The Business Times has recently interviewed our CEO, Declan O’Sullivan, on a trend that has become increasingly apparent: more corporate high flyers are seeing the wisdom of a sabbatical or “transitioning”.
We have seen more and more professionals taking time off to take stock at the halfway point of their career lives, to backpack, grow grapes or even opt for a monastic sojourn.
According to Declan O’Sullivan, there is that proverbial burnout among high-achievers, but it’s also a case of having more choices in life these days. More people are now willing to explore choices instead of sticking to a singular career track. Back in 2001, Declan O’Sullivan himself had taken off to a Japanese monastery for five months, and took a two-year break in total before he started his own company, Kerry Consulting, in 2004.
As a headhunter, Declan advises people on their careers. He does see people who are concerned about change and feels that this can be a limiting factor. “Any change can be for the better or worse . . . it’s a gamble. On the other hand, life in general is a gamble, and often the biggest mistake is to think one should do the safe thing and do nothing. A very good strategy to have life pass one by!”