‘Quit your job and follow your dreams’ or ‘Quit your job and follow your heart or instincts.’
This type of career advice is trending these days. Here, a job refers to typical 9 to 5 work in general, and a corporate job, in particular. A narrative is shared by the writer where he/she explains his/her own story and then gives a piece of unargumentative and generalised advice in the conclusion. Many people get impressed by such stories and find them dazzlingly inspirational, while I feel otherwise. I am usually unimpressed with such stories.
These days 9 to 5 jobs are being bashed mercilessly and unreasonably as if it is a crime to work in a typical 9 to 5 job structure. People have started complaining about a 9 to 5 job schedule. I never understood if there is something wrong with this particular timing. In case if there is, every regular type of employment has this particular timing.
It is generally believed that what people do in a cubicle is utterly boring and unproductive. Isn’t this advice a misleading message to everyone working in the IT industry or banking sector? I strongly believe it is. These kinds of suggestions are already misleading many because they simply suggest quitting a job but don’t define correctly as to what does instinct mean. Can a job be sacrificed for the vague term, ‘Dream’? What does a dream signify?
I have seen people who have started disliking their regular jobs after reading such stories while the fact is that they are doing good work in their respective jobs and actually adding some value to their professional expertise. Not everyone can become an entrepreneur. Not everyone can take risks because of their financial situations. Running away from responsibilities is never a good idea. If someone is actually willing to quit, will he/she wait for such stories?
Most of these stories are not inspirational enough because of the absence of involvement of any innovative idea in them. In my opinion, quitting a job to become an entrepreneur for an already existing idea is not inspirational. Quitting a job to become a random travel blogger is not inspirational. Quitting a job to switch to another 9 to 5 job is not inspirational. These stories should not be normalised as this behaviour could misguide the already confused youth.
‘Quit your job and travel the world’ is another piece of dangerous advice. I am somewhat unsure as to whether it is dangerous or stupid. I think it is applicable only to millionaires or senior citizens. But our beloved travel enthusiasts don’t discriminate between the poor and rich. They ask everyone to quit their jobs and travel the world and spend every penny that they have earned.
Change is an inevitable part of our life and it keeps us moving. If change is for good, it needs to be adopted. But change doesn’t require an external agent or force for its action. It happens on its own as and when the situation demands. It happens when circumstances become favourable and when our real will says so.