Suitable Job Alternatives
If you're tired of searching for a job in a tough market, or you're tired of working, taking a break is an option. Before quitting an existing job to embark on an alternative, however, it's wise to have plenty of cash in place and a tentative plan. Important, too, is a supportive group of family and friends you can look to during this new and exciting phase of your life.
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Travel
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Learning through travel can bring great joy to your life by introducing you to new people, cultures, customs and ideas. If there is a country, a region, or a theme you have been interested in exploring, a period of unemployment could be a time to realize your dreams. You might have to work during your trip if it's a long one. But chances are you won't be trying to build your career with the tasks you take on to keep money in the bank. While traveling, don't worry about how your job as a dishwasher will make sense in your resume when or if you return to the working world.
Study
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Many people choose to go to business school during a recession, hoping to ride out the low of the economy and emerge from school better qualified as the economy improves. Going back to school to study any topic from history to Spanish can be rewarding, personally as well as professionally. Even if you don't directly use your newfound knowledge when you return to the working world, having an advanced degree will usually make you a more desirable candidate than a lesser-educated competitor.
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Spend Time with Family
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Top-level executives frequently cite a desire to spend more time with their families as the reason for quitting a well-paying, powerful job. There's no reason you can't quit your own position for the same reason. Parents with young children often choose to cut back hours or work from home to be close with their children during the critical and delightful early years of their kids' lives. At the same time, mid-career professionals also may realize they've missed their kids' early childhoods and don't want to be away for a second longer. In these situations, some parents launch second careers that allow them to work less, or work from home.
Follow a Passion
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Some dream of playing the piano. Others want to write a book, learn to paint or scale Mt. Kilimanjaro. If you have enough money saved and the option to take a leave of absence -- or the guts to quit -- a desire to follow a passion is sometimes powerful enough to justify detouring away from building your career. Following a passion can actually make you a more interesting and desirable employment candidate. Taking a risk to stop working to follow your passion illustrates your commitment to following through on what you set your mind to doing. This perseverance could be highly prized by a future employer.
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References
- Photo Credit passport image by Aleksandr Lobanov from Fotolia.com
