Hey, it's Iris Smyth here, and helping people
change careers is my jam.
Now in this video, I wanted to talk about something
that I know a lot of people contemplate
when they're thinking about making a career change.
And that is quitting your job without a plan,
when you haven't figured it all out yet.
Now I know, I know... it's not the ideal, right,
to walk away without having a clear plan,
making a huge leap into the unknown.
You should ideally have something else lined up
when you hand in your notice.
Well, good news, not necessarily.
In this video I will be sharing why and when
it's perfectly OK to walk away from your job without a plan.
Sounds good?
Well, stick around, and make sure you like this video
if you're already into it, and subscribe to my channel
if you are serious about making that career change,
because every week I'll be posting new videos here
with the best tips and strategies to help you
make that career change happen.
So first things first, for those of you who are new here,
or don't know me: I used to work in marketing
in the corporate world.
I didn't exactly hate what I was doing
but it just wasn't the right fit for me
and I knew, I desperately knew, I wanted to leave.
I wanted to do something else.
So when I handed in my notice I actually didn't have
a clear plan on what was next for me.
I had some ideas about what I could and wanted to do next,
but to say it was a clear plan of action? Not exactly so.
Now at the time, when I left my corporate career,
most of my friends, most of my peers, were all
in the corporate world.
So, to say it was uncharted territory would be
quite an understatement.
And I remember how confused, and alone, and slightly nuts
I felt for walking away and pursuing this path.
Because it was not a done thing to walk away
without a plan B.
But you know what?
Life isn't always perfect, and it felt like the right thing
for me at the time, so I did it anyhow.
Now, since then I've helped hundreds
of corporate professionals make career changes.
So what I'm about to share in this video is based
on my own experience, as well as the experience
of helping all those other people make those career changes.
Are you ready for it?
Here is why and when it's perfectly okay to walk away
from your job without a plan B.
You need head space.
So maybe you're on the brink of burnout.
Maybe you're working 80+ hours a week.
Maybe you feel like you simply can't muster up the energy
to think about your next career steps.
Or maybe you feel that your head is just so full of stuff,
and you don't feel like you have to space to think clearly
or figure things out.
Now look, sometimes the best gift you can give yourself
is a reset. A break from it all, a break from the pressure,
the demands, the stresses of your work.
A break from the rat race, a break from the environment
that you're in, a break from the world that
you're working in... because it is really, really hard
to figure out what's next for you if most of your
waking hours are consumed by work or if you have
other commitments like family to look after.
It's also really, really hard to figure out what new
direction to move in when most of the people are around you,
when you're surrounded by people who are doing exactly
the same thing as you are.
We become so conditioned by the people that we spend
most time with to the extent that they can really blinker us
to what else is possible.
So if all of your friends and all your coworkers
are working in the corporate world
and they're focusing on moving up that ladder,
it can be really hard to imagine doing something else.
But if you take a step back and remove yourself
from that world that you've been working in for the past
five, 10, 15, 20, maybe even 25 years,
then that can open your eyes to the countless other
possibilities and opportunities that are out there.
So if you do feel that you need head space to think clearly
and see things in a different way, then quitting your job
without a plan B could be a really good thing,
which brings me to the following.
You don't need to have it all figured out.
So what that means is that when good meaning, well meaning
friends and family ask you:
"So what is it that you're going to do next?"
You don't have to answer that question by saying,
"Well I'm going to become a teacher, a nutritionist
or an artificial intelligence engineer"
(or whatever you want to do)
Instead you can answer that question by saying something
along the lines of, "Well, I'm still figuring out what type
of role is right for me next.
And I'm learning more about the world of education,
nutrition, or artificial intelligence."
So resist the urge to come up with a job title
and instead focus on the area of work that you are
interested in, because I bet that there are more types
of jobs available within that area of work
than you're aware of right now.
So it really, really pays to be curious and learn as much
as you can about that area of work, about that industry,
before you decide on a job title.
That is why sometimes it's perfectly okay to quit your job
without having anything else lined up.
Now, another reason why it might be okay
or why it could be okay for you to leave your job
without a clear plan or without having anything else
lined up, is because the time might never be right.
Look, I don't think there's ever going to be
an easy time to change careers.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
I think it's always going to be pretty daunting,
and scary, and confusing, and there might always be
that something that you want to have done
or have achieved before you make that big change happen.
Maybe you want to get promoted first
or maybe you want to buy that flat or house first.
Maybe you want to bring your savings up to a certain level
before you hand in your notice.
And whilst these are all legitimate concerns
it's also good to realise that the timing
might never be right.
There might always be that next thing that you
want to do or achieve.
So if you keep on waiting for the right time
you might keep on waiting forever.
Sometimes you just have to do it, and do it now.
Finally, you have to let go of people pleasing.
Other people, including your friends and family, might not
understand your decision to walk away from your job
or your career, but this is YOUR life and YOUR career,
and you have to live with the decisions
you make or don't make.
And YOU have to go to work, and do your job every day!
So if you have this nagging feeling that there is
something else that you want to do,
then don't ignore that just because of what other people
might think, or what they might say.
Because people will always have opinions.
Some people might approve of what you want to do,
and they might even admire you for your courage
to step out into the unknown.
But other people won't understand, won't approve.
And their lack of understanding and approval
ultimately says more about their perspective on life
than it says about you.
So please don't take it personal and surround yourself
by people who do get it.
Surround yourself by people who do understand you,
or at least ones who want to understand you.
People who support your dreams and ambitions,
even that means that you do the thing, the less done thing,
of walking away from a job without a plan B.
So if you are thinking about quitting your job
without having anything else lined up, remember that
sometimes the best gift you can give yourself is a reset.
You don't need to have it all figured out,
the timing might never feel right,
and you don't need anyone's approval.
Now, if you're still not sure if you should
or shouldn't resign then make sure you watch this video
down here in which I'm sharing three strategies
to help you figure out if you should resign
and hand in that notice.
Now, before you go, if you enjoyed this video
please hit that like button and subscribe to my channel
if you never want to miss any of my upcoming videos
to help you change careers and build a career
that works for you.
Thanks for watching and see you next week.