The following post originally appeared on the Jobipedia blog and is being shared with permission from the site. 
“No calls. No emails. No meetings. Just me and the horizon. I’m so glad I took the day off.”
Vacation time can be a difficult subject to deal with in the workplace. Most companies have a set amount of paid time off based on various elements that designate a person’s ‘right’ to more or less vacation. Other organizations famously have no limit on vacation time. No matter what your corporate culture is like, navigating time off can be difficult. While vacation can be refreshing and life giving, it also takes you out of the office and makes you unavailable. We wanted to know based on our expert’s experience and expertise how best to utilize your allotted time each year.
Can you take a vacation within the first 6 months on the job?
Megan from ADM said in response, “If you already had a vacation booked or know that you will need a particular day off, it is usually negotiable with your manager but it also depends on the company policy. It is valuable for you to be in the office especially if you are learning a new position, but most managers understand that things do come up or a vacation may have been scheduled before you took the position.”
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Is using vacation time valuable to my career or should I work more and take less time off?
An expert from Mutual of Omaha, Kacie, said, “Taking time off is not a negative thing and can increase an employees productivity upon their return. Each company is different, so I would be sure to have open communication with your manager and ask what is expected as far as time off, especially in the starting months.”
Dana from ManpowerGroup answered with this very insightful response, “I would take all of the PTO you are given. If you get three weeks a year, take all three weeks. It’s important for you to have that balance, and establish this as a priority for your wellbeing. The only cautionary note would be to make sure you are not taking it all at once (unless they’ve told you this is OK), or during a “high season” when a lot of senior employees are off. You may need to be strategic about when you use your vacation time, to ensure adequate coverage for your team.”
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Jobipedia.org is a free career advice website that was developed specifically for entry-level job seekers. The website offers unparalleled access to hiring and recruiting managers from Fortune 500 companies. Our contributing hiring experts personally write every answer to user-submitted questions. Their advice is invaluable because they interact with prospective hires on a daily basis, review resumes, conduct interviews and are involved in the process of deciding which candidates to hire.
We want to hear from you! What do you think? Do you take all of your PTO days? How to you make the most out of your vacation time?