Wanna Quit Your Job? Pack A Parachute
Hello again! Sorry that I haven’t written anything in a while… it’s been a busy several weeks. I’ll fill you in later on all the developments, but in the meantime, it’s good to be back.
I just noticed an article on Salon written by a man (David Sobel) who quit a job that he hated, only to transition to a hopeless wasteland where his ambition could find no home. The headline that caught my attention read: “I never should have followed my dreams”.
We’ve all heard the stories about people quitting their jobs in a blaze of glory, only to find success beyond their wildest imagination waiting around the corner. But I suspect that for most people, including Sobel, the thrill of quitting with zeal isn’t nearly as enjoyable or glamorous as imagined, and it could burn a bridge that may lead to another job down the road.
I don’t have any judgments about how or why Sobel quit… He hated his job and he wanted out, so he left. But it feels like there’s a giant canyon between quitting an unwanted job and ‘never should have followed my dreams’. So I share this as a teachable moment: Don’t quit without a parachute.
I use “parachute” in the context of Richard Bolles’ popular job-hunting book What Color Is Your Parachute? The book is all about finding your passion and then finding or creating a job that fits your desires. It’s an inspiring book because it forces you to figure out what you really want to do and then creatively make that your career. Without this research and planning, you may enter a hostile workforce or find yourself in another job that you don’t like.
There’s no reason why you can’t follow your dreams — in fact, you should! Just remember that you’re not alone in wanting to be more and do more, but if you’re hoping to make a career out of your passion, you’ll have to do a lot more than just quitting your job.
(h/t Salon)
JUSTIN BURTON, MBA 