Should I Give Up My Job in 2023?

Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash

The year 2023 is considered to be one of the most unpredictable years since the Cold War.

Inflation in the United States is forecasted at 5% in May 2023, whereas the U.K. reported 9.3% CPIH(Consumer Prices Index) on November 2022.

At the same time, countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America are already facing difficulty maintaining their currency value against the Greenback.

Also, the Russia-Ukraine war, Global Warming, and global food shortage made it almost difficult for the world to return to the pre-pandemic stages.

What if your job is not the safest thing anymore?

Why do We Consider Jobs to be the Safest Career Path?

In the real world, your parents, relatives, and friends are the persons who influence you to choose a career path.

For instance, South Asian Parents generally used to force their children to become doctors or engineers.

But in recent times, parents are willing to make their children computer engineers due to the rise of IT and Tech sectors.

In fact, 60% of Indian Parents are ready to send their children abroad to study to get a good IT job in the U.S. or Europe.

If you look at my story, I had to go through a similar situation.

I could select nothing but a job after my graduation since my father wanted me to take any job I got.

That’s why jobs as a career option became more popular compared to creative or entrepreneurial options available(I wanted to become a musician).

How are Social Considerations Forcing You to do Jobs?

Another reason why we end up with a job is social considerations.

Whether you live in Canada or Somalia, society considers having a job is better not only for survival but also for your social reputation.

A job brings the following reputations:

• You are considered to be a better person for marriage.
• You are safe for personal loans, credit cards, and home loans.
• Older generations(Baby Boomers and Generation X) love to talk with jobholders because they can relate.
• Your parents feel proud.
• You get consistent money each month whether you work more or less.
• You get a secure retirement plan.

So what about writers, musicians, and entrepreneurs; don’t they deserve social consideration?

They actually do get better respect and earn more money than a jobholder if done right.

It’s the short-term value that makes jobs more lucrative in the eyes of your parents.

Because they don’t have all their life to get the return invested on you. At least many parents think like that.

Lies Parents Tell to their Children

Some parents are really wrong about finance, nutrition, habits, and career options.

They don’t have the time to see their children become a success as an entrepreneur or artist. So they lie.

• Lie # 1: Don’t focus on money focus on your job.
• Lie # 2: Knowledge is extremely valuable. Never share knowledge with others.
• Lie # 3: Money is a headache. Having a middle-class mindset gives you happiness.
• Lie # 4: Choose a limited-earning profession and save as much as you can for your retirement.
• Lie # 5: Work From Home is not possible.
• Lie # 6: Earning from a job is the purest form of earning. Never perform a side hustle until you are retired.
• Lie # 7: Taking a job and going to that job every day shows that you are serious about your life.
• Lie # 8: Government jobs are secure, although they pay less.
• Lie # 9: Only elders make the right decisions so just follow their lead.

Here are a few lies that my parents often say:

My Story: First Job vs. Parents

I was invited by a company looking for someone who could sell large water bottles to other B2B companies.

They offered a salary that is less than $100 each month for the position.

And the conversation between my father and me after the interview was:

Me: I am not taking the job, and I want something better to start.

Father: Join now; think later. Take this job now to show others that you got a job and are serious about life.

I know it was the biggest lie you could hear from your parents because they are thinking short term. I would’ve struggled and given up the job anyway.

So I waited for more opportunities until landing my first job ($120 per month) because my father’s words consistently bombarded me.

Guess what, it took me only three months to give up the $120 job. I wasn’t happy!

Biggest Truth: Job is all About Making Money

Though your father says you need a job for social reputation or acceptance, the biggest truth is you are doing this for money and money only.

That’s why people change their jobs frequently.

And there’s a strong correlation between job switches and salary increases.

Was Banking Job any Better?

It took me one and a half years to crack a banking job.

I desperately studied banking exams when I joined my second job.

I remember how I loved to stare at bank offices around me and thought that the people working there were lucky people.

So why a banking job? The only reason I wanted a banking job is because it pays more and has more social acceptance.

And finally, I got the bank job after so many struggling days.

Also, I was fortunate enough(never imagined) to work with the best Banking Treasury Team in my country.

For 3+ years, I was going to my job every day, commuting 3–4 hours, working 10–12 hours, and finding no peace or growth in return.

Then, something hit my mind. Should I continue doing this job or pursue one of my skills to convert it into a business?

• Strong Financial knowledge — Banking, Crypto, Personal Finance, etc.
• I can play guitar like a pro.
• I have music production skills.
• I can do research and write on finance, marketing, and other business domains.
• I am extremely good with spreadsheets.
• I cannot network like a pro, but I can improve.
• I can design digital graphics and websites.

I have the following skills under my belt:

So what do you need more?

After days of thought, I finally gave up my banking job to pursue something new.

That’s a different story.

12 Pre-Resignation Lessons I can share

1. There are more opportunities to start an online micro-business and earn more than a day job.
2. Watching free YouTube videos and reading free blogs for 30 minutes every day is enough to start your own venture.
3. You must know your strengths and weaknesses and convert strengths into skills(By watching YouTube Videos).
4. Start without any hope. If you hope to make a big impact, you will disappoint yourself.
5. No one will believe or help you when you give up the job.
6. Your family, friends, and others will make fun of you. But you will find a few true supporters along the way.
7. You must have a minimum 12-month cash back up. Things can really go wrong.
8. Start bundling a few service or product packages and try to sell them while you are on the job. For instance, you can sell writing, graphic design, or web design services, as well as crafts, jewelry, electronics, and whatnot.
9. Talk with like-minded people who have given up their job before but still doing well in their life.
10. Teach and share the skills you already have in social media, and start pitching your services using LinkedIn, Instagram, Upwork, and Fiverr.
11. Expect more work and less pay in your first 1 or 2 years, but in the 3rd year, you have to force yourself to earn more and work less.
12. Don’t take every opportunity you get but don’t give up everything on your plate. Best opportunities will come and go in time. Keep your eyes open.

Here are some of my life lessons I think you should know before resigning from your job in 2023:

Bottom Line: Is it Safe to Give Up Your Job?

So if you are not happy with your job life, the answer is to start looking for something new in 2023.

It can be a logo design gig or a web design project.

Find something you love and try to monetize with new customers.

You don’t have to give up your job to get started.

Reach out to people, talk and create social media content regularly.

Once you earn more than your day job, you can think of giving up.

In my opinion, it is better to earn $10,00 in the next five years from a business that you love to do from your home than grinding your teeth for $1 million(Fictionally) for 30 years in the job.

The lessons you will learn from $10,000 might convert into something awesome.

And when you add the free time you get after the 3rd year from your business, it is worth more than a million.

After all, you are doing the current job because some cool dude thought doing business is better than jobs and established the company that hired you.

But if you are poor at trading your skills for money, I don’t think giving up your job is a good decision.

Disclaimer: Don’t consider me responsible if you fail in your new venture. DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK.

So how do you trade skills for money? I already cracked this in 2019. Comment if you want to learn more!

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.