Acceptable "rest time" after resigning?

[zarazan]

So I quit my job last May 7, and decided personally that I want to "rest" muna for atleast two months. I was at my former job for almost 3 years din and it was my first job.  But the thing is, I am unhappy with my chosen career/field. So sabi ko I needed to "rest" to decide what I truly want for myself.

I know this is a matter of personal choice and most people hate the idea of quitting their job with no prospects. But I choose to "rest" so I am asking what is the acceptable resting period? 

Is 2-3 months okay? 
What was your longest "career break"?
Issue ba sa employers if you take breaks in between jobs?

[yinandyang]

Mine was 8 months pero I career shifted kasi

Better start sending out your resumes right now because some ads take a LOT longer to respond kahit na experienced.

[ohcmon]

I've had four jobs. The one I currently have is my third -- I just resigned then came back a couple of months after quitting my fourth. Fortunately, never ako nabakante since I started working which was exactly two months after graduation. Fear ko rin kasi 'yang isasagot ko 'pag tinanong ako ng prospective employer kung bakit ako nagpahinga.

Anyway, I agree with yinandyang. Ngayon pa lang, start sending out your CVs to companies you might want to work for. Super hirap maghanap ng trabaho these days.

May I ask anong field mo, TS? Kung sa creative area ka, baka pwedeng malusutan why you took a break, something along the lines of you needed a bit rest to shake your creative juices up.

[toria]

Longest break I had in between work is 1 month pero hired na ko sa new company nun.
Inaantay ko lang start date ko.

I agree na you should start sending resumes already since matagal sila magreply.

I have a friend who resigned from work after her bond, inabot ng 1 yr bago sya nakakuha ng bagong work. We are both in IT field.

[lovely_carrot]

It really depends on your financial status if you can afford to "rest" for a long time, well and good. Not all employers naman are going to take it against you if have have longer rest time in between jobs. I think ang mas importante na makita sa resume is you're not jumping from 1 job to another na tipong less than 1 year lang lipat na agad (based on my HR experience)

In my case, nung early 20s ko mas matagal at mas madami yung rest time ko, kasi puro 6 months lang nakukuha kong job e.When I got a job sa isang hotel, I stayed there for 2 years altho casual employee lang.  Nung nabuntis ako, I rested for almost a year tapos when I started working again (naka 2 jobs na ko), di pa naman ako nabakante ulit. It helps if you have "valid" reason for deciding to rest if ever lang na matatanong ka kung ano ginawa mo during those times that you were not working.

[binggay]

Ingat lang din sa rest-rest na yan. Tama yung suggestion na start sending out CV's and applying for jobs. Di na madali makakuha ng trabaho ngayon.  For me personally, I would never quit my job na walang kapalit. But I would tell the company na lilipatan ko kung kelan ako pwede mag-start so I could take a break in between jobs. For me a month's break would be more than enough. May kakilala ako, ganyan naging reason, pahinga daw muna. Ayan, hanggang ngayon, may 7 years na, nagpapahinga pa din.

[zarazan]

The thing is, I am licensed Pharmacist.  And based on my profession, most companies demand our license talaga.  My experience kasi nung first job, once I send my resume, within the week, tumatawag na.  And I really wanted to rest muna sana.  Plus I am not sure if this is the field I want to pursue kasi

[freelancer_babe]

If you are thinking of moving to another field... wag kang tumengga lang sa bahay doing nothing.

Try to learn something while "resting". Some skill where you get to do what you want.

Employers will ask why you have been unemployed for long. There are a few acceptable reasons to tell your employer why you have been out of work - such as needing to study, taking care of family, running a business, etc. Nagiging issue lang sa employers if you cannot provide a convincing reason why you were out of job for nn months to n years.

Pero di sana problem ang financial sa iyo ha? Kasi yan ang hirap sa nagpapahinga. No work no pay. It could put you into debt, you know.

[sk8rboyswife]

after 7 years of stay with the company I'm working, I'm now rendering my 30 days. My reason is to take care of my kids naman. At the same time I can take a big break na din

[Meraki]

For me, a career break is normal and healthy. Sometimes, we need to take a break, to breathe, to reflect and find the reasons why do we work hard in the first place. It's not healthy if you continue doing the same thing everyday pero hindi ka masaya dahil kahit anong gawin mo, dadaan at dadaan ka pa rin sa state na yan. Try new things while you're on break. Read a book, teach English online para may makausap ka, go out with your family, friends etc. Usually yan yung mga nakakatulong sa ganitong phase.

[alice_alice]

I've been in the BPO field since I graduated college, I decided to "rest" nung 2013 because Imgot sick and needed an operation so di muna ako kumuha ng full time job kasi I needed a recovery period and now wala pa rin akong job 2015 na but I can't say na I am out of work kasi we have a family business and from food business we're going to open up another business pa. My concern mga sissies is I want to go back to the corporate world and have my own source of income aside sa family business because technically I am still under my parents' payroll.

Ang tanong ko lang may tatanggap pa kaya sa akin? I am 28 yrs old and knowing some companies they prefer new grads nagaalala din ako na baka wala na ako mapasukan pang iba given madami akong napasukang comoanies during my younger yrs.

Any advice? TIA

[mysterioza_me]

Longest break ko 1yr&5mos, sensitive kasi pregnancy so I had to leave my job during my 1st trimester. Then I get back to work a few months after I gave birth. Yung pinakahuli ko naman na nagresign, 1month lang ako nagrest yun kasi nirequest ko sa new employer ko. Na-realize ko nun nakakainip sa bahay saka feeling ko nalolosyang ako.

Sis alice_alice kung babalik ka sa BPO industry pwedeng-pwede. Bata ka pa naman. Pero kung as in corporate world talaga baka depende sa position if may age limit sila.

[purple.strawberry]

Nung unhappy pa ko sa career ko sis and I wanted to do some soul searching, I rested for 2 months and then I became anxious na baka hindi maganda tingin ng employers sa rest period so I applied na for a "temporary" job pero talagang temporary lang kasi 3 months lang din ako nagstay haha. So I decided to stay at home longer kasi I couldn't keep applying for the same jobs knowing that I was unhappy nga with the field I was in.

I think ang next nun is a break of 4 months before I career shifted na talaga.

I guess sis it's okay basta it won't last up until a year, and if the break is really long talaga it's better if you have something to write in your resume like during your break you took a short course pala or studied or perhaps freelanced online.

[spinnn]

Ay mabuti na lang nakita ko thread na to. Kakarelate ako. I resigned na, 1st job ko and mag 5 years na dapat ako sa September. I just felt tired and at the same time, comfort zone na sa akin ito.

Until end of August pa ako and plano ko 3rd week maghanap na ako. Gusto ko lang din magpahinga and magcareer shift. Hoping and praying for the best!

[mitcha15]

Ako din buti nakita ko ito thread na ito.
I have been working since 1999 in total 16yrs until march2015. As of today going 4months na pala ako walang work. But during those months nagtry na ako mag-apply apply.
Pero parang dapat yata magbisnis na ako para mas may time ako na sa mga anak.
Kaya [textspeak!] at my age of 37 parang retiring age na yata ito sa pinas. Tsk tsk!

[freelancer_babe]

Ang tanong ko lang may tatanggap pa kaya sa akin? I am 28 yrs old and knowing some companies they prefer new grads nagaalala din ako na baka wala na ako mapasukan pang iba given madami akong napasukang comoanies during my younger yrs.

You have valid reasons naman sis. When asked why you are not employed, just honestly mention in the interviews that you have to rest for an operation and after that you helped with the family business for a while until you are ready to work on your own.

[Drax]

If you took a long break after quitting your last job, what reason do you give for that break when you have job interviews?  What reasons are deemed to be valid or acceptable?

[xia.sam]

Pano mo sasabihin sa nag-iinterview na ang reason mo kung bakit ka nag-resign ay dahil na-promote ka kuno pero wala namang pinipirmahan tapos yung increase mo sa salary ay di match sa position mo.
Kumbaga meron kang mga kasabayan na senior position pero ang layo ng difference ng sahod mo sa kanila pero kung tutuusin, pare-pareho lang naman kayo ng position?

[naddie99]

Debatable yan sis. Most employers kasi would ask why you took a break syempre dapat firm ang answer mo for you to get hired. Pero actually alam mo naisip ko din naman to take a break I'm looking ito shifting my career kasi talaga kaya naiisip ko yun ..

[HappyDoll]

Pano mo sasabihin sa nag-iinterview na ang reason mo kung bakit ka nag-resign ay dahil na-promote ka kuno pero wala namang pinipirmahan tapos yung increase mo sa salary ay di match sa position mo.
Kumbaga meron kang mga kasabayan na senior position pero ang layo ng difference ng sahod mo sa kanila pero kung tutuusin, pare-pareho lang naman kayo ng position?

You could probably say you find the compensation conflicting with your standards? Is that good enough? They might question you on that though. You may want to look for a company which could answer to your compensation issues btw do you work on a regular company or something like a BPO?