Career Change & Executive Coaching

Spin doctors call it a "forced sabbatical." Your ex-boss used the term "development hiatus." And you tell your folks that it's a "severance retreat." Whatever the euphemism, the time between jobs need not become a lost era of Daily Telegraph, classified ads, and Jeffrey Archer novels. In fact, an unexpected layoff could be the best thing that ever happened to your career - if you value a pink slip's hidden opportunities.

Ignore Monster.com's job board. Let the CV languish. Use this downtime to build up rather than keep up, thrive rather than survive, and seek rather than hide, suggests career coach Margaret Stead. She encourages the recently downsized to defer cover letters and networking parties for a few weeks - or a few months - to unearth new types of opportunities. The smartest career move that you can make after a layoff, she says, is a move out of town - on a sabbatical that will restore self-esteem, independence, and drive.

"Successful sabbaticals begin when people take advantage of the upheavals in life," says Stead, "Don't spend the next three months watching Corrie, drinking milk out of the fridge, and waiting for the phone to ring. Don't wait for fate to determine what happens next. Grab hold of your future. Make a proactive move, and you will recover the freedom and strength you lost after that redundancy."

That all sounds good on paper. But aren't sabbaticals only for vicars and tenured professors?

Hardly, says Stead, who took an 12-month sabbatical in Talinn that helped her leapfrog careers and gain perspective on life. She says that a productive sabbatical should live up to the participant's specifications and goals, not outside expectations. A sabbatical can be cheap or expensive, exotic or domestic, extended or brief. But, according to Stead, it absolutely must be personal and guilt-free.

Margaret offers five steps for blazing a brilliant trail during your forced sabbatical.

Start From Scratch

Whatever you've heard about sabbaticals is wrong. Sabbaticals are neither a luxury of the wealthy nor a plaything of the selfish. Above all, they need not compromise your financial security - you don't have to lose your house while trying to find yourself.

Stead recommends four strategies for financing a sabbatical: "Win it, beg it, save it, or do without it." She estimates that there are about 50,000 scholarships, fellowships, and grants that exist in nooks and crannies around the globe. The exact number is difficult to verify, but the fact remains that potential sabbatical takers have a tremendous range of options.

Most of the abruptly downsized can't take advantage of corporate sabbatical programmes or lifelong sabbatical savings, but everyone can think creatively. Timing a sabbatical with the end of your apartment lease or subletting your place for a few months. You can swap with a home owner in Buenos Aires . Lend your car to a friend who will pay it�s insurance while you're gone. Choose a relatively cheap destination like Mexico or Croatia , rather than France or Switzerland . "You can even take a sabbatical in your own backyard as long as you have a goal or achievement in mind," she says. "Money is the smallest challenge for people who really want to take a sabbatical. The largest hurdle is your mind-set - the fear of diverging from the status quo, the fear of telling others, the fear of returning to normal life. Money is manageable; fear of the unknown is harder to deal with."

Stead argues that now is an ideal time to get lost. As more smart people flood the talent pool this summer, job hunting will get harder before it gets easier. Why compete in the decade's tightest talent market if you can use the time to expand your career in creative ways? In the end, Stead says, a smart applicant can leverage her sabbatical to score a better job.

"Suppose, seven months from now, I'm considering two CVs from two equally skilled people who got laid off around the same time," she says. "One applicant has been making phone calls, going on interviews, worrying, collecting unemployment giros, and trying to find a job. The other person has been pursuing some personal goals -- working for a non-profit, taking a sabbatical in Thailand , expanding his vision of the world. In my mind, it's a no-brainer. I'm going to hire the person with a sense of adventure and risk, because chance takers attract like-minded people. And I want captivating people working for me."

Declare a Panic-Free Zone 

You just packed your entire career into a brown cardboard box and joined the dole queue. Now, don't freak. Panic seeps into cover letters, phone conversations, and email correspondence. Employers can smell it a mile away, and they will take advantage of a candidate's terror - or recoil from it.

Stead's advice? Don't bother thinking about CVs and p45s for 30 days after your layoff. Declare a panic-free zone in which you can contemplate next steps, new goals, and old hang-ups without feeling pressure to attain any tangible, revenue-producing results. Use this time to ask yourself, "If I could do anything, what would I do?"

"The question becomes, 'How do you eat an elephant one bite at a time?' In other words, how do you whittle down the universe of possibilities into a manageable list that you can tackle in 30 days?" Stead "Take baby steps."

Begin by jotting down realistic goals. Research four museums in Thebes . Find four environmental groups that work with children. Price five rental properties in Spain . Comb your brain for every whim, wish, and wasted opportunity that's ever flashed by. As you take inventory of those dreams, patterns will appear, and the perfect sabbatical will emerge, Stead says.

Then seek out former colleagues and friends of friends who have taken sabbaticals, and listen intently as they gush. Connect with organisations that offer fellowships, and ask to speak with past participants. Hook up with groups that solicit volunteers, and begin to infiltrate their ranks. Stead recommends sparking conversations with big thinkers, not with former co-workers who will undoubtedly just want to compare job-hunting notes. When the 30 days are up, you should be ready either to launch your sabbatical or to sketch it out and save it for a better time in life.

"Think selfishly in your panic-free zone," Stead says. "Oftentimes, an incredible job walks in the door when you least expect it. Resist the temptation to jump back into work right away. Give yourself this gift of 30 days, and really use it to think only about your time and your next steps."

Compose a Good Story

Before you leave, think about your return.

Devise an elevator pitch (one minute presentation) that champions the merits of your sabbatical. If you plan to spend six months backpacking through Argentina , concentrate your story on the two weeks that you will spend working with Body Shop in Buenos Aires . If you hope to bum around the Italian Riviera all summer, bring a diary and set the goal of starting your first novel.

"Don't worry about sticking word-for-word to your story," Stead says. "Just devise a story that thrills you when you say it out loud. State the achievement first; make the steps to get you there second."

The best stories inspire envy, curiosity, and admiration while communicating some universally valued goal or ambition. They intrigue others while inspiring you. Half of that challenge lies in choosing the most provocative language.

"Harness the power of the word 'sabbatical.' Don't call it a 'leave of absence,' because that sounds like a stay at the Retreat. Don't say that you're going to figure out what you really want to do in life. That speaks of wealthy parents and no gaum. It implies that, until now, you haven't tackled anything really worthwhile. 'Sabbatical' holds a certain power and intrigue to it. It denotes a plan of action and a deliberate path."

Once you've fine-tuned your story, practice saying it out loud and putting it down on paper. Include your sabbatical at the top of your CV. Your future employers will value and appreciate a sabbatical description that suggests personal initiative, ambition, and practical experience - regardless of the destination or specific goal. Senior people at your firm will love introducing you to customers "This is Roy and he's from ICI and is World Champion Latin American Ball-Room dancer."

"Plan to return from your sabbatical in a position of power," she says. "Having a solid story in place connotes an aura of success. If you emit a winning attitude, people will perceive you as a winner."

Engage People in Your Adventure

When the pink slip stops at their mailbox, most people seek sympathy and validation from family and friends, so they compose a "Good-bye" email under the guise of passing along new contact information. Resist the temptation. Stead says that those email messages, which often solicit job leads and suggest financial woes, only succeed in making your loved ones feel guilty about not being able to help.

Instead, wait a month or two, and write an upbeat, newsy email containing exciting information about your planned sabbatical. Make your trip sound meaningful and appealing, but don't rub it in that you'll be learning to Samba in Sydney while your friends endure yet another PowerPoint presentation at work.

"Keep the email straightforward and businesslike," Stead says. "Above all, trust no one. Even if you're scared to death of embarking on a six-month sabbatical, don't confess those fears to anyone except your closest friend. Keep your outside appearance confident." Last time she was made redundant she ordered champagne and kettle crisps and had an impromptu party in her office for ALL staff.

Once you've embarked on your sabbatical, keep friends and colleagues engaged in your adventure through periodic correspondence that stresses your personal growth and social contributions. "You want people to live vicariously through you -- and you want potential employers to know that you're out there acquiring the skills they need and becoming a more fascinating person at the same time.

Plan Your Return

The most stressful aspect of taking a sabbatical may be the return to civilisation. Stead says that post sabbatical depression plagues the majority of people who return from fantastic voyages to the same old, same old. Her antidote? Begin by planning your next sabbatical immediately.

But assuming that mortgage payments and career aspirations will prevent most people from launching one sabbatical after another, Stead offers more practical advice for combating the real-world blues. First, schedule at least one week of transition time between your return home and your return to career obligations. Use that time to reorganize your life and to acclimate yourself to post-sabbatical living. "Treat yourself gently," Stead advises.

Next, commemorate the end of your sabbatical with a ceremony of your own design. Host a welcome-back party at your house to share stories and photos. Set aside one evening to reread your travel diary. Treat yourself to that bottle of Merlot you picked up in France . Somehow, achieve a feeling of closure, so you can effectively advance to the next chapter.

Finally, institute personal rituals designed to keep you in touch with the people, places, and adventures that you encountered during your sabbatical. If you worked at a newspaper in Moscow , make contact with the Russian-UK organisation in your region. If you volunteered with an environmental group in Chile , offer to write an article about your experience for the Amnesty International Web site. The greatest benefits of your sabbatical may emerge from something you do while seeking closure.

"Courage was my greatest sabbatical take-away," Stead says. "Talk of redundancies just doesn't bother me anymore. I became more resourceful during my sabbatical, and as a result, I lost my fear of the unknown. By thinking back to my days in Talinn and the risks I took there, I evoke a feeling of fearlessness and confidence that permeates my work and life. My sabbatical will never truly end."

Lost Cities Expeditions: Choquequirao

Why it's cool: Explore the famed Incan city of Machu Picchu , and journey through mountain passes and over raging rivers on a 17-day tour of Peru . Your destination: the mysterious settlement of Choquequirao, a major archaeological site that still hides historical and sociological secrets from the world.

How to spin it: Trekking ancient roads and perusing centuries-old dwellings offer important lessons in enduring value - the Incas clearly recognized the worth of institutions that are built to last!

The Bellagio Center

Why it's cool: The Rockefeller Foundation hosts month long retreats for voracious students of all varieties at the Bellagio Study and Conference Centre, located on Lake Como in northern Italy . Collaborate with colleagues from around the world, attend provocative workshops, or contribute to a team project revolving around such topics as global inclusion or creativity and culture. Use the centre's creative-energy vibes to incubate the novel, thesis, or Broadway musical that you've been meaning to develop.

How to spin it: Interacting with people from widely varied disciplines, backgrounds, and locales at the Bellagio Centre provides lessons in the power of collaboration and diversity, essential skills in the emerging global economy. The centre's resident programme requires participants to produce some sort of creative work during their stay, so you'll leave with concrete results to show prospective employers - and valuable experience completing a major project on a tight time frame.

Global Citizens Network: Arizona

Why it's cool: Live as part of the Hopi community in Arizona 's Painted Desert while working to construct a youth centre for the reservation's underserved children. During a one-week stay, the villagers of Shungopavi will introduce you to such traditional trades as basket weaving, desert farming, and jewellery design.

How to spin it: Redundancy victims can take inspiration from the Hopi people's resilience in the face of adversity. Participating in the tribe's spirit of cooperation and innovation will enhance your team-building skills and your ability to rebound from setbacks.

The Ultimate Kailas

Why it's cool: Embark on a 34-day spiritual journey through Tibetan mountain ranges, witness a Hindu full-moon festival, and take time for meditation and self-reflection at high-altitude sacred sites.

How to spin it: Sometimes perspective is the best antidote to over analysis and overreaction. An employee who can separate the truly significant from the truly mundane will help any company as it faces the turbulent times ahead.

Outward Bound Epic Mont Blanc Adventure

Why it's cool: Let the snow fields of Mont Blanc wash away your woes. On this excursion, expert guides help novices and veterans alike stay on top of some of the world's best mountain views.

How to spin it: New mountaineers demonstrate the ability and willingness to train for the job and to persist despite wipe-outs. Experts show their readiness to meet new challenges and build upon their existing skill set- even while climbing vertical walls!

International Volunteer Work Programmes: Ghana

Why it's cool: Ghana 's rain forests and savannas provide exhilarating forums for imparting and collecting business wisdom. For up to six months, help local entrepreneurs achieve financial success by leading seminars on such basics as record keeping and product marketing.

How to spin it: If your dotcom lost track of reality during the Internet boom, a refresher course on the rules of business will help get your feet back on the ground -- and in the door at a globally minded company that can use your hands-on experience at teaching strategies for success.

French Language & Cooking Institute

Why it's cool: Stay in an 18th-century chateau in the French countryside while learning the native tongue and preparing culinary delights. Language classes last for up to four weeks, and French cuisine courses require just one additional week. Family and significant others are welcome to join in the cultural immersion.

How to spin it: Your classroom is the world. Rather than sitting behind a desk with a pencil and paper, you prefer to jump right in and experiment. Take this daring attitude with you to job interviews -- along with homemade crepes or quiche -- and you're sure to feed any employer's hunger for innovation.

Saving China's Tigers

Why it's cool: In the tropical climate of southern China,  Less than 30 Chinese Tigers (South China Tigers) still exist in the wild at present and around 60 live in captivity. The Chinese Tiger is commonly believed to be the direct descendent of the ancestral tiger which originated in China two million years ago. China established the Meihuashan Chinese Tiger Rewilding & Reintroduction Center in 1998. Li Quan started seeking support for Meihuashan internationally in 1999. 

Track the tigers' behaviour, analyse their habitat, and draft a management plan to ensure their survival on this two-week environmental expedition.

How to spin it: This animal-conservation mission will teach you how to focus on the details as you monitor behaviour, examine environments, and forecast changing conditions. In short, it will sharpen your ability to observe and understand unfamiliar communities -- and to recognize monkey business in the workplace.