Contributed by Rtr. Vivien KuahSome time in life, there will always be a query of the path you have taken. I know some of you have also gone through this and made your decisions.
Lately I have been triggered to think if I should stick to the comfort and familiarity; in addition to the satisfaction and enjoyment, of my current job and life, or listen to the advice of my parents and join them in a more rewarding (money wise - to what I think so far) yet unfamiliar business. I have been querying and fearing stepping out of my circle of comfort. Too many worries plague my thoughts.
Recently, I have been suffering from some serious financial fallback and being offered a chance to earn much more than my current income does pull a trigger. I have been in my industry for almost 2 years now, and despite my complaints and long hours at work, the job satisfaction and people I work side-by-side with everyday far outweigh my dislike of work.
These are the worries that have crossed my mind while considering whether to change fields at the moment:
Fears:
1.
Loss of freedom - I fear that working so closely with my parents will mean too much control by them over my social life. Silly as it may sound, this is one of my greatest fear, of being too protected.
2.
The fear of 'change' - I know that change is the only thing that doesn't change in one's life (do read 'Who moved my cheese'), but I have never thought of myself as a salesperson, and insurance is certainly not the easiest thing to sell.
3.
Expectations - Everyone who's been trying to encourage me to move has mentioned how lucrative the pay will be, and that the harder you work, the more rewards you'll get. But what if I do not live up to the expectations and am a lousy salesperson?
4.
Loss of close interaction with workmates - being in the creative business, I've been so used to contact with 'creative' people, i.e. mad and informal. And I needed to work closely with my colleagues, therefore creating a close bond between us. We're really like a family in the office. Will I get a culture-shock working for people who have to be decent and proper all the time? Doing sales means that you have to work independently most of the time unless with your superior, in my case most likely to be daddy dearest. Not to mention that I myself will have to look prim and proper too and cannot wear anything I want to work any longer.
5.
What if I really dislike the new job and want to get back to my current job again? I'll be way left behind and might have to start afresh.
However, there is still the benefits of changing jobs to consider:
1. Working with mummy and daddy means easier connections.
2. Money is better and faster than working up the corporate ladder step-by-step. So I'll get to do the shopping that I like and not worry about not having the money to pay for them.
3. I still don't have to go to work at 8a.m. (I hope)
I've mentioned to my parents to give me a few more years to enjoy my life as I really think that I might join them one day and not enjoy it then. But will it be even more difficult to fallback when I've gone that much further? And will I only be wasting my time now since I'm thinking of moving away from the industry anyway? But I've been thinking that if my pay increases (I know colleagues who earn quite a lot) and I don't need to worry about the money anymore, will I still want to move? Not likely.
So should I just try it out now and if it really doesn't work out for me, come back to advertising business again. Also, being in the lower level of the ladder means easier entry back.
I think I shall give myself another few months and see how things go in my current job before making my decision. Though some advice from those of you who are more experienced will be helpful.
Labels: Opinion
