February 27, 2012 at 10:52 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Taking a Sabbatical
February 28, 2012 at 12:51 am
I think it could be interesting to try the role as project manager / leader.
All thou something completely different, something out in the wild, would probably feel like a vacation to me even if it's work.
February 28, 2012 at 1:03 am
February 28, 2012 at 2:34 am
I started my sabbatical in November last year. I've been very fortunate to be in a position to do it, but I'm very glad that I have. I agree with your main point. I had always thought of a sabbatical as a time when you're supposed to sail the world or go on some adventure or take part in a voluntary scheme. But it can just be a change, a chance to do things that your regular schedule doesn't allow.
Strangely, I've found myself doing much of what I did at the office, only without the politics, without the scrutiny, and without the pressure of deadlines and a team to manage (and without a salary!). I really wanted to take the time to explore, to learn and go back to what got me excited about technology in the first place. To that end I took a couple of weeks holiday, a couple of weeks on a Microsoft exam and after that, got on with building a website. Although I've built small websites in the past, I've never undertaken a project of this size and previously it's always been for others. This time, I picked a subject that I was interested in and am trying to fill a need as I see it from a customer perspective.
Normally working on a project like this, you'd be limited by a client's budget, or by the requirements you've been given by others. It's liberating to take the technology wherever I want to go with it.
If anyone out there is thinking of taking time out, I'd thoroughly recommend it. But I'd add that its worth setting yourself goals. If after two months, you're watching daytime TV and waking up with a hangover every day, then you're probably going to regret your decision, but if after that time you're invigorated and seeing your plans coming to fruition, then that feels great.
Kindest Regards,
Frank Bazan
February 28, 2012 at 4:08 am
Frank Bazan (2/28/2012)
...If anyone out there is thinking of taking time out, I'd thoroughly recommend it. But I'd add that its worth setting yourself goals. If after two months, you're watching daytime TV and waking up with a hangover every day, then you're probably going to regret your decision, but if after that time you're invigorated and seeing your plans coming to fruition, then that feels great.
Man I hope you're not knocking daytime TV and drinking - the rest I can take but leave me those (j/k)
I'd love to spend a couple of months cycling around Europe or the US. I would love to take simple focus on just what is there for a while. Family (probably more than work) will not permit this for a while but maybe in a few years.
February 28, 2012 at 4:30 am
LOL, when you find that you know what Judge Judy is going to say before she says it, then that's the time to get on with your cycling adventure 😉 You can always take an ipad with you and pour some whisky in the water bottle. Then you'll have the best of both worlds.
Kindest Regards,
Frank Bazan
February 28, 2012 at 4:42 am
My plan for when I get paid off through redundancy or voluntary leavers is to take time out to get the building works at home finished, then the camper van conversion finished and then use it for going sailing and for touring Britain and Europe - I'd like to cross on the channel tunnel and potter up through Belgium, Holland, Germany and Denmark to Sweden. Then I'd get six month contracts for the winters and take summers off and do more sailing and tour more of southern France and Spain.
February 28, 2012 at 6:48 am
There have been a few times when I was close to maxing out my annual vacation time. To burn off a couple of weeks, I worked half-days from home for a month in the summer. What a dream setup that was! I was really motivated to finish tasks by noon, so I could have the rest of the day off. When I went back to work full-time, my batteries were completely re-charged.
Having time off really helped with grad school, too.
February 28, 2012 at 7:01 am
In a perfect world I would take the winter off to travel and snowboard on every mountain possible... but we all know the world isn't perfect so I am content on taking weekend snowboarding trips with a spring trip to Breckenridge lined up this year.
February 28, 2012 at 7:04 am
Come on Andy, tell us more! ... What were you doing? Help spark our dreams. 🙂
February 28, 2012 at 7:16 am
The company where I work now is family-owned, and that family is religious in the best sense of the word. They provide any employee a week off with pay if they go off somewhere in the world and perform service to someone who needs the help. I find the concept fascinating. I've seen how much good it has done a few of my co-workers. I know, it's only a week... but when I look back at my past where I've taken even a few weeks off to go help the US hot air balloon team win a world championship or to build a garage and driveway for a neighbor who can't afford it, I've definitely come back more recharged and fulfilled and newly productive than the times I took a few weeks off to just tour Britain or sit on a beach in the Bahamas.
February 28, 2012 at 8:09 am
While I can't take a break from my job (except for vacations), I am branching out into a new area for me. I'm working on becoming a professional photographer...it's been a dream of mine to do wildlife photography. Recently I had a logo professionally designed and now I'm working on creating my website. It's an interesting experience starting out in a new business. I'm learning what it means to be self-employed. Keeping track of finances for taxes, figuring out if I want to take cash, check, or credit cards. Checking out Art Fairs in my area and other places to display my work. So far I've sold three photographs. It's a start and maybe some day I'll make enough I can quit my current job and do photography full time.
-SQLBill
February 28, 2012 at 8:30 am
Several times a year, I'll take a weekend sabbatical. I'll immerse myself in some project that stretches the scope of my experience, like rennovate the bathroom or replace the water pump on the mini-van. What would take a professional a few hours will take me all weekend long, and then Monday to recooperate.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
February 28, 2012 at 8:34 am
Grumpy DBA (2/28/2012)
In a perfect world I would take the winter off to travel and snowboard on every mountain possible...
Yep, that would certainly be nice. Than I wake up and smell the coffee. 😀
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
February 28, 2012 at 9:06 am
If you can afford it, ask your manager about dropping to part time, so you get paid for less days each week. Then approach charities to see if they can use your time.
I dropped to 2.5 days per week in 2010, and have had a number of engagements with charities since then. Some of them have been using my primary skill set, others have allowed me to grow skills in areas I had wanted to get to know better (such as SSRS), and some have taken me into new areas.
For the early engagements, the skill transfer was mainly from work to the charities, but my current engagement is not only a new area for me but what I learn will be beneficial for my paid job.
The two biggest problems I found were
a) Getting my name to the right people in the charity
As well as contacting the normal help desk for the charity, spend time on Google trying to find out who is involved with their IT or their head of finance (IT normally reports to Finance) and approach them direct. Send a copy of your CV and what time you have available.
b) Delivering value in my paid job
There will be a time of change for both you and your manager because you are not available every working day. Sometimes a project that looked safe to leave until you returned next week will require action while you are away and our manager will likely have to do this. It took a while for us to come to terms with this, but after a few months my manager was happy that I was delivering the goods, and accepted that sometimes he would have to field a few calls.
Most organisations have some form of annual appraisal, and you need to set a workload that is achievable, and aim to exceed some expectations each year. I am also thankful for every month I get paid.
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