How'd it Go?
I'll do an update post ;-) Some unexpected events took place, but all in all, it went well.
Tell HN: I think I'm quitting my job today
91–100 of 102 posts
Re: Tell HN: I think I'm quitting my job today
#92Dude, quit your job and move to Thailand (or some other cheap place) while you work on your web businesses. The cost of living there is super cheap so your daily expenses will be low and your savings will last longer. Plus, you'll get a chance to explore the world. It's not nearly as hard as people think. Good luck. Here's a good article that discusses this idea: http://www.expatsoftware.com/articles/2008/05/laid-off…
I've read the original post, and this is something I've given serious thought to. Is there a good health insurance solution though?
Over there, health care in general is super cheap (compared to the USA), and there are plenty of good hospitals/dentists/etc. in Bangkok. I'd bet they're good and cheap in Phuket too. You could probably even pay cash for services like annual dental and vision checkups.
I've signed up with WorldNomads.com for general accident insurance. I've never gotten sick or hurt so I can't personally vouch for the claim process. However, they're recommended by Lonely Planet and a bunch of other notable travel sites. They're worth checking out.
Also you could check out the Lonely Planet message boards too.
Re: Tell HN: I think I'm quitting my job today
#93If you love what you're doing, the "economic conditions" won't matter, and it turns out that ramen tastes a lot better when you're happy.
Re: Tell HN: I think I'm quitting my job today
#94I would build up more savings - two months of expenses isn't much.
Re: Tell HN: I think I'm quitting my job today
#95I quit my job with a baby on the way, 20 months ago. In that time, the economy has tanked, so even if I wanted to go back to work, I wouldn't be able to find one anywhere near my old salary. Am I sorry? No. I'm still very, very happy I had the guts to take the plunge and do it. The fear of not having a steady paycheck is much worse than the reality. Now that I know that, even if I do get another job, it won't have th…
I agree that there is certainly much more to learn. However, I feel that running my own few companies over the past 6 years (on the side) has taught me much more (and much more quickly) than employment has to teach. My recent elevator pitch contest wins and entrepreneur of the year award are also good motivation for me to go ahead and take the plunge. I think it's time for me to have as much confidence in myself as o…
OK. That's fine. I wasn't really thinking about learning business things. I was thinking about learning engineering things, since you said you were ME and EE. Or are you going to bail on all that knowledge and just do software? If not, how many trips to China has your company sent you on? None? Your next one will. It's truly amazing to go over there and learn what really motivated and organized people can accomplish (with $100 per week wages)
How many times have the products you designed shown up on store shelves in multiple countries? Every country has different regulations you have to conform to, and knowing what those are will come in handy for your own company. Stay with a big company a while to learn the hoops to jump through to get your compliance certifications in Japan, EU, Canada, Australia, etc.
Anyway, good luck with your decision.
Re: Tell HN: I think I'm quitting my job today
#96If it is the discontent with the current job that's driving you to quit the job, it may be better to try and get another job where you think you will get a better deal and probably like the work more than you do in the current company.
You can always start a startup in any environment. You may not be able to get the job you want if the market is not good.
Save enough to be able to live at least for an year or two without the regular paychecks from a salary, before thinking of quitting your current job.
If the work you plan to do after quitting the job is really interesting to you, you could always do it on the side while doing another job.
Re: Tell HN: I think I'm quitting my job today
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree. Add in that his old job was not that enjoyable anyway.
My job is pretty depressing and very boring. They also have a hiring freeze in place. My job is very secure because I do things for the company that requires a skill that isn't easy to find. Unfortunately however I have no college degree. I got lucky landing this job straight out of high school and even though I'm pushing 5 years of experience from this job I really doubt I could easily find another one outside of re…
Just out of curiosity, what is this skill?
I ask because I have a couple knacks that are hyper-rare in programmers, (In my experience) but I'm having a terrible time capitalizing on them.
Re: Tell HN: I think I'm quitting my job today
#98I was on the exact same situation last year (except, my job was great but it just me that always want to do my own startup). Therefore, i can understand what you meant by "depression" on working in something that you feel is not for you.
Anyway, my experience is, just do it (especially you have few months savings)!! Sure, day-by-day is very unexpected and you never know if you will ever have enough money to survive. But, oh man...life become much more exciting and all of a sudden the proverb "do what you'll love and you'll never work another day" become very true. It's become very fun and enjoyable experience even though times are tougher and you work much harder.
A bit of tips, just be prepared for the emotional roller-coaster.
Re: Tell HN: I think I'm quitting my job today
#99A definite Yes. I was laid off from a tech support job, so I began my consulting career. This was 1990. I not only survived the dot.com bust, I thrived. Following your heart while satisfying a customer base is a great recipe for success.
I also think it is better not having regrets about the changes I could have made...
Re: Tell HN: I think I'm quitting my job today
#100Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree that there is certainly much more to learn. However, I feel that running my own few companies over the past 6 years (on the side) has taught me much more (and much more quickly) than employment has to teach. My recent elevator pitch contest wins and entrepreneur of the year award are also good motivation for me to go ahead and take the plunge. I think it's time for me to have as much confidence in myself as o…
OK. That's fine. I wasn't really thinking about learning business things. I was thinking about learning engineering things, since you said you were ME and EE. Or are you going to bail on all that knowledge and just do software? If not, how many trips to China has your company sent you on? None? Your next one will. It's truly amazing to go over there and learn what really motivated and organized people can accomplish…
Ah yes, very good point. Only been overseas a couple times. Though some of the designs I've worked on have probably ended up in the very car you're driving. I've been in the industry for about 6 years total now (on and off, so really maybe 3.5 years solid).
I don't think you can ever bail on all the knowledge you've acquired, but it can easily be applied to other areas outside of engineering.
It sounds like you definitely know your stuff and continue to enjoy the passion for engineering that I lost a while back. I'd much rather depend on products designed by someone with your enthusiasm than those designed by the majority of people I know who are just going through the motions. Good luck in your career!