UK Recruitment Glossary
Career Break
In recruiter context
Different from a sabbatical (usually shorter and offered as a benefit) and different from redundancy (involuntary). I've placed candidates returning from breaks for caring duties, travel, mental health, retraining, and starting a business that didn't pan out. None of those reasons end a career. The framing on your CV matters more than the reason: one line — "Career break: caring for elderly parent, 2023-2024" — beats burying it. Some UK employers run formal returnship programmes for breaks of 2+ years; worth looking at if you're re-entering.
Related terms
Reference Check
A call or written enquiry the employer makes to confirm your past employment and performance.
Umbrella Company
A UK payroll intermediary that employs contractors on behalf of an end-client.
Counter-Offer
When you resign and your current employer offers a raise, promotion, or new title to make you stay.
Job Share
Two people sharing one full-time UK role, each working part of the week — common in healthcare, civi…