Today, the aspiration of many educated people is to secure employment where they can apply their skills, hold a professional title, work in an office, and receive compensation for their work. Their ambition is regardless of the the stark reality of unemployment in Kenya, with over 5 million young people lacking jobs as reported by the 2019 Kenya Census.
Even those fortunate enough to secure employment often find it challenging. The role of an employee comes with its own set of complex challenges, which some people find difficult to cope with, leading to the eventual decision to resign from their jobs. Indeed in life, problems never end.
Economic times are tough, and you don’t want to quit a job only to find more suffering waiting outside. Before deciding, Rosemary shares her perspective on the preparation needed before leaving a job;
Quitting a job is always challenging, particularly without a solid plan for what comes next. People resign from their jobs for various reasons: seeking personal growth, pursuing better pay, answering a higher calling, escaping toxic work environments, or to embark on entrepreneurship, among others.
Nowadays, you find people just leaving their jobs and they end up falling hard! Why? Because they do not have an after plan. Also, they didn’t consider a fall back plan. Having a fall back plan is important because initial plans may not always work out as expected. Luckily for others, things just align well from the onset hence they don’t even get to rely on the fall back plan. Nonetheless, it’s good and important that they had one.
For those whose journey doesn’t kick off right away, they often rely on a fallback plan. But what if they don’t have one? The fall can be tough. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a backup plan in mind before quitting your job. Taking risks is fine, but it’s wise to proceed with caution.
Having listened to many entrepreneurs who left their jobs to start their businesses, I realized that most of them had a fall back plan. It could have been a family or spouse who can hold you down for some time, a rich portfolio that makes you highly employable again, a rich network among other possibilities.
Some people didn’t have a fall back plan before resigning, they really fell hard. However, they eventually managed to recover and stand on their feet. Having a backup plan would have made their journey much smoother.
Let us aim at being rational when making decisions. You have to logically ask yourself how will what I choose have an effect on me. What will be the most likely outcome and the least likely one? You have to plan for both. Because if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.
Rosemary Chege is a student of Economics and Statistics at Kenyatta University. Email: rosemary03chege@gmail.com
What is your take on how one should prepare before quitting a job?
