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If you don't mind sharing, what would be the things that a person should think about it before doing the same action that you did? I'm always torn between doing

If you don't mind sharing, what would be the things that a person should think about it before doing the same action that you did? I'm always torn between doing that or saving more and trying to make changes later in life.

snozolli 1y ago
I'm not the guy you asked, but given the way that things are going right now, if you're currently gainfully employed and not miserable, then you should continue banking money for as long as you can. For every romantic story you read about someone selling their stuff and striking out into the world, there are a bunch more stories of people who ruined a reasonable life trajectory chasing a vague dream or simply fleeing discontent. Talking to a therapist and practicing gratitude is a lot cheaper than burning through life savings. That said, if you're genuinely miserable in your life and career, definitely pursue changes. You should probably consult professionals (therapists, life coaches) in that case, too.
- pjc50 1y ago
  I feel that young people having a Big Adventure Before Settling Down is very traditional, the sort of thing that adds "life experience" even if (especially if) some of the experiences are difficult. But it does need to be cheap. And the 21st century crackdown on worker mobility has made it much harder to have a proper international adventure.
- daxfohl 1y ago
  Admittedly there can be some survivorship bias in the stories one hears about, but anecdotally I know several people who have taken time off from their careers and zero have regretted it. On the converse side, I know lots of people who never took time off but wish they had. (I also know plenty of people who never took time off because "time off" isn't in their DNA, but they're not the ones who are considering the option). Yeah there's a danger that this tech recession is "permanent" somehow, but I took mine in the midst of the dotcom crash and by the time I came back (three years later), the economy had recovered. I think tech will always come back. And if it doesn't, then maybe getting out early and having time to reflect will allow you a head start on whatever your next pivot is.
daxfohl 1y ago
Not OP but same experience. If you're not overly concerned about a certain quality of life, number of cars, square footage of house, etc., then there's nothing to think about. Engineering is a fine career (granted, AI takeover notwithstanding) and a few-year gap isn't going to leave you on the street. Being a few years behind your peers in your 30's may gnaw at you a bit, but by your 40's things will have reasonably equalized. My "wealthier" friends have some nicer things, go on more lavish vacations, but it's never really bothered us. And they generally got that way because they're type-A personalities to begin with. So they're not the type of people who would even ask the question about taking time off. Maybe one downside is they can also afford private schools and tutors etc for their kids, though, IDK, we could afford to do the same (though it would be more than a blip in our finances), but they seem to be doing well and happy where they are. So I think if you're the type of person that's even asking about it, then just do it. [*] I'd say one caveat is, don't go broke doing so; save/invest enough and live cheaply enough that you're coming close to break-even. The other is, have a decent network so that when you want to re-enter the job market, you'll have people to contact. That makes job hunting an OOM easier.
- daxfohl 1y ago
  Actually, a further thought about my higher-wealth friends. About half of them got there by a good mix of ability and determination, but half of them just seemed to be in the right place at the right time (early engineers at Facebook, engineers at NVidia just as it exploded, etc). The latter aspect could sway the decision either way: "time off" is almost never the right time and place, so reduces the chances you'll be in that group. But the fact that this group exists, and the randomness by which one can be included, may take the lustre off of being in the high-net-worth group to begin with, if you don't have strong intrinsic desires to have a ton more money than what you'd need to live reasonably comfortably.
- tuesdaynight 1y ago
  Thank you for your thoughtful answer. I've been thinking about it for some time and your answer puts the "life after" in perspective. I don't have big plans for life, but the financial aspect is something that worries me, though.
elliotto 1y ago
Later in life is not guaranteed. Later in life will involve health issues, family, work commitments, fatigue. If you can go now you should go while you can.
yardie 1y ago
Just go in with the realization that you're setting your career on fire. I was lucky, I moved to another country and was able to find work in my field after 10-12 month of searching. > I'm always torn between doing that or saving more and trying to make changes later in life. If you can always try and save more. Compounding interest means you'll be further ahead later in life. I'm still catching up on my retirement savings, I'm luckier than most healthwise and financially. In hindsight, if I could have stayed around a few more months I probably would have found a job in my expertise and built on it careerwise. But, mentally I was finished. The constant rejections, multiple interview rounds with indeterminate responses, the gaslighting really beat me up inside.

snozolli 1y ago

I'm not the guy you asked, but given the way that things are going right now, if you're currently gainfully employed and not miserable, then you should continue banking money for as long as you can. For every romantic story you read about someone selling their stuff and striking out into the world, there are a bunch more stories of people who ruined a reasonable life trajectory chasing a vague dream or simply fleeing discontent. Talking to a therapist and practicing gratitude is a lot cheaper than burning through life savings. That said, if you're genuinely miserable in your life and career, definitely pursue changes. You should probably consult professionals (therapists, life coaches) in that case, too.

pjc50 1y ago
I feel that young people having a Big Adventure Before Settling Down is very traditional, the sort of thing that adds "life experience" even if (especially if) some of the experiences are difficult. But it does need to be cheap. And the 21st century crackdown on worker mobility has made it much harder to have a proper international adventure.
daxfohl 1y ago
Admittedly there can be some survivorship bias in the stories one hears about, but anecdotally I know several people who have taken time off from their careers and zero have regretted it. On the converse side, I know lots of people who never took time off but wish they had. (I also know plenty of people who never took time off because "time off" isn't in their DNA, but they're not the ones who are considering the option). Yeah there's a danger that this tech recession is "permanent" somehow, but I took mine in the midst of the dotcom crash and by the time I came back (three years later), the economy had recovered. I think tech will always come back. And if it doesn't, then maybe getting out early and having time to reflect will allow you a head start on whatever your next pivot is.

daxfohl 1y ago

Not OP but same experience. If you're not overly concerned about a certain quality of life, number of cars, square footage of house, etc., then there's nothing to think about. Engineering is a fine career (granted, AI takeover notwithstanding) and a few-year gap isn't going to leave you on the street. Being a few years behind your peers in your 30's may gnaw at you a bit, but by your 40's things will have reasonably equalized. My "wealthier" friends have some nicer things, go on more lavish vacations, but it's never really bothered us. And they generally got that way because they're type-A personalities to begin with. So they're not the type of people who would even ask the question about taking time off. Maybe one downside is they can also afford private schools and tutors etc for their kids, though, IDK, we could afford to do the same (though it would be more than a blip in our finances), but they seem to be doing well and happy where they are. So I think if you're the type of person that's even asking about it, then just do it. [*] I'd say one caveat is, don't go broke doing so; save/invest enough and live cheaply enough that you're coming close to break-even. The other is, have a decent network so that when you want to re-enter the job market, you'll have people to contact. That makes job hunting an OOM easier.

daxfohl 1y ago
Actually, a further thought about my higher-wealth friends. About half of them got there by a good mix of ability and determination, but half of them just seemed to be in the right place at the right time (early engineers at Facebook, engineers at NVidia just as it exploded, etc). The latter aspect could sway the decision either way: "time off" is almost never the right time and place, so reduces the chances you'll be in that group. But the fact that this group exists, and the randomness by which one can be included, may take the lustre off of being in the high-net-worth group to begin with, if you don't have strong intrinsic desires to have a ton more money than what you'd need to live reasonably comfortably.
tuesdaynight 1y ago
Thank you for your thoughtful answer. I've been thinking about it for some time and your answer puts the "life after" in perspective. I don't have big plans for life, but the financial aspect is something that worries me, though.

elliotto 1y ago

Later in life is not guaranteed. Later in life will involve health issues, family, work commitments, fatigue. If you can go now you should go while you can.

yardie 1y ago

Just go in with the realization that you're setting your career on fire. I was lucky, I moved to another country and was able to find work in my field after 10-12 month of searching. > I'm always torn between doing that or saving more and trying to make changes later in life. If you can always try and save more. Compounding interest means you'll be further ahead later in life. I'm still catching up on my retirement savings, I'm luckier than most healthwise and financially. In hindsight, if I could have stayed around a few more months I probably would have found a job in my expertise and built on it careerwise. But, mentally I was finished. The constant rejections, multiple interview rounds with indeterminate responses, the gaslighting really beat me up inside.