What do you do for a living?

Should I say "I’m a to-be stay-at-home mom" or "I’m a freelance programmer and blogger aspiring to be a writer"? Neither of these would really “earn” me a living. Not yet atleast. I have 2 months and all the resources/freedom to decide on what I want to do and start planning and doing the ground work for it. For now, it is kissing the corporate life goodbye.

Quitting the job calls for “I want to quit my job” conversations with some important people along the way – boss & spouse/family that can either be pleasant or otherwise and sometimes very stressful as my earlier ones have been. It calls for a lot of resilience and persuasion while being assertive in making the other person believe why you think the move is good for you.

No doubt, I’ve had my share of practice but this one was easy….My boss didn't initially believe I wasn't going elsewhere. At one point I felt like saying, "Hello, don't you see this huge bump and you think I would work somehwere now?" The only moment when I was a little startled was when my boss (after convinced I wasn't going elsewhere) with a puzzled look asked "you're giving up your career just like that?". I didn't say anything. For whatever reason, if you don't do a 9-6 job at an IT factory, it is perceived you don't have a career.

I would like to hear from you why you do a job? Social recognition or personal gratification or financial obligation. Definitely there would be all 3 but what figures the highest on your list and is a job the only means to it or is it the easiest and risk-free path?

Categories: career, quitting