Lifestyle
Career breaks emerge as respite from work and worries
By Zhang Yage  ·  2024-08-12  ·   Source: NO.33 AUGUST 15, 2024
A volunteer gives an introduction to young visitors at a museum in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, on July 31 (XINHUA)

The idea of taking a year off work or other extended breaks has become more prominent in China's social media landscape after the release of the Chinese comedy movie Gold or Shit on June 8. Netizens have been sharing their admiration for the film's protagonist, who they say has managed to "hit the pause button" on his life's path.

The film centers on the life of Wu Di, a beipiao in his mid-30s. Beipiao refers to a person from outside Beijing working there without being granted household registration. After having worked in the metropolis for years, Wu suffers a setback in his career as a playwright and decides to quit and return to his family home in Sichuan Province in southwest China. Drama, of course, ensues.

The film received three major awards at the 14th Beijing International Film Festival in April, and has been well received on Douban, a popular Chinese media review platform. Echoing the plot, the film's posters feature the tenet "We need to allow anything, good or bad, to happen to our lives, and to always stay happy and brave." This has resonated strongly with cinemagoers throughout the summer as it reflects a growing need among young Chinese for a break from life's pressures and the increasing popularity of taking a career break.

"I felt a lot of empathy for the leading character when he made the decision to go back to his hometown and start all over," Li Anran, who quit her job as a bank clerk in Beijing last August, told Beijing Review, adding she is making good use of her break to refresh herself.

"I think many of us have been too busy rushing from one stop to another; and a year-long break is a great opportunity to pause, look back and make some adjustments. I'm using this year to address my anxiety problems and figure out my future career plans," she added.

Li formulated her plan for the year after hearing of the concept on social media at the beginning of 2023. At that time, many netizens shared stories of putting their pursuit of stable jobs, decent salaries, and promotion on hold and instead undertaking long-distance travel, signing up for volunteer services at home or abroad, picking up hobbies or part time jobs, or returning to their hometowns to spend time with family. On social platform Xiaohongshu, they have shared photos of their lives during the year. During this off period, some of them have ended up as vloggers with huge fan bases, giving momentum to the fan economy, while exploring alternative ways for personal development.

The ticking clock

While in the West, a career break is seen as a beneficial step in a young person's development, in China, it's more often a personal choice in response to life and career pressures.

"I had a super busy schedule when I was a student, and I believe that was true for most of my peers. I lived on my parents' financial support back then, so I would have had to gain their consent if I had wanted to take a break," Li said. "Now, I can afford to take a year off as I can cover the expenses with savings from my previous job."

Using data from social media platforms and the Seventh National Population Census, Internet giant Netease has created a "social clock for an ordinary people's ideal life track." The timeline lays out major life milestones and the age at which society expects people to achieve them. The milestones include entering kindergarten at 3, graduating from college and hunting for a job at 22, getting married at 28, purchasing an apartment at 33 and retiring at 65. Many people pursue and achieve these milestones successively without ever taking a break. However, as China develops, social norms and people's thinking are evolving, and younger people have begun delaying their pursuit of each milestone, either consciously or unconsciously. Prolonging education, taking the time to wait for a dream job, and waiting for Mr. or Ms. Right are all setting back the clock.

More students have chosen to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies in recent years, increasing the national average years of education. This has led to an increase in the average ages of first marriage and first birth in China. Official statistics show the average age of first marriage rose by 3.78 years from 2010 to 2020. This figure indicates the "social clock" has been redefined by younger generations.

"Taking a break is very important for many people, especially office workers in first- and second-tier cities, who tend to endure enormous pressure at work," Zhang Yan, a member of China Association of Mental Health, told newspaper Yangtze Daily, adding that a society that is encouraging and tolerant of career breaks will be more beneficial for young people.

Young visitors enjoy their meals in Lijiang, Yunnan Province in southwest China on July 28 (XINHUA)

Biases and suggestions

Li is currently living with her parents and working part time to pay for her basic needs.

"I picked up my childhood hobby of repairing toys and making clothes for dolls, and I receive about three or four orders from within my neighborhood each week," she said. "I also walk the neighbors' dog, but I only work four hours a week and I use the rest of my time to reflect on myself, learn new things, and spend time with my family."

While relishing in the upsides of her year-long break, Li is fully aware of the challenges ahead. Many have found themselves presented with embarrassing questions during job interviews.

"I've heard of employers asking about their mental state, and being concerned about whether they are ready to come back to work and how they can guarantee they can pick up where they left off," she said. To offer reassurance to her future company of her ability, Li is already well prepared to take the legal profession qualification exam this fall.

According to a report published in 2022 by 51Job, an online job platform, more than 40 percent of people returning to work after taking a year off experienced difficulties in interviews or even rejection due to the gap in their work experience. Zhang said these difficulties might dissuade workers from taking breaks they would otherwise benefit from, and thus result in higher possibility of workplace depression.

Cao Neng, head of the career center at Fudan University's School of Management, believes there are ways to handle this kind of situation. He shared his suggestions for after-break job seekers in a video on the website of China Youth Daily newspaper.

"If you included the career break in your curriculum vitae and you get to the interview stage, it is likely that you are a great match for the position in terms of ability, education background and work experience," Cao said. "Therefore, it is how you answer questions about your gap experience that matters."

"I think it's important that applicants give detailed and honest answers about what they aimed to achieve in their career break, how their time was spent, and what outcomes were obtained," Cao said. "For example, if the plan was to learn something new, what new skills did you attain? If the plan was to relax, are you now feeling sufficiently refreshed and energetic? These answers will be much more persuasive and will get you the dream offer."

(Print edition title: hitting the pause button) 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson

Comments to zhangyage@cicgamericas.com

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