Maybe it’s the stupid economy.  Perhaps the 20-somethings are stirring up the hype—since they’re still idealistic (and largely underemployed).  Could be the sad but true fact that folks don’t take their vacations.  Or maybe work just keeps meaning less while sucking more energy and time.  

Sabbaticals are OUT; Career Breaks are IN  

Whatever the reason(s), the big buzzword of late for the BreakAway crowed  is “career break.”  I like it.  The “career” thing sounds so responsible, job-centric and American.  Suddenly a Sabbatical is NOT just a lazy, hazy escape from reality. 

After all, most of us are not professors or preachers with God-given, endowed Sabbatical rights, right?  And those professions are just so tweedy, stilted and last-millenium anyway…

No matter what your profession or POV, this recent Huffington Post story suggests that a Career Break may look great on your resume.  Impress your next boss.  Show that you’ve got initiative and guts.  Prove that you’re a worldly rock star, if only on your lonely planet.  Author/blogger Patty Hodapp encouragingly writes:

Getting out from behind your desk and into the world will not only give you invaluable life experience (and probably several stories to share with coworkers around your next office water cooler) but also it’ll make you a more hirable and more desirable addition to any office. Guaranteed.”

Worry not; after conquering the big old world, you can always come home to a bigger cubicle.

Or is it that dreams won’t die?   

Careers are critical, don’t get me wrong.  I intend to take mine (or should I say all 55 of them) very seriously any day (or year) now.  That motivation surge will strike, like lightning.  I can’t wait. 

Meantime, methinks that this “Career Break” movement may be plopping the horse before the cart.  I mean, do we really crave a professional pause or six months in Spain?  Are we infatuated with vocation or is our heart simply calling for vacation? 

But I get it.  Career Break.  You can fix it later.  I’ll even start using the new lingo, and have eagerly agreed to host a Career Break seminar in September. 

But forgive me if, from time to time, I pick up my guitar and play Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job and Shove It,” followed by Lenny Kravitz’s “Fly Away.”

Work will wait, my friends.  In fact, it never goes away.  But you can!