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Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

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Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#51

Post by pinchyfingers »

Working to build another person's dream is okay if you believe in the dream. If work provides challenges that are personally rewarding then being an employee is a good proposition.

Good employers are inspiring and they respect the needs of their employees. I would never want to employ a person simply for their utility as capital. Business value does come first when choosing to employ someone, but with the spectrum of choices available to employees in the United States, an employer should offer opportunities for personal growth.

Employment with meaningful challenges is a decent alternative to self-employment.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#52

Post by kscaldef »

philk wrote: post #14
TomOfTTB wrote: post #2

I don't know. This seems stupid to me. I'm all for chasing your dream when you have an actual dream to chase. But to quit a good job that pays well just to randomly walk around and try to figure out what you want to do doesn't seem wise to me. It seems much wiser to wait till you have an idea that you want to pursue and then quit. That way you have more resources to devote to the idea that you're actually dedicated t…

Never underestimate the addictiveness of a good job and a regular paycheck. It's very easy to get busy and have years fly by before you know it.

You say it as if a "good job and a regular paycheck" is a bad thing, rather than something that most of the population would be happy to have.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#53

Post by bpyne »

ulrich wrote: post #32
quan wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently quit my high-paying job, in fact, today is my last day, and "randomly walk around" is exactly what I'm going to do. For most of my 27 years, I've been trying to do the "wise" thing by getting good grades, graduating from a good college, working at a good job, finishing my master, etc. For once, I want to be foolish. My number 1 reason for quitting is I want to get off the addiction of the constant paycheck…

So you are 27 years old (same as me)?! For how long have you been working now? I'm asking, because I am also thinking about when to quit my current job and what to do next. What holds me back are just two things. First, its the paragliding course I already paid for but didn't finish yet. And second its the feeling that leaving my job would be too early right now. I have been promoted as teamleader just one year after…

I'd like to re-enforce that life passes quickly. Higher hurdles develop as the years pass so that simply leaving a job without a plan has higher costs. Once you "settle down" you have to consider how to pay the mortgage, keep health benefits for your child(ren), and provide for your family if something happens to you. As you move closer to 50, your retirement becomes a factor in simply quitting your job.

Settling down was NEVER a consideration for me until I met my wife sometime around when I turned 31. I thought that I would always have plenty of time to change careers, explore interests, etc. (How wrong I was.)

It sounds like we're both fortunate enough to live in cultures in which changing careers and pursuing interests is a possibility. Don't dally! You can always take up paragliding again. You can always be a team lead again. Time you can't get back.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#54

Post by potatolicious »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #45
potatolicious wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like a sledgehammer + fly situation. If your job is taking too much out of your spare time and creativity, perhaps the solution is to work less (or work on something less draining), as opposed to calling it quits altogether. I've never seen entrepreneurship as a means to escape a tedious, loathsome working life - it is a means to achieve my dreams, not a refuge from boredom. IMHO if you're striking out on your…

Sounds like rationalizing your addiction. Sometimes the fly will only die if hit with a sledgehammer.

I wish this attitude weren't so prevalent on HN - no offense to you, but do you know how pretentious that sounds?

People who enjoy working a rewarding job are "rationalizing their addiction"?

[edit] Specifically, I object to the false polarization of this topic: working a job means bowing to The Man, working on boring crap with stupid bosses, and other such nonsense. It does a disservice to both people who work at a job, and people who are in business for themselves by generating false expectations.

Entrepreneurship is not a silver bullet to your boredom, nor is it a guaranteed ticket to working only on things you love. Nor is employment a silver bullet solution to stability and consistency. This polarized portrayal of either side really just adds noise to the discussion.

tl;dr: Working at a job doesn't mean you don't work on things you are passionate about. Working for yourself doesn't mean you get to avoid all the tedium you used to deal with on the job.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#58

Post by presidentender »

steveklabnik wrote: post #37
quan wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently quit my high-paying job, in fact, today is my last day, and "randomly walk around" is exactly what I'm going to do. For most of my 27 years, I've been trying to do the "wise" thing by getting good grades, graduating from a good college, working at a good job, finishing my master, etc. For once, I want to be foolish. My number 1 reason for quitting is I want to get off the addiction of the constant paycheck…

> My number 1 reason for quitting is I want to get off the addiction of the constant paychecks. This is interesting... it reminds me of what I tell people when they ask if I'm going to finish college. I can count the classes I'm missing on one hand, so I often get asked when I'm going back, and they're shocked when I say I'm not. Basically, at this point, a degree will only stop me from getting boring, corporate jobs…

That sounds to me like rationalization, not reasoning, I have to admit.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#59

Post by wyclif »

RyanMcGreal wrote: post #25

Off-topic: the NYTimes-style snap-out link recommendation was really distracting - and not in a good way.

Me too. My exact thought was, "this is a personal blog, not the NYT." It put a dent in the initial impression I had of the blog as handrolled.

Re: Why I Quit A Six Figure Job

#60

Post by thecircusb0y »

xaviershay wrote: post #8
shykes wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That way you have more resources to devote to the idea that you're actually dedicated to. Sometimes the scarce resource is not money, but free time and mental availability. "Randomly walking around" could increase his chances of bumping into a hidden opportunity. I say go for it.

Exactly. I suspect you can't find a dream sitting at a desk. I have plenty of savings, and plenty of earning potential - if I really get stuck (I don't believe likely) I can always pick up another job. Money is a means, not an end.

Cannot money be a means to the end to justify the beginning? I work to pay off my student loans. I think that when my student loans are paid off, and my expenses are significantly lower, I can relieve myself of my job security and either relocate/travel and become a consultant/contractor maybe pursue a more fulfilling job.
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