"I would say the smarter approach is to figure out why you’re unhappy or unsatisfied with your current role or company, then make a plan to improve your situation,” said Vida Thomson, the founder at Flourish Career Consulting. “Maybe you feel unappreciated by your current boss and you don’t think this will ever change – then you might need to look for a new role. Or, if you’re burned out, you need to evaluate the situation and work with your manager to identify a solution that will help you maintain the appropriate work-life balance.”

"Vida Thomson, founder of Flourish Career Consulting in Vancouver, says her clients who have taken a break assessed what wasn’t working in their last job, what they weren’t enjoying about their life and then found something they will enjoy.

“When you’re not happy, your engagement tends to go down,” she says. “Engagement is a huge advantage for employers. Employees are more productive and it’s just a more interesting place to work.”

She says the new LinkedIn profile “career break” option highlights the broader acceptance of career breaks."

One of the top deciding factors for hiring candidates is determining who among them is the perfect match for the company. That’s why one of the most common interview questions you may encounter is, “What are you looking for in your next job?” This is an excellent opportunity to show the employer that their company is the perfect match for you!

Here’s how to best answer this interview question, as discussed by experts.

Are you ready to get back into the professional world after time away? Whether you’ve been out of the workplace for years to raise children, or a few months to help care for an ill relative, getting back to work can be intimidating.

One way to ease the stress of the job-search process is to make sure that your resume is in tip-top shape. Here’s how to make sure that your resume is seen, and accurately represents your skills.

The shame of needing help is still a challenge even as millennials change the way people look at and think about mental health. A recent survey found 79% of employers indicated they offer an EAP, however, it remains an underused benefit. Most employees fear their employer or manager would receive feedback from the program putting their job in jeopardy due to them needing assistance.

Vida Thompson, career coach at Flourish Career Consulting, explained “confidentiality is an extremely important part of how the EAP operates"...

Your Workplace Magazine

When the holidays hit the workplace, HR professionals need to ensure morale stays high and the annual festivities roll along smoothly
No matter the company, the months of November and December always challenge HR executives and office managers. Not only do employees need time off, but company morale might sag, and then there’s the annual get-together requiring many balls to be juggled, many considerations to take seriously...

Your Workplace Magazine

It’s happening in your workplace and your people are suffering. What are you doing about it?
Several years ago, when Vida Thomson worked in the HR department of a Canadian engineering company...

What should you do if an unqualified friend or family member asks you to be a job reference? Showbiz Cheat Sheet chatted with Vida Thomson, founder and consultant at Flourish Career Consulting. Here’s what she said....