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Rohit BajajFlag for India

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does taking a year long break lowers chances of taking up next job

hi
its a non technical question to some senior folks out there in software companies
i am planning to take a break from work for a year or 2. i have 9 years experience as a java developer.

does taking a year long break from work lower my chances of getting job ?
should i have a solid reason or do some online course so as to justify it ?
my main reason to take a break is to up my health as i have been stressed out too much. dont know whether that will qualify as a genuine reason.

or it doesnt matter at all ? i clear the interview and i am in.

any suggestions are welcome
thanks
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Saad Mardini
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As long as you prove that in the time you took the break you actually "produced" something then i don't see any reason that a recruiter will take the wrong side....even a "simple" Github project might prove invaluable
>>> "my main reason to take a break is to up my health as i have been stressed out too much. dont know whether that will qualify as a genuine reason." <<<

My advice for ANY line of work is NOT to mention "being stressed out" as a reason for taking a break.  There are obviously many genuine instances of people who have broken after dealing with a workload that is too great for one person to handle, but there are also a great many people these days who use the expression "stressed out" very lightly and for the slightest reason, for example: "I have to pick up the kids from school, make them dinner, then go to the gym, and then go shopping.  I'm so stressed out".

Some people can cope with genuine stress and get through it while others break, and what might be stressful for one person might actually be an enjoyably busy workload.  If you mention "stressed out" to prospective recruiters they will wonder whether you can cope with the ordinary stresses of life let alone a heavy workload, and if you then have to go into details of how stressful your previous work was for you it could sound as though you are whining about hard work and looking for an easy job.