Navigating a Career Break: How to Transition into Marketing Communications After Finance

Career Break and Job Search Guidance

I have a career span of 7.5 years of experience in branded organizations but am currently on a career break of almost 7 months. My questions regarding the topic above are:

- What is the ideal duration for a career break?
- How can I seek jobs after a career break in the desired field?
- I have always been interested in Marketing Communications (MarComm) but initially never got a break in that field. Out of my 7.5 years of experience, 6 years have been mostly in Finance & Accounts. Recently, I worked in a MarComm role but for a shorter stint. Now, I am finding it challenging to secure a job in the MarComm space. Could you please guide me on whether I should look for jobs in Finance & Accounts Operations or MarComm?

I hope some of you can enlighten me on the questions above!

Many thanks in advance.

Regards,
Srivatsa

You haven't mentioned the reason(s) why you had the 7-month career break.

To answer your queries:

a. What is the ideal span for a career break?

Ideally, ZERO.

To explain further, the more gap you gather, the more difficult it would be to explain when you attend interviews—UNLESS the reason(s) are very valid and genuinely justifiable/verifiable (like medical grounds, etc.).

Also, looking at any such gap from another perspective—especially for functions where 'being-in-touch' with the subject is very necessary and important (like software, legal, etc.)—the more the gap, the tougher it becomes to keep in touch with the latest in your subject, professionally.

b. How to seek jobs after a career break in the desired field?

Keep in touch with your professional knowledge. Again, the details of 'how to' depend A LOT on the reason(s) for the break.

Regarding your Query (c), since you have much of your experience in F&A, it would be better to first settle in the same field—mainly since you have verifiable and justifiable experience in that area. The salary would also be another aspect here—your chances of getting a decent salary would be higher in F&A than in MarComm—please note this is more of a RELATIVE aspect than absolute.

All the Best.

Regards,
TS

While a few of them did call me, all they had to ask were the following questions when I gave the reason for leaving the organization as management changes owing to a demotivated professional status and health reasons:

a. So what if you had health problems? You could have taken a sabbatical.
b. Why did you not take steps to please your new AVP?
c. Why did you not move back to F&A operations if things were not good for you on the MarComm front?

Regards,
Srivatsa

The counter-questions that were asked of you in interviews are to be expected, given your area (MarComm, which is not a very common area). They were only trying to ascertain the veracity of what you were saying, which is where what Sharmila Das mentions comes in (No employer even wants to listen to anything against...).

I suggest taking the line of "Pressing Personal issues/problems" that you needed to resolve, which made your handling of the responsibilities of the crucial job tough. So you preferred to resign after discussing with your CEO in the USA, handle your personal problems, and now you're back looking for another opening after handling them. This way, you won't be giving any scope for the issue to be raised and consequent discussion over which you wouldn't have any control in the direction it may take. In a way, this would also address the career gap since you didn't know how much time your problem could take to be resolved.

As far as possible, keep any reference to your new AVP out. However, this modus operandi will have a downside—if they have any Background Checks policy, you need to prepare/plan on how to handle it BEFORE you even meet them for an interview. That's as far as the situation handling is concerned.

Having said that, I suggest you have self-introspection as to YOUR role in the whole situation that emerged leading to you leaving the company—meaning, was there anything you would have been able to do DIFFERENTLY IF the same situation were to crop up again NOW? Basically, suggesting this to do some brainstorming session for yourself to 'LEARN' from your recent experience.

I can see two things right away that COULD have been done differently:

1. You could have started looking for a new job the moment you realized that things were steadily going downhill, without any chances for improvement. To what extent it could have succeeded is a different issue, but at least you would have avoided the present set of queries in interviews (maybe there would have been another set).

2. Given the fact that politics are NOT limited to the political arena alone in any country, learning/implementing some basics on how to handle such situations.

All the Best.

Regards, TS

Dear Sharmila and Sateesh,

I truly appreciate your responses . It is a bygone now, and I have taken steps to handle these queries after consulting with my ex-manager, who left owing to the management changes, and several other colleagues of mine. They had exactly the same responses, resolutions, and suggestions as expertly put across by both of you. Needless to say, you both have been senior and seasoned in this domain.

I had no choice but to put down my papers due to deteriorating health status but started looking out carefully among the opportunities. It has been over 5 months that I am in 'job-seeking' mode, but I hope to get a desired role and deserving compensation. I have been and will be ever thankful for the rightful intervention of the CEO of the ex-organization, which just supports a popular fact that people resign only because of two main reasons - boss and/or salary; it is very rare that an organization becomes a reason, and the CEO in himself/herself is a reflection of an 'organization.' Luckily, I have worked with the best of the organizations and best of the managers who helped me learn a great deal; they have been and will remain inspirational role models in my professional and personal lives.

Thanks a bunch for pitching in your views, advice, and suggestions that will guide me through the ongoing mode!

Warm Regards,

Srivatsa

We're delighted by your words and elated by your decision regarding your well-being. Nothing is "The End" in this world; let me acquaint you with a famous saying: "He that is giddy thinks the world turns round" - This is exactly as the saying goes from William Shakespeare. You have resigned from a job, not from your mind. First, take care of your health thoroughly and then proceed with the arduous search parameters to achieve your desires. Since people around you are aware of your situation, I'm sure they will extend their assistance to you for your future needs.

I am very pleased to inform you that our CiteHR Seniors will always provide you with genuine support whenever you require our cooperation.