Exploring the sabbatical or other leave as a means of energizing a career

Library Trends, Spring, 2002 by Marlis Hubbard

ABSTRACT

THIS ARTICLE CHALLENGES LIBRARIANS to create leaves that will not only inspire professional growth but also renewal. It presents a framework for developing a successful leave, incorporating useful advice from librarians at Concordia University (Montreal). As food for thought, the author offers examples of specific options meant to encourage professionals to explore their own creative ideas. Finally, a central theme of this article is that a midlife leave provides one with the perfect opportunity to take stock of oneself in order to define future career directions.

Midlife is a time when rebel forces, feisty protestors from within, often insist on being heard. It is a time, in other words, when professionals often long to break loose from the stress "to do far more, in less time" (Barner, 1994, p. 4). Escaping from current job constraints into a world of creative endeavor, when well-executed, is a superb means of invigorating a career stuck in gear and discovering a fresh perspective from which to view one's profession.

To ignite renewal, midcareer is the perfect time to grant one's imagination free reign. Daydreaming about the many compelling leave options, not confining oneself to study and research, in itself is often wondrously energizing. To achieve a truly enriching experience, combining more contemplative tasks with those that add another dimension is especially rejuvenating.

Creating a successful leave so that one returns to work truly revived, furthermore, is more likely when professionals plan conscientiously and far in advance. Such preparation includes becoming familiar with the culture of one's institution, selecting inspiring projects, negotiating a leave conducive to personal reward, and producing a good balance of activities. Moreover, to profit most from a leave, one should take a prolonged look at how one's career is progressing and what type of project will maximize one's career goals.

PRELIMINARY MATTERS

Taking Stock at Midlife

Job success demands that professionals keep a jaunty pace while acquiring skills needed for the workplace of the twenty-first century. Mastering new technologies and other developments in the field also promotes job satisfaction and enhances leadership skills. As stated by Ronald L. Krannich (1997): "Overall, success in tomorrow's job market will require a new breed of worker who anticipates, prepares, and eagerly adapts to change. Such individuals prepare for career transitions by acquiring new skills and actively seeking new work environments" (p.26).

Taking stock of abilities, then, should be done regularly throughout a career. Certainly midlife is ideal for determining if proficiencies are serving one well with respect to ultimate career goals, whether these include advancement or lateral moves. Skills to be evaluated include not only those that are traditionally associated with the field but also skills like teamworking, networking, and leadership--that is, professional and personal competencies such as those outlined by the Special Libraries Association in Competencies for Special Librarians of the 21st Century (http://www.sla.org/ content/SLA/professional/meaning/comp.cfm).

The sabbatical, furthermore, is for some an ideal time for test-driving alternative careers providing as it does occasions for applying skills to fields like editing, fundraising, natural language translation, publishing, and marketing (Sellen, 1997). Applying library skills to nontraditional settings such as online information services, computer graphics, or Internet-content management might be appealing to some professionals. Moreover, trying out problem-solving skills in consulting, entrepreneurial, or other endeavors while currently employed is a prudent course of action to be sure. Even for the professional not desiring a job change, doing a stint in a completely different milieu provides a stimulating frame of reference from which to view one's present job.

A valuable offshoot of a leave, then, is taking stock of one's mission in order to define future career directions. This can be done alone or with a mentor or counselor and should include the thoughtful analysis of one's values, personality, and interests to see if they match one's current objectives. "Through self-exploration you will begin to see how capable you are, how much more is possible for you, and how wonderful you are and could become on the road to success" (Michelozzi, 2000, p. 12).

Getting Organized

After taking stock of skills and current career objectives, the information professional is better equipped to weave together the threads of a well-designed leave. This obviously demands earnest concentration on many, sometimes laborious, details. Responding to a call for papers or submitting a grant proposal, for example, requires that deadline dates be observed. As stated by Lynda Cronin (2000), author of Midlife Runaway: A Grown Ups' Guide to Taking a Year Off, who took a travel leave with her husband: "We're off! After three years of wishing and hoping and thinking and praying and planning, we have finally set out on our great adventure" (p. 15).