Am I mad to consider quitting my job...?
Discussion
Right guys, basically Ive got a pretty big decision to make over the next few months. Im 24 and currently in a pretty stable engineering job (although in the current climate I guess nothing is that certain....), and basically im thinking of upping sticks and going travelling the world for a year before I tie myself down with a mortgage etc.
When I started planning this, work were pretty certain that I could have a year off and pretty much come back to my job, but now due to employment freezes etc, I would have to resign.... and now Im thinking that the way things are with employment this might not be the best move?
I'm just after the collective advise of some wiser (read older..!!) PH'ers to give me a balanced view on this - do I go for it so that I dont regret it later on, or play it safe and hope I have the chance in later life....?
Should possibly add that I sholdnt come out of the trip with any considerable amount of debt (bar maybe excersising the overdraft a little), and that I should still have a decent deposit for a house in a savings account when I get back....
Si
When I started planning this, work were pretty certain that I could have a year off and pretty much come back to my job, but now due to employment freezes etc, I would have to resign.... and now Im thinking that the way things are with employment this might not be the best move?
I'm just after the collective advise of some wiser (read older..!!) PH'ers to give me a balanced view on this - do I go for it so that I dont regret it later on, or play it safe and hope I have the chance in later life....?
Should possibly add that I sholdnt come out of the trip with any considerable amount of debt (bar maybe excersising the overdraft a little), and that I should still have a decent deposit for a house in a savings account when I get back....
Si
Only YOU can answer your question. You're not mad though. If you went travelling for a year or even more, the world will be a different place when you come back and you may or may not find a job easily. Then again, you might not come back. It's a big world out there and you might enjoy it. I take it you're single and stuff.
On the face of it, yes, absolutely window licker mad.
However if you spend your life always carefully considering what may or may not happen, you'll ALWAYS come up with a reason why this isn't the best time to do something and put it off for a year or two. Suddenly you'll be 65 and you'll never do it.
If it's something you really what to do, go do it and enjoy it.
However if you spend your life always carefully considering what may or may not happen, you'll ALWAYS come up with a reason why this isn't the best time to do something and put it off for a year or two. Suddenly you'll be 65 and you'll never do it.
If it's something you really what to do, go do it and enjoy it.
Go and do it. You're 24, and it will only get harder every year. In a year it might be that the economy is on the up again and you'll get a job. You might find somewhere else in the world that you would rather live than the UK, or you might find something you enjoy more than engineering. Either way you're far from damning yourself to a life of poverty by taking a year out now.
Only caveat, before you hand your notice in, check to see if there's an redundancy pay out in the offing
Only caveat, before you hand your notice in, check to see if there's an redundancy pay out in the offing
AJS- Very good point there, am kind of hoping that they do announce some redundancies, that way the decision would be made for me, and I would get a nice payout to boot!
Am pretty certain its something Im going to do, if nothing else, a year of having f*** all money to play with will prepare me nicely for being equally skint when I get back......!
Slightly off topic, but has anyone on here had much experience of doing this sort of thing on thier own? Have got a couple of contacts in Oz to catch up with, but so far I'll be taking off on my own and will have to rely on meeting people along the way!
Am pretty certain its something Im going to do, if nothing else, a year of having f*** all money to play with will prepare me nicely for being equally skint when I get back......!
Slightly off topic, but has anyone on here had much experience of doing this sort of thing on thier own? Have got a couple of contacts in Oz to catch up with, but so far I'll be taking off on my own and will have to rely on meeting people along the way!
An older but not very wise PHer here...
I would say that if it is something that you really want to do, then do it. Once you are saddled with a mortgage and potentially a wife and kids, it'll be a long time before you get the opportunity again.
With regard to coming back, getting employed again and buying a house, you are skilled - at 24, presumably post apprenticeship in engineering, and potentially adaptable. If the engineering trade is dead in the water, then it would just be the case of taking something else, possibly with less earning potential initially, and renting instead of buying. If you are willing to take that consequence, then the trip is on.
That is probably not the worst possible outcome, but it is not your ideal. Like anything else in life, look at the worst possible outcome. If you can buy into that, do it. Look at it both ways too - you get your house, and do not make that trip until you are my age (providing that you do not get cleaned out a 40 by an expensive divorce on the way of course) would you be happy? Can you buy into that?
Personally, I'd do it now. You may not be in a position, or heaven forbid, even alive to do it in the future.
I would say that if it is something that you really want to do, then do it. Once you are saddled with a mortgage and potentially a wife and kids, it'll be a long time before you get the opportunity again.
With regard to coming back, getting employed again and buying a house, you are skilled - at 24, presumably post apprenticeship in engineering, and potentially adaptable. If the engineering trade is dead in the water, then it would just be the case of taking something else, possibly with less earning potential initially, and renting instead of buying. If you are willing to take that consequence, then the trip is on.
That is probably not the worst possible outcome, but it is not your ideal. Like anything else in life, look at the worst possible outcome. If you can buy into that, do it. Look at it both ways too - you get your house, and do not make that trip until you are my age (providing that you do not get cleaned out a 40 by an expensive divorce on the way of course) would you be happy? Can you buy into that?
Personally, I'd do it now. You may not be in a position, or heaven forbid, even alive to do it in the future.
hornetrider said:
cqueen said:
Yes.
So speaks a man who hasn't travelled, presumably.I say no.
Or! he could stay in his job, save up some serious holiday cash - then in a few years time, when hes considering changing job/position/companies, he can eff off to Australia, drink Fosters till his hearts content (and not have to fruit pick to survive) etc etc, then come home and go straight back where he left off.
over to you...
I'd go for it!
I never did the year travelling but wish I had.
I was a skint student who had to get a job immediately after Uni to pay my debts, then I decided to study again, then I had to immediately get a job to pay my debts.
Then I thought I'd work hard and climb the career ladder and now I'm pretty fed up with what I'm doing and would like a new career. So I might go and study again.
It's never too late to go travelling but I think it would be more fun in your early 20s. Plus it seems you've ensured you have a nest egg to fall back on if need be.
I never did the year travelling but wish I had.
I was a skint student who had to get a job immediately after Uni to pay my debts, then I decided to study again, then I had to immediately get a job to pay my debts.
Then I thought I'd work hard and climb the career ladder and now I'm pretty fed up with what I'm doing and would like a new career. So I might go and study again.
It's never too late to go travelling but I think it would be more fun in your early 20s. Plus it seems you've ensured you have a nest egg to fall back on if need be.
Go for it, a mate of mine did that years ago, ended up working as a diver on an oceanography vessel in israel! Okay he disappeared about 18 moths later whilst descending on a dive, but hey ho thats life! If it were me, i would go travelling, had the chance when i was early 20's and regretted it ever since!
51mon said:
Slightly off topic, but has anyone on here had much experience of doing this sort of thing on thier own? Have got a couple of contacts in Oz to catch up with, but so far I'll be taking off on my own and will have to rely on meeting people along the way!
My brother did this alone and met loads of friendly backpackers along the way. In fact some of them came to visit him once he got back home.He did have a couple of hairy moments in Thailand where a friend as back-up might have been good though.
Getting a working holiday visa for Australia or New Zealand is a doddle if you're under 30, but sponsorship and permanent work visas are a hassle. Go there on a WHV and see if you like it first.
I did working holidays in both, had a great time in Australia but wouldn't want to live there. I can't really rave about NZ but met some great people there and many who had moved from elsewhere and loved it. Horses for courses.
I believe Canada have a similar programme.
Otherwise, I've done a fair bit of travelling and certainly want to do more. My only advice would be get on and do it. Don't take too much stuff, don't wait until you have enough money or have got so much on your CV, because if you keep doing that you'll never do it.
Book a one way flight somewhere you fancy and go on from there.
I did working holidays in both, had a great time in Australia but wouldn't want to live there. I can't really rave about NZ but met some great people there and many who had moved from elsewhere and loved it. Horses for courses.
I believe Canada have a similar programme.
Otherwise, I've done a fair bit of travelling and certainly want to do more. My only advice would be get on and do it. Don't take too much stuff, don't wait until you have enough money or have got so much on your CV, because if you keep doing that you'll never do it.
Book a one way flight somewhere you fancy and go on from there.
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