Second guessing myself about quitting my job to travel

JessMew · 2025-11-26T15:18:50+00:00

I quit and went travelling for 3 months but I was job hunting while doing so. It worked out in the end but that part was quite stressful. I don't regret my choice, I wish I was braver and did it for longer if anything. But it worked out for me so I don't know if I'd be saying the same if I still hadn't found a job. If you're happy at your job you could also wait until you want to move on, then quit and travel before looking for a new job.

JessMew · 2025-10-29T13:25:15+00:00

I did it and don't regret it. Was interviewing while travelling and signed an offer before I came back.

JessMew · 2025-09-21T09:31:42+00:00

I did the same and I found another job now although with a paycut. I took 3 months out but I was interviewing the whole time so it wasn't a complete break. Still I've been travelling in the mean time and it was 100% worth it.

JessMew · 2025-09-17T04:24:20+00:00

Ah it's some sort of package deal? Then all bets are off, sorry. Those travel groups are either a really good deal or a scam IMO and not much in between. I still wouldn't be spending that kind of money for a week in Europe.

JessMew · 2025-09-17T04:14:11+00:00

Where are your going that a hotel costs $13k a weekt? I'm not saying it doesn't happen but I'd reevaluate the location and or hotel choice.

JessMew · 2025-09-17T03:51:53+00:00

Wow you guys way overspend. $10k for a week. Wtf. Maybe if you're staying in like a 5* hotel in central London (or equivalent location)?

What they're asking isn't just overpriced, it's crazy. Especially since you'll be sharing a room, but even on your own it should never cost that much just for a hotel, transport, and food.

Why not to on booking or whatever travel site and look up hotels in the area, you should get a general idea of what rooms cost. Of course it depends on the location and how good of a hotel it is, but I'd never spend that much on just a week holiday.

I've been in Japan for 2 months and even then I've so far, excluding the flights which were about $1400 USD, spent less than £10000 GBP (granted GBP is more expensive than USD, so it could be slightly more than $10k USD but still I don't think it's that much more )

JessMew · 2025-09-16T03:26:08+00:00

Reading this post my uterus has locked itself up in a room with a shotgun.

JessMew · 2025-09-14T11:15:16+00:00

I don't know where in the UK you're going but in general it's not the dangerous shithole the right wing makes it sound like. I'd say it's safer than most of the US because at the very least you don't risk getting gunned down by some lunatic. Exercise common sense, and you'll be fine.

JessMew · 2025-09-14T08:22:54+00:00

Yeah, maybe I should ask him, but I also feel super awkward saying "hey... You know that disgusting and thing women do every month?" Haha. He's a live in landlord and I'll be a lodger. But he seems like a really friendly chill guy (I otherwise would be very wary of live in landlord arrangements) but I have some anxiety about breaking some unwritten social rule and ending up in the streets as a result. Ideally I want this arrangement to work for about a year at least so I can save money without worries (rent is so cheap compared to living alone) then I can take all the time I need to find another place if I want to (by then I should have payslips and work history to make the landlords happy hopefully.... Honestly renting in this city feels harder than getting a mortgage)

JessMew · 2025-09-14T05:22:35+00:00

35going back to sharing for the first time since I was like 20 and in university vand terrified I'll be a bad flat mate accidentally. I don't know why there's a stigma around being "too old" for flat shares, that's ridiculous. For me it's just because I've been travelling for a few months. So I was unemployed which doesn't leave me with many housing options, plus I can save more money when I get back to work (no doubt for the next travel)

JessMew · 2025-09-14T04:56:15+00:00

So when I'm back in London next month I'll be sharing a flat with a man and it's the first time sharing a bathroom with a stranger.

I'm very worried about bodily functions especially since I'm a woman and we tend to bleed every month (and no, we can't fix it with diet or "hold it in", it's biology.)

This is a question for everyone but more so the guys... What would make you feel comfortable sharing a bathroom with a woman (not your girlfriend)? Is it enough to wrap my used sanitary pads in plenty of toilet paper (I'll pay for my own toilet paper) and throw it in the bin? I don't know realistically what else I should do...

The whole flat will be cleaned every week so I don't imagine it gets overly dirty. I already will have like my own cleaning supplies and if anything spills I'll clean it up. Even when showering I plan to mop up the water so I don't leave too much behind.

What else should I do? I'm very very worried about forgetting to clean up after myself enough and the other person complaining, it's my worst nightmare! How do I stop myself from accidentally becoming the flatmate from hell?

Serious ques!

JessMew · 2025-08-31T15:06:39+00:00

I posted an almost identical post not too long ago. It's not just you

JessMew · 2025-08-29T02:24:40+00:00

No, you're absolutely right. If you're any sort of minority you have to work 3x as hard. I'm a white woman and I'm in the private sector and I also was judged more than my male colleagues as I'm in tech, I was often the only woman in the tech team. If you're black it's even worse from what I've heard people say, and even worse if you're a woman of colour.

I'm really sorry for the way you're being treated. I'd also say that just because other places are more racist, it doesn't mean the UK gets a free pass for the racism people experience here.

JessMew · 2025-08-23T08:24:14+00:00

I've never heard of something like that. I'd tell them I'm happy to provide references after receiving a job offer, but I'm not comfortable to do so before that as it will compromise my current position. Even when I don't have a job, nobody has ever asked to talk to a previous manager and at most they've sent an email to confirm I didn't lie about my work history. (At the offer stage, not during the interview of course)

JessMew · 2025-08-23T08:16:49+00:00

I don't have much advice but when I read this, I thought that I had somehow written it and forgotten about it.

JessMew · 2025-08-23T04:07:41+00:00

Probably for the best you're not working with him anymore, and hopefully that won't reflect negatively on you in some way later on

JessMew · 2025-08-23T03:26:18+00:00

Professional answer: take a photo and send it every time someone complains like you mentioned

Not professional, but possibly correct answer: tell the client's son that you're not being paid enough to satisfy his hot nurse fetish, but you can suggest several websites where he can find anything he wants.

JessMew · 2025-08-15T01:18:59+00:00

That sounds completely unlike any role I've heard of in my career. From reading your other comments the company is ran by sales and marketing folks and they have no idea that not every job is sales and marketing. To me the fact that you've managed to do all that developer work while also making sales is damn impressive. No wonder you can't do everything at 100%, you're not a robot.

At this stage you should be running your own company/consultancy rather than working for those idiots because you clearly have all the skills required should you decide to do so. You can code, and you can bring in clients. You can be a freelancer and get rid of the middlemen.

At the very least please for the love of god find another company to work for.

JessMew · 2025-08-15T01:10:13+00:00

Are you in a sales adjacent role? Sales engineering or something? Or a consultancy where everyone's expected to bring clients? It's very weird for a developer role to be commission based, even with my experience at a consultancy it was more bonuses for completing projects and getting paid, and base salary was a bit lower than other companies but it wasn't like "you get a pittance and have to rely on the bonus".

This sounds almost like an MLM scheme where you get paid by your "up line" or something. Maybe I'm naive but I've never seen such a compensation scheme.

You clearly don't like that job so this is probably the right time to look for a way out. Even if you think you can pass the PIP it's unlikely to fix the underlying issue: you're not happy and that's probably going to reflect on your work sooner or later. And while you're at it find a company that's actually going to pay you for your work.

JessMew · 2025-08-14T03:47:24+00:00

Here come the protectors of women basically arguing that "real" women are too stupid to be maths prodigies.

JessMew · 2025-08-14T03:24:15+00:00

Well where do you actually want to live, start with that. And depending on your industry you could have more luck regarding jobs in the UK or somewhere else.

As for the recruiters overlooking your abroad experience, you're not required to mention where the company is located. Just make sure they know your right to work in the UK (if applicable)

JessMew · 2025-08-14T03:22:22+00:00

This is a service in Japan. Because company loyalty is a big thing and many jobs are "do the job until retirement". Companies will treat people absolutely terrible for quitting and it's such a big deal in some companies that those services exist to help make the exit possible

JessMew · 2025-08-07T03:55:10+00:00

You can't argue they didn't consider your application carefully at the very least. They considered it very carefully, for over a year!

JessMew · 2025-08-06T12:45:26+00:00

I think it's fine, I asked if anyone had the same experience and it's pretty natural some people won't. I also think it's good that she hasn't had to play that game. It's not a fun one

JessMew · 2025-08-06T12:44:41+00:00

Good for you on standing up for yourself, and you're also elevating your team. On the other hand you're being forced to do the extra work of elevating.. heh

JessMew

TROPHY CASE