How to take a successful career break and come back stronger than ever
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EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Chan With A Plan, host Max Chan speaks with Katrina McGhee, a Career Break and Sabbatical Coach that helps 9-to-5ers design mind-blowing breaks to create happier, more fulfilling lives. Katrina discusses her own career breaks and how she did not need to take a step back in her career when she was ready to return, but ended up receiving multiple job offers and getting way more salary than when she was working prior to her career break. 

QUOTES

“I talked about my break and so many people in the interviews would ask me about my break, and they wanted to know, like, Were you scared? What was the highlight? What was your favorite country and being able to connect, you know, when they go off to discuss all of the candidates, you're the person that took a break, you're the person that traveled around the world, like, everybody else has the same qualifications as you and honestly, like probably similar experiences. And so you get to be all of that, plus, this amazing person that did this very memorable thing.” - Katrina McGhee

“Am I going to jeopardize my career success [by taking a career break]? Right? Is it going to be gone? Am I going to erode all this hard work? Am I going to basically not be on track to get promoted? Here's what I want to say, you know, I personally have supported over 40 career breaks beyond the two, you know, of my own. And so as much as it can feel like it's the end, I want to remind you, all of that experience, all of that education, and your network comes with you. Those all come with you, no one takes that away from you. So when you show up a year later, six months later, you know, 20 months later, you are still that person.” - Katrina McGhee

“We're so afraid to stop running and stop racing. We're just so afraid we're gonna lose our spot. I don't want to lose my spot. If I get off this wheel, can I get back on? The answer is yes, that will always be waiting for you. They will always want you back on the wheel. And it's your choice if you want to get back on or not when your break is over.” - Katrina McGhee

TIMESTAMPS

[1:47] Meet Katrina

[7:24] Why Katrina decided to take a career break

[12:00] How Katrina saved up enough money to take an extended career break

[15:54] Katrina’s plan to effectively re-enter the workforce

[20:46] How to position your career break positively so it isn’t considered a red flag

[23:38] Overcoming the naysayers stating that Katrina would need to take a demotion or pay cut to get back into the workforce after her career break

[26:19] Advice for professionals that want to take a career break but are too scared to

[31:14] How Katrina started her business and how she decided after her second career break that it was time to take her business full time 

[34:34] How Katrina paid off her student debt

[36:09] Life lessons Katrina learned during her career breaks

[39:21] Advice for people looking to take a career break within the next few months

[42:59] Discussing whether Katrina ever had the itch to end her career break early to go back to work

[45:21] How far you should plan in order to get back into the workforce effectively during your career break

[46:26] The 1 common lesson her clients and herself have learned by taking a career break

[47:34] The biggest career challenge Katrina has faced, and what she did to overcome it to get to where she is today

[49:00] Contacting Katrina

[50:13] Outro

RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS

• Katrina McGhee Website)

• Katrina McGhee on Instagram)

• Katrina McGhee on LinkedIn)

• Chan With A Plan)

• Chan With A Plan Private Facebook Group)