Employability?
 

What are your thoughts on the impacts of regular long breaks from work (3- 6 months) and prospective future employment?

Define regular? What's your age and industry?

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Annually/ biannually (funds dependant) Mid forties - Data analysis.
Was more a general question interested to see if people have a been over looked or unsuccessful applying for positions as an employer see's big trip travellers as a liability. Or has the opposite occurred?

If you are a contractor, no impact at all - expected even. If you are looking at taking staff jobs for a year and then leaving - fatal!

If that's the way you want to structure your life, and if your industry permits it, you should be looking at setting up a company taking a few fixed term contracts.

Don't look for an employed position.

Go self-employed instead and negotiate temporary contracts for project work as a freelance data analysis consultant.

This way you call the shots. :)

Yes there is allways something to do. Enjoy your life, its not all about working :D

I did that regularly doing low level engineering work in my twenties. Engineering is project based. Now I wouldn't be able to it now in my early 40's on staff. Although I'm about to leave on another trip for six months. But it's been a while. You need continuity towards your clients. Self employed, sure you could if your client base can cope.
I travelled 64 countries over ten or so years in my twenties and thirties. A lot less often in my thirties though due to more ambitious (read expensive) trips and taking time to invest in myself professionally, but found it gives you an advantage if you know how to use it depending on your personality. Made me more outgoing and confident dealing with people which gets seen by my employer as an advantage and valued skill, particularly in dealing with clients and in delegating. Travel stories about far doing places doing unusual things are a great ice breaker and makes you memorable. I actually successfully use that as an argument to my employer when I tell them I'm about to head back if for six months.

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I started reading the responses hoping most would say..."no big deal taking time off". I really want/need to travel again without the pressures of getting back to work. I'm in Engineering and yes much of it is project based but I have always felt like I needed the security of full time employment (read steady paycheck). IT would seem to me that it is highly dependent on the hiring managers attitude towards extended absence from work. Having been a manager I would be concerned with the person leaving too soon. Having also been through a layoff in my 50's I can say that finding work can be a challenge after a long spell. Hopefully one of these days I go back to moto travel.

There's a simple answer as others have stated.

If you can do contract work then there isn't a problem. You work when it suits and don't work when it doesn't.
As for having a full time permanent position, ask yourself the question: would you employ someone who is going to be here today, gone tomorrow and back again 3 months or whatever later and then repeat the process?
The answer for most employers will be a resounding 'no' and it isn't really a difficult concept to understand their position.

Dunno what your skill set it but in my case I could go back to CAD design work. It's a pay grade or two lower but there are sacrifices to make.

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That depends on your industry and the availability of skilled people, I work in engineering as a machinist/fitter/toolmaker and due to the skills shortage in the UK can come and go pretty much as you describe. My employers don't care where I was last week, they are just happy if I turn up on Monday morning and get on with the job, a good situation for me but not for UK manufacturing.

I'm currently in a completely different field from the OP, and before this I was in another. Hard to say how my experience might apply to the OP's situation, but....

I've always taken off weeks, months and years at a time. In entry-level or blue collar jobs, no one ever seemed to mind--people come and go a lot, either voluntarily or by layoffs as business ebbs and flows. I did decline some interesting offers, but that was mainly due to my own restlessness, not employer reluctance. It's certainly cost me monetarily, and it's a good thing my tastes have never been extravagant. If certainty and predictability or accumulation of a lot of material goods is important, that'll suggest different choices.

When necessary, I've framed my own choices in terms of gathering wisdom and deepening understanding, which I can then apply to my working life. It helps that I believe this to be true, which has allowed me to claim it with sincerity. I've also spent most of my adulthood self-employed, whether as a small business owner or a contractor. That's not for everyone, and at times it's been a real struggle. Of course, working for other people can be its own variety of struggle: your choice.

One other piece has been key for me: I eventually realized that I didn't have to be in a tremendous hurry to do anything in particular. If I have to delay this trip or that adventure a year or two in order to pursue a working situation, that's not as much a problem as it used to seem. That's one of the advantages of being old, grey and feeble; I no longer feel I've got to do Everything Right Now.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Depends on what you are working on.

I believe self-employed people/freelancers have it easier than people who are employed in companies/establishments because they get to manage their time.

As has been discussed above, it really depends on the industry and need for skilled staff.

Alistair and myself, up to recently, had no difficulty finding permanent or contract roles after long breaks of 1 year or more, in our respective industries.

I am still ok and found a contract very quickly after coming back from our summer break riding across Russia and central Asia, last year. Alistair has not worked since last March, due to his industry (Oil and Gas) being down the cr*ppers and all projects canned. It will recover eventually, but it will take time.

Being contractors is ideal for us. It gives us the possibility to come and go as we like (subject to our projects – can’t piss off employers too much !). It was not easy for us to become contractors, you need experience and be in the right sort of role. For me, I worked hard to develop my knowledge and experience, so I know I am better than the vast majority of candidates, at my job. My role is very technical (and mathematical) and there are lots of bullsh*tters around. I deliver and reputation is everything at this game. So far so good, but I know it won’t last.
My views has always been: work hard, learn as much as possible (knowledge IS money!) save and invest wisely, don’t pi*ss your money down the wall on designer sh*te and stuff you do not need, pay off your debts and then … freedom!

I worked as an oilfield recruiter for a year. I never thought that I would have an HR type role because I have always despised HR people.

It is better to not have any gaps in your resume. This does not exactly bode well for travelers. I recommend lying or stretching the truth to close the gaps in your resume.

Expert tip: Do you want to know the easiest was to cover up a big gap in your resume?
Work for a company who went bankrupt! It is much more difficult to verify that you worked at a company that went belly up. Get your friend to be your former supervisor and give them his cell phone number and offer to give him $50 if you get the job.

It is easier to tell them what they want to hear now and explain later if you have to. If you can get the job that you want without lying or exaggerating then by all means do so. If you have been applying for jobs for 6 months without hearing back then definitely give lying and exaggerating a shot. What are the repercussions if you get caught? You become banned from getting hired at one company out of millions!

My advice for interviewing is to get as much practice as you can. Apply for a wider variety of jobs in your field then you normally would. Even if it is a job or company that you do not want to work for, look at every interview as a real world opportunity to practice your interviewing skills for the job that you want. You are going to make mistakes when answering questions, but the important thing is to learn from them and move on. Never apply to the same company twice. If they didn't want you the first time than you are too good for them anyway. Have confidence in yourself. This is a hard thing to teach, especially if you have a modest personality. Change your personality for interviews, become that cocky Glengarry asshole that no one likes. Remember, that your time is important and that this low life pond scum recruiter is lucky to be able to spend 30 minutes of your very valuable time with you. I think a lot of people have a problem with work self confidence because they have not had an opportunity to shine in the workforce yet.

Recruiters are a bit like women in terms of jealousy. Have you ever dated a girl who was way out of your league because she was jealous of another not as attractive girl that you were spending time with? It works the same way with recruiters. In the middle of the interview find a way to mention that you just did an interview with another company. Say something like "I just got that same question last week, I guess most of you X companies use the same questions." When the recruiter asks you more about X company, casually mention that you have a panel interview with them next week. If they want to know any more information tell them you are sorry but you would prefer to keep that private.

When you fill out an online application the companies applicant tracking software automatically assesses all of your information and determines what to do with your resume. If there are any gaps in employment, mistakes, or other things that the company does not like then it will throw out your resume. If your resume does not get thrown out there is still a good chance that human eyes will never view it. The software will rank your answers/ credentials and give you a score based on how good you would be in that position compared to everyone else.

The problem with today's world the way I see it, is that we have allowed and encouraged a system of unrealistic expectations. In today's workforce, barely any new entrants have the desired skills or experience because of the unrealistic expectations that we have enforced managers to have.