and more companies are backtracking on their remote work options. 

You often feel like you’re having to figure it all out on your own.

And when you’re struggling, it’s easy to internalize that and think you’re failing.

You’re not.

This is hard because it is hard. Not because you’re doing something wrong.

The good news is that there are communities, organizations, and people who understand this season of life and are there to provide support. Look into MOMS groups, babysitting cohorts and non-profits specializing in supporting women and moms. 

You don’t have to do this alone, even if it feels that way sometimes.

Myth #5: Being a Caregiver Is Easy

If you’ve ever watched old sitcoms like Leave It to Beaver, you might have grown up with the idea that caregiving is simple. The house is clean. Dinner is ready. Everyone is happy.

That’s not real life.

Caregiving is mentally and emotionally exhausting, it’s repetitive and often it’s invisible.

Anyone who says caregiving is easy has likely never done it for an extended period of time.

Myth #6: A Career Break Will Stall Your Career

This one causes a lot of anxiety, and I understand why.

But let’s look at it through a different lens. 

Imagine you’re driving down the highway and your car suddenly breaks down. You’re stuck.

That’s a stall.

Now imagine you intentionally pull over at a rest stop because you need a break. When you’re ready, you get back on the road. 

That’s an intentional pause. 

When you take a career break intentionally, you can prepare for your return. You can stay connected. You can build skills. You can be thoughtful about what’s next.

A career break doesn’t mean your career is over. 

It means you’re taking a different route for a period of time.

Myth #7: You Should Take Whatever Job You Can Get

This one hits close to home.

When I was returning to the workforce, I was once offered a job paying $9 an hour. I was in my 30s, with experience, and part of me thought, Well, maybe this is just what I have to do to get back in.

And then I stopped myself.

My experience was worth more than that. My skills were worth more than that. I was worth more than that. 

And so are you. 

Taking a career break does not mean you have to accept the first offer that comes your way or settle for less than you’re worth. 

You still bring value. In many cases, more value than before.

Reframing Your Career Break

If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this, it’s this:

Your career break is not a liability and it’s not something to apologize for. 

It’s an extension of your education, your experience, and your growth.

You are your unique, amazing and talented self because of your career break - own that with confidence!