Indian Hype about Career Breaks...

I was talking with my cousin sister who is a doctor. She worked for one year in Australia. She was talking about her colleague - another doctor. He completed his basic degree in medicine. After his graduation, he decided to go around the world and visit places. So he went on a world tour for two years, enjoyed life, savoured the beauty of the world, and then returned to Australia. And continued his higher studies...

Breaks in studies or career is not made much hype about abroad. Americans and Europeans propagate work-life balance and they also practise what they preach...But Asia-Pacific companies cannot stand a break in a person's career. They look at it as a big crime and think the person is easy-going.

Taking a peek into the career of Tiger Woods the famous golfer gives a lot of positive insights about career breaks. Woods enjoyed his game and the process more than the outcome of the game. Woods never over-worked and took a lot of breaks in his career. But he always bounced back with more creativity, energy, and found the breaks quite rejuvenating.

Woods said that "Golf is what i do and what i love, it's not who I am. It does not define me as a person."

There was a time when Indian companies such as Ramco, will not even call for an interview if they heard that you had a break in your career. Now, times have changed. Thanks to globalisation and the invasion of MNCs into India. Now, the employee induction form has places for filling in career breaks and reasons. So, so - companies seem to have realized that they employ human beings and not automated robots as in a factory...