DutchGirl's journal

Where are you and where are you going?
DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

So.... I just told my (new) direct boss that I'm quitting. After stressing over the decision, now I can say: how nice. I'll quit on Oct 30th or maybe Nov 14th (to allow me to give one more presentation that has been planned for a while). There are a few tasks I do that they will have to find other people for. But otherwise I'll be freeeeeeee. At least free from this job.

I do still want to do "something" next. But it has to be a bit meaningful (to me) and less stressful. And I do have time, a lot of time, to find something that fits.

chenda
Posts: 3289
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:17 pm
Location: Nether Wallop

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by chenda »

DutchGirl wrote:
Fri Jul 29, 2022 6:33 am
But otherwise I'll be freeeeeeee. At least free from this job.
Congratulations Dutchgirl thats great news :)

McTrex
Posts: 180
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 9:35 am
Location: NL

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by McTrex »

Congratulations!

Quadalupe
Posts: 268
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:56 am
Location: the Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by Quadalupe »

Very nice DutchGirl, you have been here a long time; splendid to see that you have achieved freeeeeeeeeedom! (Of course you were already doing pretty well before!)

radamfi
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2014 5:46 pm

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by radamfi »

Well done! Nice to see my favourite journal reach the ultimate goal. Also, without the *one more year* syndrome that afflicted me!

singvestor
Posts: 205
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:48 am

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by singvestor »

Congratulations Dutchgirl! So happy to hear the news and very curious to hear what insights you will generate out of this new experience!

disk_poet
Posts: 125
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2020 3:33 am

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by disk_poet »

Congrats DutchGirl. Such an impressive journey.

Scott 2
Posts: 2824
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by Scott 2 »

Excited to see what you get up to!

MBBboy
Posts: 212
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2022 12:11 pm

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by MBBboy »

And THAT'S the power of having your financial house in order. Good luck on your search

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

MBBboy wrote:
Sun Jul 31, 2022 4:11 pm
And THAT'S the power of having your financial house in order. Good luck on your search
Most definitely it feels good to use this power and I'm also thankful to be able to use this power.

I have had my own way of 1 year syndrome though, radamfi, as I probably should have quit this particular job a few years ago (and find something else), but I was always thinking: oh, I'll stick with it for a little bit longer even though it's not so enjoyable anymore, because I know what I have but I don't know what I can get.

radamfi
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2014 5:46 pm

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by radamfi »

DutchGirl wrote:
Mon Aug 01, 2022 5:21 am
I have had my own way of 1 year syndrome though, radamfi, as I probably should have quit this particular job a few years ago (and find something else), but I was always thinking: oh, I'll stick with it for a little bit longer even though it's not so enjoyable anymore, because I know what I have but I don't know what I can get.
You quit your job soon after reaching FI. To me, that's impressive! It is more difficult to make a big change like that before reaching FI so sticking with the safe option is understandable. Reaching FI gives you the freedom to make bolder decisions.

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

On Monday I called my boss to discuss the tasks that I'll need to transfer to someone else. After being glad to finally having made the decision and telling my boss, and after happily talking about leaving work to you guys and to my family during the weekend, my boss asked if I had perhaps changed my mind. Errrrr... nope. And my heart made another little dance as I said that.

So we discussed the tasks that I'll need to transfer. Luckily there aren't many specific tasks, so we were done in twenty minutes or so.

And now we wait (as the Heineken beer commercial famously said - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_iPvUWyzhE). 3 more months of working to go. Roughly 400 work hours to go (as I don't work fulltime anyway). And slowly counting down.

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

...and we wait some more. What a long time it takes for a month to pass! Meanwhile, new boss is making the current job a lot less comfortable (yes, I knew she was like that, so that was one of the many reasons to get out). I am still making an effort for the others to make it better (talking to the trade union about how she is breaking some agreements), but on the other hand: I'm out, soon. So I am caring less and less.

And so I want to get a new job, probably for a few years. So far, I seem to have like four different options.

1. Continuing my current job-on-the-side with slightly more hours to more or less cover expenses (to let my stash grow). Advantages: I know that I can do this job and I like it. I am already hired. It's shift work (day shifts) and I can offer to work as many or as few shifts as I want. Salary is quite good. Disadvantages: maybe at some point there won't be enough shifts available. I need a car to get there. The shifts start very early in the morning. At some point (1-2 years from now?) the work may stop completely.
2. Working at a government institution. I don't know the full details of this job, although I've spent a day shadowing a potential future colleague. Advantages: I think I can do this job. I am likely to be hired because they're short on people. I can choose a contract of 3, 4 or 5 days per week, with some flexibility in the hours (no evening/night work required) and working from home for some days of the week. If I work at the office, I can get there by public transport. The salary is really good. Disadvantages: the job requires knowing the details of some laws (yawn!) and sticking to them, even if sometimes I don't agree with it. The job will be influenced heavily by what politicians decide.
3. Working at a nursing home. Advantages: useful, "rewarding" work. Salary is quite good. Parttime work is possible. They need employees. Disadvantages: evenings, weekends, and night shifts. I'm not sure that I can do the job (and do it well). Officially I can, but I know I might not be the best person for this type of work. Oh, and there will be suffering and death.
4. Working in a lab. Advantages: I know that I can do this job and I would like it a lot. It could be parttime, it would be fixed hours and no evening/nights. Salary would be reasonable. I could get there by public transport. Disadvantages: here the main issue is that I've been out of this type of work for ten years, so I'm not sure whether anyone would want to hire me. One other disadvantage is that it would be commercial and that it could be stressful if the company takes on too much work for not enough employees (which I've heard a friend of mine who works at a lab complain about). I've sent in applications to two different companies so far.

In all of these jobs for me a lot would depend on how colleagues help each other (or not) and on how management supports the work (or not). So that could be an advantage or disadvantage to work at a particular place.

Writing this down now, it seems to me like I should go for a lab job at a workplace that is nice with a reasonably relaxed atmosphere, given that I would probably really like to do this. So I guess I should go all-in on this option. If not, continuing in my current job-on-the-side would give a lot of flexibility.

rube
Posts: 883
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:54 pm
Location: Europe (NL)

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by rube »

I think you can permit yourself to "try" one of these jobs. If you don't like it after a few months, you can explain it to the next employer (if needed) you have a record staying at one job of what was is, 14 years? So you have already proven you are steady employee if there is a reasonable fit.

MBBboy
Posts: 212
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2022 12:11 pm

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by MBBboy »

Ditto on what @rube said. Also, are you being self-limiting when thinking about some of these option?

For example, Option 1. Your disadvantages center around a possible future where maybe there isn't enough work. Well.....what if you're wrong? Is this false uncertainty? Moreover, even if you're right......so? You can just reassess in a few years and be where you are now. Is that so bad?

Anyway, think you're on the right track with giving Option 4 a shot to see what happens and know that Option 1 is always there. I think it's important to always have a sense of choice when it comes to important decisions like this. You'll feel better about whatever you end up doing if you know that you chose to do it, and chose it over good options. The sense of "what if" can steal a lot of joy from what would otherwise be an enjoyable situation.

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

So at work, the cat is out of the bag. Everyone now knows that I'm leaving. People are reacting in a positive way: they're sad that I'm leaving, but wishing me the best. No hatemail just yet, luckily.

I find that I do have a rich plethora of options on what to do next. Today I spent a day at a nursing home to see what the work really is like (so this is option 3 from my previous message). It was a good experience and I must say I like this option now much more than before. This could be a good longterm option. I could see myself doing this for a long time, and I'd feel useful, I'd have social interactions and would need to work my brain cells every once in a while.

One issue would be to find a way to get up to date on some medical skills that I last had to use like 20 years ago (ouch I'm old). But there should be training options somewhere out there and I can easily afford a few bucks and a few days/weeks of my time to update my knowledge and skills to an acceptable level to start this new job. (And then for sure I'll learn more while on the job).

I also have a lottery ticket (for 3 euros, no worries). So... if I am going to win the Dutch national lottery tomorrow and I will for sure never ever have to work again for even one minute of my life, will I immediately drop all plans of taking on a new job? Or will I still want to do it, just for fun? I am like 90% sure that I would still like to do something, but maybe I am deluding myself. These last few weeks every once in a while I've felt stressed out about trying to find a new job before I finish my current one (deadline: Oct 31). I don't think that that was a rational thought, I can easily take it easy and put some time and effort into finding an ideal way to spend my time (job, volunteer work, hobby, whatever). But still every once in a while I felt the urgent need to secure a new job. Weird. But okay, I will survive these feelings as I have survived mixed feelings in the past as well.

My parents and my MIL are doing okay, my guy and I are doing okay, health and weight are slowly improving, less than two months until my last work day at my current job, so my life's pretty good. (After updating here, I went to a news website and got a reminder that in the bigger world out there are truly terrible things happening. But my life is pretty good).

sky
Posts: 1726
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:20 am

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by sky »

I would lean toward taking another job. Travel and hobbies are good for a time but eventually lose their attraction. The advantage of financial freedom means you can choose a job which gives you satisfaction without too much sress.

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

Yesterday was my last meeting at my old job. The ones where you go and sit and listen to what your boss and your bosses' bosses have come up with this time. Now it's just five more weeks of working and then I'm done.

People find it very brave of me that I'm quitting without already having a new job.

Two have told me in confidence that if they could afford it, they would quit too.

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

Three and a half more weeks of work. The countdown has definitely started, but boy, these last weeks drag on and on and on. I feel quite tired and very ready for a vacation. Luckily I will have one, because I've decided to not start any new job the week after finishing the old one. I might even take a full month off.

I am on the other hand sad to say goodbye to most of my colleagues (there are some exceptions). I've invited most of them to goodbye-drinks at the end of October and a lot of them are coming. I can't invite all of them, so today I bought six boxes of chocolates to leave at six locations that I frequently worked at, for all colleagues there who may not be able to make it to my farewell party.

I still have my "restless" moments when I am afraid about being jobless and running out of money. It's hard for me to fully shake this feeling, it comes back every once in a while. The stock market's decline *and* the newspapers reporting about the rising levels of poverty in the Netherlands (due to energy bills / inflation going up) are not helping in that respect.

As for the war in Ukraine, I'm very happy to see the Ukrainian army gaining back terrain from the Russian invaders. However, this also makes me afraid of what Putin will do when defeat seems inevitable. In Dutch we have a saying for this: a cornered cat makes unpredictable moves. So: What will Putin (and his top henchmen) do when they're cornered?

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: DutchGirl's journal

Post by DutchGirl »

...the answer to that question turns out to be, for now, to bomb civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Anyway... last week at my current job. Tomorrow I have the day off. Then I'll have a last half workday on Friday and that will be it. At one location I worked "for the last time" three times! First time was the last officially planned shift, and then two more times I was put there in a hurry to cover for colleagues who are/were ill.
I can't fully believe yet that I won't do this job anymore ever again after Friday, it still feels a bit unreal. But on the other hand I'm glad that this last month is almost over. Today I had someone take some pictures from me in the office at my desk, as a memory for later.

I have a job interview tomorrow and will have another phone job interview in the upcoming days. And then it might be possible that I'll have to choose between two offered jobs.

One would be a parttime (1-3 workdays per week) job that would give enough income to cover 50-70% of expenses (rest would come from other activities or from my stash). The job listing says that I can often work from home. It does not seem to be a very challenging job. I would probably do it for a couple of years until the stash has grown enough to cover 100% of expenses until retirement age.

The other would be working at a home for the elderly (3-5 workdays per week). That job would more than cover my expenses. I would definitely not be able to work from home, but it would take 15-30 minutes to travel to and from work which is loads better than what I have now. It will be a more challenging job which can be a good or a bad thing. I would probably do it for a longer time until maybe at some time I don't like it anymore (if that ever happens).

So the first job would be more about filling my coffers in a nice enough way to make it to full FI status, while the second one would be a way to spend part of my time in a positive way before and after reaching FI status.

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