By | Caribou Honig | www.themuse.com
When it comes to your career, there’s no foolproof, success-guaranteed option. The smart choices can prove to be dead ends, and supposedly safe jobs can disappear in an economic crisis. Choices that appear risky to friends and make parents worry can prove to be winners, but the only way to know for sure is to take a chance.
I made my own stupid career decision and heard these worried reactions a decade ago. The result: I now have my dream position.
Looking back, here’s what I wish I’d known before I just up and quit my job with no solid plan:
1. Everyone Will Have an Opinion
Your parents will try to find a diplomatic way to ask if you’ve lost your mind—followed by inquiring just how you’re going to pay your bills. You could hear questions like, “Don’t you think it’s 15 years early for a mid-life crisis?” (I know, I did.) Co-workers might say how they admire your courage to your face, but whisper to each other that it’s a seriously foolish move.