Quitting a corporate job to pursue something independently has become a popular career choice in recent times. However, one woman who made the decision has now urged others not to quit their jobs simply because they feel inspired by such stories.
Taking to Instagram, Mansi Khandelwal, who quit her corporate job, said that she often receives messages from people telling her that her posts about leaving corporate life have inspired them to resign as well. Her advice to them, however, is straightforward: “Don’t quit.”
In the video, Khandelwal explained that she did not leave her job impulsively or simply because she wanted to be “brave”. Instead, she said that she first worked out whether she could sustain her lifestyle without an income for an extended period.
Khandelwal said that she considered what would happen if she did not get a job or a client for one or even two years after starting something of her own. “Would my lifestyle change? The answer was no. Would my flat change? The answer was no. Would I have to compromise on travel? The answer was no,” she said.
“So basically, the answer was nothing. Nothing would change if I don’t get a client or a job for a year, or maybe two years,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}“So basically, the answer was nothing. Nothing would change if I don’t get a client or a job for a year, or maybe two years,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}Khandelwal said that knowing that she could maintain her existing lifestyle, even without an income, helped her prepare mentally for the decision.
‘Don’t quit because you think you are brave’
Further, Khandelwal pointed out that social media posts about quitting corporate jobs may not always show the financial preparation behind such decisions. “The part that I speak about is I quit my corporate job. I don’t talk about, ‘Oh, I saved so much for six and a half years before I quit my corporate job,’” she said.
Khandelwal clarified that her video was not intended to encourage people to quit, but to explain the preparation behind her own decision. “This is honestly not an inspiration video, so I wanted to say out loud the truth on why I quit and what story you don’t get to hear from me,” she said.
She acknowledged that some people may have difficult or toxic workplaces, saying she had experienced such situations herself. However, she urged people to ask themselves the same financial questions before deciding to resign.
“Before you quit, ask yourself the same question that I asked myself, and if your answer is yes, you honestly don’t need my permission, or anybody else’s for that matter,” she said.
In the caption of the Instagram video, Khandelwal wrote, “Don’t quit because you think you are brave. I quit because I had done the math and I hope this helps.”
She also cautioned viewers against blindly following social media creators who encourage people to leave their jobs and start content creation. “Please don’t get inspired by random content creators that says, ‘Quit your job and start content creation.’ Don’t do that,” she said.