By: Natasha Archary
Imagine being told you need to quit your profession! Would you have a backup plan or a response?
On the back of George Clooney, asking US President Joe Biden to leave the presidential race, Drive 959 wondered when is quitting something or letting go not a bad idea?
We’ve all heard those sayings like “Winners don’t quit”, and “never give up” or “keep going”, but are there times in life where holding on costs more than what it takes to let go?
From jobs, to relationships and other commitments, does the thought of shame or defeat hold us back from peace of mind, or are there more issues to consider?
Job security in South Africa is a concern for many of the country’s working class. We’ve seen this with the Covid-19 pandemic which saw a number of professions becoming redundant, causing millions to lose their jobs.
This forced many to change direction and either start a business or switch career paths entirely, just so they could pay bills.
If you’re told to quit your current profession, would you have a backup plan?
Listen to the conversation on Kaya Drive:
Why it’s important to have a career back up plan?
Apart from being prepared should life throw you a curveball, a change in career may also be a strategic one which pays more than the current field you’re in.
A change may also give you more quality time with your family and mean less travel. Whatever your personal reasons are, it’s important to have a career backup plan as a way of reinventing yourself.
Even though it may feel safer to stay where you are than jumping ship into a new profession, there’s no growth in comfort zones.
Sometimes you may find that Plan A isn’t what you thought it was going to be.
Before you make the move, ask yourself where you want to be in a year and assess your move from there.
Post-pandemic, many people are successfully building the businesses they launched during lockdown. Offering services online has been a game changer and has shifted the traditional way people shopped, studied and even worked.
The important thing to remember when working out your back up plan is to think things through strategically.
Knowing where you want to end up is a good place to start, you can then map out the steps you need to take to get there.
Remember start small, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Also read: What is the role of parents in their child’s career choices
