Forked path in life
Contributed by Rtr. Vivien Kuah
Some 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.
Some 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
posted by Feldman at 8:49 am
9 Comments:
Hi Vivien,
Word of advice: Money may be the most motivating factor in any job..
But based on my experience,working in my ex-company although given a better compensation package (than my current company) did not give me the lasting job satisfaction.
Doing what you like most is better, and then the money thingy will come later
You may need to consider the first question of "What is motivating you to think what you're currently thinking".... I'm not sure if you've discovered about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. It's worth a read. Go google it.
At this stage of life, I believe you're working or having a job
is to earn your living. But how much one needs to live differs from one to another. Chasing for $$$ or material wealth is prompted by society because it's a more measurable means compared to emotional, spiritual and well-being wealth.
Sure we should always strive to improve our financial standing to cope or exceed current living demands. But, the nature of us beings is the desire to want more than what we need.
Remember.... We can have the best of both worlds. In return for something we are about to receive, we may well be prepared to lose something we already have.
Typo correction - "We can't have the best of both worlds"
Any extra earnings, u are always welcome to make contributions to RAC Pklg..
hehe..
Treasurer
Any extra no need to write this article already la! :)
Anyway anonymous great advice! Care to identify yourself? :P
Hahaha...yeah, I might need donations from our club's funds already la, barely enough money to pay club fees already...LOL
Thank you all for your advice. Get's me thinking clearer now...
Anonymous would rather stay anonymous. That's the intention in the first place; and there's a good reason Blogger gives commentators a choice to be Anonymous ;-) Thanks, IPP Feldman for the commendation.
Dear Vivien,
I remember the day I was caught in this "juncture" of life and being a young and naive 22 year old, it was a real tough decision to make.
I was in the juncture of a dream and a REAL life offer. A dream I know many would have dreamt of but do not have many oppotunity in making it. A REAL life offer - RM15,000.00 a month with all lodging provided and a 4 month bonus minimum. What would you have chosen?
Well, i guess it is not a question of what would one have chosen. But rather what one wants in life. Simple questions such as "What do we want in life?" is often diverted when it our inner voice speak to us and asked us that question. Often enough, we took it for granted that we knew the answer to that question. We do! Trust me - all of us do. But in reality, we do not dare to answer or sometimes we just do not bother addressing it.
With the choices at hand, this young and naive 22 year old chose his dream. A dream to build an "empire". A dream to be able to contribute his bit in making this world a much more better place. A dream to own a business.
I remember telling my parents when i first started - that i am choosing this path not for the money. Err...yea..one might think that i'm just being naive. But, as naive as this young 22 year old (at that time) can be, this statement of truth lasted till today and still stand strong. Today, of the things I do and chase, it is not for the money. It is a dream, a self-satisfaction and a goal which I am determine to achieve. MONEY has become a "bonus" factor.
And yes. You might ask then - who am I working with. I am working with my parents. My first business was with a group of friends which later turned out to be "not-that-advisable". Greed took over and people change. However, 8 months into this change, I shall admit that I am proud to be associated with my parents in this business. No, they did not have the business then. But when I started the new setup, I approached them and get them involved. Today, life is different. Things are far off so much better. I admit i was afraid then. Afraid of loss of freedom, afraid of change, afriad of expectations and of coz afraid of the What Ifs.
I guess Doing What You Enjoy Most is vital. Notice I am not saying it is the most important. There are indeed many factors in life which we need to consider. However, prioritizing what you enjoy doing should come into the picture first. Afterall, at the end of the day, it is What You Want In Life, right?
And yes, I have to agree with what Anonymous said, "Nothing comes for free.." We can't be having the best of both worlds.
I guess nobody could really tell you what to do. I have a life principal which I don't mind sharing it with you. "Do not listen to advice. Just hear". Y'know what I'm saying? The best advice is always your own advice. That's because it comes from the heart. The pure and true heart of yours which will always tell you the truth. Make your own decisions and stand by it. When you fail, claim responsibility for it. When you succeed, do not forget to share. Follow your heart - be sincere and it will take you to where you want to go.
Of all that I've said, today money is a smooth stream. That's not because I earn fast money. But i shall confidently say it is because of the things that i enjoy doing, and of coz the hardwork. Do not focus only on the money. Because when you do that, you will only fall into the desperation of it and will not be focused on what you're actually supposed to do. Even if you change industry, as long as the desperation mindset sticks there, it is more than often quite difficult to solve the issue at hand.
All the best to you. Financial fallbacks are just a part of life and growing up. I was once there. But I took it as a small part of life and made it even smaller - just by not frustrating over it all the time.
I did not, however, regret not choosing the RM15,000.00 per month offer.
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