Before I dive into the specifics, I would like to take a step back and share the context of the topic. Last year I quit my job at my “dream” company and took a five-month career break. It’s been one of my most interesting journeys, and I would like to share why and how I did it.
Back in late 2022, I started to feel a lot of burnout from my current job. A lot of things feel mundane and most of the time it’s just a surviving mode. I do not feel that I’m thriving in the role and it’s been bugging me for quite some time. I have been thinking about quitting the job for around six months and then in early 2023 a lot of laid-off news started to pop up here and there in the tech industry.
Going to work with the question of whether “Can I log in again tomorrow?” was very challenging. Motivation across the orgs was at an all-time low and it was very hard to “Just do your job and things will work out”. I saw people who were the top performers, the ones who just got promoted last quarter and some who have been in the company for more than 5 years are being cut. How do you expect me to just do my job?
For the first time, I felt that “Wow tech industry is not the one with the most job security ya”. It honestly felt scary and something that I do not want to encounter again 🥲 Spoiler alert! (Little that I know it was just the beginning, till Q2 2024 more than 500k people have been let go from their roles in the tech industry globally.) Anyway, I am expecting my name to be on the list when the wave hits the APAC region and eventually Malaysia. I am just waiting for the severance package and oh boy I was wrong again. My name was not on the list and it hit me hard when I got a message from my close colleagues that he was impacted.
Personally, I was super pissed off. The management was not clear on what metrics someone was being cut. The survivor guilt was too much to handle and you know what two weeks after that I submitted my resignation. Best feeeeeeling everr! For the first time, I felt empowered! (Eceyh poyo!)
If you noticed I used a lot of “I feel” Maybe my decision was mainly driven by feelings and not logical reasoning. But you know what sometimes it’s good to just “feel” and say f it instead of thinking too much and suffering the pain of inaction.
How did I survive over 5 months without a stable income? The answer is pretty straightforward. YOU NEED AN EMERGENCY FUND NOW! Things can happen and will eventually happen. When and how no one will know. You can get into an accident while commuting to work. You can be laid off next week etc. A lot of financial gurus say that you need 6 months of salary for an emergency fund. Personally, I think that is a bit too much and I rather invest more than save. My approach is to have 6 months of commitments saved up first. I think this approach is more achievable for most people.
Second tip, is delayed gratification. Apa tu? “Delayed gratification means the ability to put off an impulse or desire for immediate reward. Put simply, it’s resisting temptation, and as the famous saying states: “The best things in life are worth waiting for.” In practice, if you earn an X amount per month you should not spend like there is no tomorrow and please do not be stupid and swipe your credit card left and right for things that you cannot afford.
This pretty much summarized my experience and I feel I yap toooo much already. I am planning to do a write-up about how I spent my time during the 5 month career break maybe one day. I am aware that my tips might not apply to everybody and that is totally fine. Each one of us has our financial situation and commitment. So take it with a pinch of garam.