A completely fresh start
Discussion
Having just reached 10 years working as a graphic designer, I've been wondering about what to do recently. Having thoughts recently about doing something drastic like a complete career change...perhaps wait for the house market to improve and sell the flat and car, pocket the cash and with no family commitments just pick a random place and explore the world...
anyone here has done something similar recently?
anyone here has done something similar recently?
amare32 said:
Having just reached 10 years working as a graphic designer, I've been wondering about what to do recently. Having thoughts recently about doing something drastic like a complete career change...perhaps wait for the house market to improve and sell the flat and car, pocket the cash and with no family commitments just pick a random place and explore the world...
anyone here has done something similar recently?
Not done it...but I, like you are now, have considered it .anyone here has done something similar recently?
When I was 21, after having worked a few years in bars, during which I also worked couple of years in IT concurrently, I decided to jack it all in and travel. I did this with the veiw of starting something completely new when I returned, fresh afer a year away seeing the world.
So, I sold practically everything I owned (literally), put the rest in a bag, and buggered off.
A year later I was back after a fantastic trip...and ended up straight back at the IT company I had left. Been there ever since. 13 bloody years now!
Dont make the mistake I did.
So, I sold practically everything I owned (literally), put the rest in a bag, and buggered off.
A year later I was back after a fantastic trip...and ended up straight back at the IT company I had left. Been there ever since. 13 bloody years now!
Dont make the mistake I did.
If I were to up sticks there's a high chance I won't be back. Whenever I go anywhere for long holidays I never miss anything in the UK. I have a skill that's transferable - fluent in a few different languages. Don't want to be 41 in 10 years time thinking damn had a chance to do something different but still here in the UK.
I reckon do it matey.
Friend of mine had a fantastic job with a big american company. Big salary, big car allowance, company credit card etc etc. Took a year sabbatical as they promised to keep his job open. Went away & had a whale of a time. When he came back, he realised what he had was not what he wanted. He now lives in NZ, has a lovely wife & kid and earns about 20% of what he did before working for an extreme sports company but loving every minute of it.
You're only 31 - worst case you hate it & have to come back in 5 years. You'll still only be 36 but still fluent in languages & still have a trade as a graphic designer but 5 years you'll never forget behind you.
Send us a postcard
Friend of mine had a fantastic job with a big american company. Big salary, big car allowance, company credit card etc etc. Took a year sabbatical as they promised to keep his job open. Went away & had a whale of a time. When he came back, he realised what he had was not what he wanted. He now lives in NZ, has a lovely wife & kid and earns about 20% of what he did before working for an extreme sports company but loving every minute of it.
You're only 31 - worst case you hate it & have to come back in 5 years. You'll still only be 36 but still fluent in languages & still have a trade as a graphic designer but 5 years you'll never forget behind you.
Send us a postcard
Steamer said:
Yep just as i was guessing - early 30's....
...it will pass, for a while, then crop up again... and again....
...it will pass, for a while, then crop up again... and again....
There is nothing like working in a different country with a different culture to experience a place. Going on holiday or backpacking just isn't the same - you don't interact with the locals you interact with other travellers.
So get a visa and go work in Australia, or the US, Canada, New Zealand etc.
I managed the first two. Still came back to blighty in the end but I thoroughly enjoyed the years abroad. DO IT.
I lost a job I loved at 30, and disappeared round the world for a change. Whilst away I realised I really could reinvent myself on my return. I came back with supreme confidence in myself and blagged a great job in a different field. Still reckon the travelling was the best thing I ever did. Might even get round to trying to publish my travel diary one day, which is very funny (even if I do say so myself!).
Definitely do the crazy stuff now while you have no real commitments or family you need to consider.
I've probably spent 10 years in web design all up, I have done the working overseas and travel thing in that time (4 years worth). But earlier this year I was waiting around for a second interview for yet another boring job to do websites for this incredibly dull textile company and had this epiphany, is this it? In another 10 years time do I want to look back and all I've ever done is work in various offices on boring websites on the mostly fairly dull topics that I've done? I called back the company then and there, said I was no longer interested in the job and did what I've always wanted to do but have never really got around to, which is joining the Air Force.
The hardest part is probably taking that first step from your safety zone and just quitting your job and selling your main assets, once that weight is removed from you (that's kinda how it feels) then you feel free to do what you want. Even just 6 months of traveling around and you'll cram more experiences (good and bad) than 10 years or more of dull office routine and they will feel like about the same amount of time as well. You wont find many people with regrets about going travelling or even doing volunteer work or similar type jobs in out there locations even when it's all gone wrong (that's often the best part, would you rather tell your grandkids about the time you were once locked up in a kazak prison for 2 weeks or about that time you got employee of the month and they spelt your name wrong on the certificate?). Meanwhile you will probably find plenty of people who regret never having done any of that before they got weighed down with a mortgage and kids and so on.
I've probably spent 10 years in web design all up, I have done the working overseas and travel thing in that time (4 years worth). But earlier this year I was waiting around for a second interview for yet another boring job to do websites for this incredibly dull textile company and had this epiphany, is this it? In another 10 years time do I want to look back and all I've ever done is work in various offices on boring websites on the mostly fairly dull topics that I've done? I called back the company then and there, said I was no longer interested in the job and did what I've always wanted to do but have never really got around to, which is joining the Air Force.
The hardest part is probably taking that first step from your safety zone and just quitting your job and selling your main assets, once that weight is removed from you (that's kinda how it feels) then you feel free to do what you want. Even just 6 months of traveling around and you'll cram more experiences (good and bad) than 10 years or more of dull office routine and they will feel like about the same amount of time as well. You wont find many people with regrets about going travelling or even doing volunteer work or similar type jobs in out there locations even when it's all gone wrong (that's often the best part, would you rather tell your grandkids about the time you were once locked up in a kazak prison for 2 weeks or about that time you got employee of the month and they spelt your name wrong on the certificate?). Meanwhile you will probably find plenty of people who regret never having done any of that before they got weighed down with a mortgage and kids and so on.
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