Is my job too good to leave to go traveling

shadowcomplex · 01-05-2011 11:42AM #1

Im 32 and and have a decent job where I earn 45k a year when shift and bonus is added to it, I have never gone traveling and im starting to get regrets which I feel will only get worse if I dont actually get this out of my system, the thing is leaving a permanent position with good money in this sort of climate could be lunancy, the thing in my favour is that im single with no dependents and I dont have a mortage, would appreciate some advice? a career break is not an option for the company so that is out

blorg · 01-05-2011 11:48AM

That's not really something anyone can answer but yourself.

Things could be better in a year, or they could be worse. You are only young once...

professore · 01-05-2011 11:50AM

Depends if there is demand for whatever you are doing. However if it's itching you that much I'd be inclined to say go for it. You're single, no debts, no ties, go for it!

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 01-05-2011 11:52AM

It can be seen as foolish to leave a good job but life is too short for regrets and you know yourself that you will always regret it, for your entire life, if you don't travel.
Go do it, enjoy it and you'll get a good job again

tenchi-fan · 01-05-2011 05:28PM

Make hay when the sun shines. You're on pretty serious money by today's standards and if you're planning on returning to Ireland you could be greeted by a period of unemployment followed by a job that could pay as low as €30k.

I'd advise you to save as much as possible so that you're in a strong financial position when you return to Ireland (money for a deposit on a house, money to withstand 2-3 months unemployment)

What do you mean by travelling? How much money would you bring and how long do you expect to be travelling for? Would you be working too?

samhail · 01-05-2011 06:04PM

Sounds to me like you should travel.
as tenchi said, save up for travel money and great idea to have a nestaid for when you get back.
never know could fall in love abroad and never come back

HxGH · 01-05-2011 06:09PM

Keep in mind, if get the opportunity to work abroad you might come back with a better chance of employment. Good luck making a decision!

drunkmonkey · 01-05-2011 06:26PM

Would they agree to a 3 or 6 month holiday, could someone do your job on a short contract.

One big thing you realise when you've Travelled is how special this little island is and you haven't seen the half of it. We got crocodiles in Kilkenny, Sharks in Kerry, great waves, beautiful sunsets, big moons, amazing scenery. You've got everything you need right here except warm water.

Up to yourself but I reckon around the world in 80 days and back for Christmas and your good job would be all the travelling you need.

01-05-2011 06:32PM

shadowcomplex wrote: »

Im 32 and and have a decent job where I earn 45k a year when shift and bonus is added to it.....................a career break is not an option for the company so that is out

My first job was like that, shift, bonus etc. 45K is a very very decent wage. At a guess I would think you are not skilled/qualified as such unless you are a spark or maintenance tech or similar. Realistically if you don't fancy your chances of getting similar employment when you come back it's not a great idea. Working for lots less if you come back longterm isn't a great thought when you used to earn lots more.

Denerick · 01-05-2011 08:04PM

Save like an idiot for a year and then teach english abroad for at least five years. By the time you come back the job situation should hopefully be improved, so no real difficulties there (It sounds to me like you are earning 45k per year but don't know what to do with it all - a lá the lack of dependents etc...)

If it is something you want to do, then bloody well do it. On your deathbed are you really going to say 'I'm glad I stuck with my 45k per annum job and muddle through my 30s... then my 40s... then my 50s...'

Stheno · 01-05-2011 08:20PM

What area/field do you work in? If you are in an area which is low on skills then do it,, otherwise I'd think twice

Mr. Loverman · 01-05-2011 08:22PM

When you're old and frail and looking back on your life, will you be glad you went travelling? Quite likely.

Smoggy · 01-05-2011 08:29PM

you can always travel when you retire ? I met people in thier sixties who stayed in hostels and were out drinking and having a good time most nigths of the week.

Mr. Loverman · 01-05-2011 08:31PM

Smoggy wrote: »

you can always travel when you retire ? I met people in thier sixties who stayed in hostels and were out drinking and having a good time most nigths of the week.

While that's true, there is something very depressing about waiting until you retire before you can truly start enjoying life...!

Life should always come before work IMO.

shadowcomplex · 01-05-2011 10:40PM

I work as a QC Analyst in a lab

Smoggy · 02-05-2011 09:18AM

is six months travel worth a potential of a few years in the dole ? (This is a guess as I dont know what the demand for QC analyst is) or coming back and taking your role back at a lower rate ? It could be a costly trip. Could you hold out for a few years until the economy picks up a little ?

** I'm a pessimist **

Adrock-aka · 02-05-2011 10:54AM

On your death bed, when asked what was your biggest regret was, you are NOT going to say "definitely when I travelled for 6 months to see the world when I was 32". Go for it. Make it a year if you can. In for a penny, in for a pound!

Feckfox · 02-05-2011 11:07AM

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Would they agree to a 3 or 6 month holiday, could someone do your job on a short contract.

One big thing you realise when you've Travelled is how special this little island is and you haven't seen the half of it. We got crocodiles in Kilkenny, Sharks in Kerry, great waves, beautiful sunsets, big moons, amazing scenery. You've got everything you need right here except warm water.

Up to yourself but I reckon around the world in 80 days and back for Christmas and your good job would be all the travelling you need.

Or he could realise that he absolutely loves travelling and wants to see even more of the world and maybe never come back.

You're young and unrestricted so you're not in a real rush to leave. You could wait a full year from now(and save like mad) before going.

lg123 · 02-05-2011 11:19AM

i take it there is no chance of taking a year unpaid leave?

i say go, the chances of you regretting not going are a lot higher than the chances of you regretting seeing the world and having the time of your life.

Swirls · 02-05-2011 11:20AM

At the moment your options seem to be to stay and not travel or to leave your good job and travel. You need to find a third option. So if a career break isn't an option for you, perhaps you could approach management and ask what would be the longest amount of unpaid leave they'd be willing to give you. When you know this, you can decide which option to go with.

shadowcomplex · 02-05-2011 11:37AM

Swirls wrote: »

At the moment your options seem to be to stay and not travel or to leave your good job and travel. You need to find a third option. So if a career break isn't an option for you, perhaps you could approach management and ask what would be the longest amount of unpaid leave they'd be willing to give you. When you know this, you can decide which option to go with.

A 3rd option could be migration, there is just nothing for me in Ireland any more and I have a brother in australia, I just need a change of scenary, however I have heard migration can be a long and drawn out process

lg123 · 02-05-2011 11:44AM

at 32 the working holiday option is closed for aus / nz. dont know what the story is with canada.

unless you have qualifications, australia could be tricky. if your brother is a permenant resident he could sponsor you.

Lustrum · 02-05-2011 12:03PM

Are you joking??? Get the flock out of here!!

And sure what would you go away to work for? Get your savings, and go and spend them. I did 2 years around the world, 46 countries without working and spent about 25k doing it. You don't need to spend it all on drink, spend big dosh on the stuff that's worth it (shark diving in South Africa, flights to Easter Island etc) and don't spend big dosh on the stuff that's not worth it (like getting smashed on the Khoa San Rd with a load of other tourists).

Speaking from experience, it's the best thing you'll ever do. If I had the money again I'd drop everything and be gone

Mrs OBumble · 02-05-2011 12:57PM

I'm a Kiwi: I did a very short (8-week) trip when I was 28, which made me realise that I definitely wanted to travel for longer, along the lines of "pack up and see where I end up".

Sick parents, the chance to buy a house and knee surgery intervened, and I didn't finally leave until I was 39. I don't regret that - but it's definitely harder at 30-something than at 20-something. Thirty-some-things have more "stuff" that has to be dealt with (I had to give away a cat, sell a car, rent out a house, put a house-full of furniture in storage, set up mail forwarding,etc), and you may have to guess how long you think you'll be - I was planning for somewhere between three months and forever - now looking more like it will be ten years to forever. I'd imagine it gets harder still at 40-something, 50-something etc.

At 32, I don't think you'll get a WHV anywhere. But depending on your qualifications, you may be able to get sponsored work-visas for overseas. (I have dual citizenship, so didn't have that problem.) Or you might just spend a few months in lots of different countries.

When you come back, unless you've only been away for a short time, you won't meet the habitual-residence criteria for benefits in the usual way (lived here for the last two years). But there are other ways to meet them - make sure you keep evidence like boarding passes, paperwork for closing foreign bank accounts etc. And worse case, you apply for Supplementary Welfare (aka the benefit you get if you don't meet the rules for other benefits).

My advice: do it.

You have no way of knowing if the economy will get better or worse, or if you'll still be healthy enough to travel at 60. You also don't know how long your "permanent" job will really last: esp if you work for a MNC, they could close the Irish operation down without a 2nd thought.

CiaranC · 02-05-2011 02:43PM

JustMary wrote: »

At 32, I don't think you'll get a WHV anywhere.

Thats twice thats been said in this thread. You can go to Canada or NZ up till 35.

Firetrap · 02-05-2011 05:01PM

How about saving up some money, accumulating annual leave and then taking off for a fortnight or 3 weeks to go to a far flung destination? I've a friend who does this and has great holidays. They go back-packing and get to see quite a bit in those couple of weeks.

CiaranC · 02-05-2011 05:13PM

Firetrap wrote: »

How about saving up some money, accumulating annual leave and then taking off for a fortnight or 3 weeks to go to a far flung destination? I've a friend who does this and has great holidays. They go back-packing and get to see quite a bit in those couple of weeks.

Two weeks on holiday is nothing like going travelling.

Firetrap · 02-05-2011 05:21PM

My friend would agree to disagree on that one. He goes for 3 weeks, hits an area of a country like India and does plenty of stuff off the beaten track and meet plenty of locals. Not sitting on a beach for a fortnight toasting in the sun or drinking in an Irish bar with fellow Irish people wearing GAA jerseys. It all depends what you want out of your travelling. My friend has clocked up quite a lot of very worthwhile foreign trips over the past few years and that was why I mentioned it.

I was just putting it forward as an option to the OP. They're on pretty good money and jacking it in to go travelling is quite a gamble IMHO.

CiaranC · 02-05-2011 06:33PM

Firetrap wrote: »

My friend would agree to disagree on that one. He goes for 3 weeks

Short breaks to exotic locations can be brilliant!

But for me, the best part of travelling is developing real, long-term friendships from the parts of the world you stop to live in, be they with fellow travellers or with people from the places you stop. This is how you truly learn about other parts of the world - from the people who live there. Also, nothing beats the feeling of being out there, with months and months (sometimes years) of travel ahead of you, not knowing what is going to happen. who you will meet, where you will end up, completely free from the rat race that fills the life of so many.

Travel is one of the most exciting and liberating things that we can do. It is addicting, intoxicating and transforms your view of the world over and over again.

Few are even lucky enough to ask the question "Will I or wont I?". Go for it OP.

tenchi-fan · 02-05-2011 11:05PM

CiaranC wrote: »

Two weeks on holiday is nothing like going travelling.

2 weeks, no. 3 weeks.. possibly!
As you said, short breaks to exotic locations. You can do a lot more in three well-organised weeks than a lot of people do in 3 unplanned months. (I'm comparing my experience in australia vs my sister's! She saw a lot more in a lot less time)
Then again, you would miss on the endless days drinking in the hostel and trying to cook hotdogs or pasta.

D1stant · 02-05-2011 11:22PM

Smoggy wrote: »

you can always travel when you retire ? I met people in thier sixties who stayed in hostels and were out drinking and having a good time most nigths of the week.

Oh good grief. Yeah by all means put it off. You can use the time to improve your knitting skills.

You dont get these years back. 45k is a fcuking number. Dont measure yourself by it. Go. Far and high

Mr. Loverman · 02-05-2011 11:44PM

If it means anything to you shadowcomplex, I am about to pack in my job and travel around the world. We are of a similar age and work in a similar-ish area.

If the worst thing that happens to me is being unemployed for a little while when I get back in 18 months, well I'll happily take that now if it means I won't get malaria or eaten by a shark.

blorg · 03-05-2011 06:19AM

tenchi-fan wrote: »

2 weeks, no. 3 weeks.. possibly!
As you said, short breaks to exotic locations. You can do a lot more in three well-organised weeks than a lot of people do in 3 unplanned months. (I'm comparing my experience in australia vs my sister's! She saw a lot more in a lot less time)

Traveling though, for a longer period, is the exact opposite of trying to fit in as many sights in as short a time as possible. There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying to cram a lot into 3 weeks, but traveling long term is different. The feeling of freedom, not being tied to a schedule, being able to linger longer in one place or change plans to go somewhere you just heard about. It's a very different experience.

I lost my job and decided to cycle to Kathmandu. I was offered another job but decided to take the risk and go anyway. It has been a great experience. I wanted to go do this now (I'm 35), while I am still relatively young, physically fit and able for it. Waiting for retirement is a crazy idea, who knows what state your body will be in by then. Hopefully well, but who knows! Go enjoy life now.

I also felt I had got into a bit of a rut, unwilling to take risks, always taking the safe option, so this was meant to challenge that, do something different and see what happens. Money and stuff is not the only worthwhile thing in the world.

Just taking a short break in a wood* right now on today's ride, 20km to go to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. Only about a week's riding left to Kathmandu but I'll be going trekking up the Himalayas before I get there.

Once you are outside Europe incidentally, living is cheap. Was spending €250/month in India and Nepal is cheaper. So you don't even have to save up a ton of money to do it.

*internet on a mobile is widespread

Joe10000 · 03-05-2011 06:30AM

Go go go. Bye. See ya.

daigo75 · 03-05-2011 02:29PM

+1 to all the people who suggested to go for it. I wrote in the past about my experience, I come from a region where most people believe that "travelling is a waste of time" and that the "right way" of living is finding a job at the age of 15 (being High School and College places for lazy people who don't want to work) and stick to it until retirement.

The idea was depressing, but I believed it was true until I moved to Ireland and I saw a different culture. By that time, I had missed college and never "travelled" for more than a couple of days. Now, at the age of 35, I have a family, which is the greatest joy of my life, but I still haven't given up the idea of seeing the world. I'll bring wife and kids with me and they'll see that wasting their life in a company is just wrong.

Go for it!

heathersonline · 04-05-2011 11:11AM

I've a very highly paid job as well and never travelled. However I now have committments here, if I were you I'd be gone in a flash. Who knows, you may find committments elsewhere!

endabob1 · 05-05-2011 07:55AM

Spend 6 months saving like a bugger then go, you will not regret it, I've yet to meet someone who says "I wish I'd never travelled". My one piece of advice is to only plan so much and then just see what happens, the journey is the experience as much as the destination (if that doesn't sound too pompous). Places with visa requirements are the biggest stumbling block, but some rough planning is as much as you should do

I've lived in London, Melbourne, Cape Town & even had a cheeky 3 months in Amsterdam, you'll pick up work along the way if you need to.
I would love to do more travelling, have never been to the Americas but unfortunately having spent most the last 15 years on the move I'm not in a position to do it just yet, so I envy those, like you who are.

IamtheWalrus · 05-05-2011 08:04AM

I was going through the same situation just under 2 years ago. I was 28 and in a good position, paid well. I wanted to go travelling and a career break was out of the question. Some people were saying it would be inadvisable to leave, others were saying go for it.

In the end I quit my job and went on a round the world trip for 8 months. When I came back I was back in full time employment after 9 weeks (I was being selective about my new job). I'm still in that job and am comfortable. I got a €13k pay increase from my last job.

I must add that my industry is computing and I had 4 years experience when I quit. There does not seem to be a shortage of IT work if you have experience so getting work was easier.

In summary, I just went for it and have no regrets. If I was in a similar situation to you, I would go for it. I had the time of my life.

lg123 · 05-05-2011 08:58AM

seems to be a bit of a pattern here.

daheff · 05-05-2011 09:50AM

i'd say go for it. do it before you have anything that ties you down (or makes it more difficult to travel)

as for a job....who knows what will be available when u come back? If you stay you could be made redundant/fired tomorrow. And if there arent any jobs in your field when you get back...go abroad for a year or so.

catbear · 05-05-2011 10:13AM

I think 32 is a good age to go traveling, I went at 34 and am planning to go again soon at 40. I never went anywhere until then because I was so broke during the eighties and nineties. Another thing about traveling is when you see the material poverty in other countries, being unemployed in Ireland takes on a whole new perspective.

Life is a lot cheaper outside of Europe and like someone said about India a few hundred a month is very doable. I did South east asia for six months on 3k but I was flashpacking, not doing dorms.
As you're single the sooner you do it the better before you meet someone you fall for but who might not share your wonderlust. Thankfully my wife is likeminded.

I believe Ireland has further to fall and a bit of travel and living in other countries may make focus your longterm view of where you want to live. One thing though, if I had listened to family and friends, I would't have done it. The only certainty in this life is that it ends and if it's something that's eating at you then you better go. I know one guy who passed on a 5pound Oz visa back in the sixties who stills talks about what if.

On employment opportunities abroad, study the skills shortage lists for different countries and see if there's anything that you could train up for quickly. After I came back from traveling I picked up a few skills that are in demand in Oz and I may use them yet. One potential employer in NZ told he'd take on up to the age of 55!

barney85 · 05-05-2011 10:27AM

very interesting topic, find myself in a similiar situation.

Out of interest, if one was to go travelling, say for 8-9 months and not take up employment, would that person be entitled to unemployment for the period abroad upon return to Ireland?

COYW · 05-05-2011 10:27AM

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

If it means anything to you shadowcomplex, I am about to pack in my job and travel around the world. We are of a similar age and work in a similar-ish area.

If the worst thing that happens to me is being unemployed for a little while when I get back in 18 months, well I'll happily take that now if it means I won't get malaria or eaten by a shark.

I myself am seriously considering moving abroad for a work/lifestyle change later this year. I have no mortgage, children, etc. I am in a full time permanent position with a very good salary, every benefit going but am at that stage in life where I just want a change. Lately, I have sampled the jobs market in my area here and gone for an interview or 2 to see how attractive I am to companies in the event that things don't work out abroad.

Thankfully, all went well so I can move away with the comfort that I should be able to get a job here. Naturally, things could get worse while I am away.

john01me · 05-05-2011 10:33AM

go if u dont go ul always regret it and say what if..

IamtheWalrus · 05-05-2011 02:44PM

barney85 wrote: »

very interesting topic, find myself in a similiar situation.

Out of interest, if one was to go travelling, say for 8-9 months and not take up employment, would that person be entitled to unemployment for the period abroad upon return to Ireland?

If you mean the dole, no, you wouldn't get any money for the period you were away. You would only get money when you return and sign on again.

catbear · 05-05-2011 09:02PM

I pretty sure that if you're gone for more than two years you sign on for unemployment assistance which is means tested.

If I were in my twenties I'd be heading for Germany.

keithclancy · 06-05-2011 06:40AM

Check with HR and see if you can take a sabbatical.

barney85 · 06-05-2011 03:25PM

Lustrum wrote: »

Are you joking??? Get the flock out of here!!

And sure what would you go away to work for? Get your savings, and go and spend them. I did 2 years around the world, 46 countries without working and spent about 25k doing it. You don't need to spend it all on drink, spend big dosh on the stuff that's worth it (shark diving in South Africa, flights to Easter Island etc) and don't spend big dosh on the stuff that's not worth it (like getting smashed on the Khoa San Rd with a load of other tourists).

Speaking from experience, it's the best thing you'll ever do. If I had the money again I'd drop everything and be gone

That sounds unreal Lustrum....any chance you can expand a little more on your travels?

Is my job too good to leave to go traveling

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