Just another story about quitting corporate job… or is it?
Even though I haven’t really left the cubicle life, for some reason I am much happier now than I was 2 years ago. You can find a lot of articles written by people that left their corporate jobs to fulfill their dreams and either spectacularly succeeded or drastically failed. Reading those on company PC, glancing over your shoulder to check if anybody’s looking, you probably think to yourself — it all sounds great, but is it worth the risk?
The answer is not that simple. Unless you have a family to provide for, a mortgage to pay or any other reason barring you from taking financial risks, you should definitely quit a job that you don’t like. Changing your career path does not always require impetuous decisions. It should be a well thought-through, planned and gradual process. You may use your current job that you are not so fond of as a leverage. I would like to share my story, which I hope can give you some inspiration.
September 16th, 2013 is an important date in my life. It was the graduation day of my second bachelor major and the first day in a real, full time job. In the beginning of the last year of my Master’s degree, I decided to work full time in parallel to my studies. I began my career in the same way as many other fresh graduates in Krakow — working for an outsourcing company. Private healthcare, decent salary and a full time permanent employment contract — something that a lot of students are aiming for. Graduating in very general field (International Management), I had wide range of possibilities and tough decisions to make. I could try my luck in different fields, such as HR, Marketing or Finances. I wasn’t sure which one should I choose at the time, but the best job offer came from the HR field. I actually started to think about which direction I could develop my career in this company, even though I was not very enthusiastic about the job. I wanted to settle for what I had. But I didn’t.
After around two months in my new job, I started thinking about a change. Since it was my last year in college and I knew I didn’t want to stay in that company, I got an idea on how I could use my fading student status. I decided to do something that would help me clear my mind and think about what I want to do after graduation. I found just a perfect place for that. I decided to spend my last student summer in Yellowstone National Park on the work & travel program. So, I started to save most of my corporate salary to finance my dream of a kitchen job on the other side of the globe. Even though I knew that I’m leaving a stable desk job to cut vegetables or wash dishes, I was the happiest person in the office when I handed in my notice and announced who will be my new employer. I think that serving and preparing food for other people is one of the noblest businesses you can find yourself in. It was a second time I worked in the kitchen in the US and opening my own restaurant remains my goal for the future. At the time, however, it didn’t seem like a great career move. I still remember when I told my college friends about my decision and heard, “Quitting a job like that? You know how hard it is on the job market? You’ll come back and work at McDonald’s!” They couldn’t be more wrong…
Working in Yellowstone was definitely the summer of my life. I met great people, explored the magnificent park and other parts of US I had always wanted to visit. I learned a lot about myself and other people. It was a life-changing experience for me. Moreover, Yellowstone turned out to be a great professional decision. I worked in the kitchen at the beginning but after a few weeks the Office Assistant position became available and I proved myself enough to get it. One of my main tasks was payroll-related, so my previous experience definitely came in handy.
Working in Yellowstone was not only a great, life-changing decision but also an experience that stood out in my resume. After I came back to Poland, I did not have to wait long until I got the first job offers. I was offered an internship in a Project Management Office for a big investment bank but I was more excited about the assessment center I was invited for. It was a tough decision, but I decided to turn down a decent offer for a chance of getting a much better one. It soon turned out to be a great call. I met my interviewer at a job fair a couple days later where he told me that the offer still stands if I don’t get the other job!
Despite not having a tech background, I decided to apply for an IT management graduate program. They were looking for candidates that stood out from the crowd, spoke fluent English, knew a thing or two about Project Management and had a “global mindset and desire for an international career”. After a short but challenging recruitment process, I was invited for a final interview. I had to prepare a presentation on the topic I knew nothing about: “How IT will influence the electrical branch in the next few years.” I did a little research, talked to some people and prepared a presentation that was good enough to land me that position.
I got a call from HR with a job offer and when I accepted, they told me that I’m going to Switzerland next Sunday and I have to come to the office to sign the contract on Friday (it was Wednesday the same week). I spent one week in Zurich, Switzerland getting to know the other trainees and the company itself. After that, I came back to Krakow and started my first assignment. Half a year later, I was moving to Zurich to work in a huge global project for a six months. That was also when I had to decide about my last, year long assignment. Thinking back about the great time I had in the US, I felt that there was still much more to experience there. Lucky for me, this came together perfectly with my professional goals. I decided to continue my trainee program in Atlanta, GA and I’m working here now as a project manager. I’ve been here for a little more than a month, but I’ve been to two NBA games and saw Kobe Bryant‘s last game in Atlanta, enjoyed the live stand-up of my favorite comedian - legendary Norm MacDonald, experienced my first Thanksgiving with Yellowstone friends and planned so many other things to do and see before the end of the program. Next month, I’m going to spend a weekend in New Orleans at Mardi Gras.
You are probably asking yourself why am I sharing this with you. Everyday, I’m learning something new about IT. A field that I hadn’t even considered before. Yet, I’m working as a project manager, which is a position that I thought a lot about during my studies and had some experience in. This is just the beginning of a journey and I don’t know what’s coming next, but I’m already excited for it!
I just wanted to show you that it does not always take a huge risk to change your life and make your dreams come true, a small pivot can go a long way. Sometimes it pays off to take a step back, think about the future, but also have some fun. Settling for the safest, most available option can be miserable, but you don’t necessarily have to throw your whole career away either. Internet is full of success stories of people who made dramatic changes which ultimately paid off, but you’re not gonna hear about the ones who tried and failed (and there’s much more of them).
It may not be the greatest example to follow, but I will leave you with a great quote from the classic movie Scarface.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHaOJclkYlk&ab_channel=MovieNews
Manny: “I say, be happy with what you got.”
Tony: “You be happy. Me, I want what’s coming to me.”
Manny: “Oh, well what’s coming to you, Tony?”
Tony: “The world, Chico, …And everything in it.”
