From Quitting to Opportunity

Visualizing Vindication

I recently wrote a piece entitled ‘I Quit My Job,’ which was an article I originally wrote when I was thinking about quitting my job. I felt it had heart and deserved a rewrite. The original piece was called “I’m Going to Quit My Job,” and it was a lot shorter but garnered a lot of attention. So I rewrote it, added a lot more, and released it.

I felt that now that I had been out on my own for three months as a freelancer, it was the perfect time to do so.

The claps on “I Quit My Job” may be modest so far, but the read time is big, and it seems to be gaining traction.

Now, I don’t think it will go viral, but it could be my most popular piece for reading time. This has led me to think about the consequences of my writing on Medium and who I may or may not be influencing.

Maybe you are thinking about quitting.

I don’t want to lie to you.

Did I quit my job?

Yes, I did.

After ten years in the classroom, I finally made the move. It was a rough and tough decision. Changing careers at 35 was daunting but vital to my future vitality and happiness.

Have I changed my career?

Well, this part is tricky.

No, I am in the process of changing careers. I recently got offered a job at an Amsterdam-based recruitment company that wants me to lead the UK and Ireland teams, and by team, I mean me.

I’m the team.

Daunting, but I’ve got the guts and will to do it.

I am ready

But how?

Well…

How I Got My New Job

In my “I Quit My Job” piece, I mentioned thatI had been considering quitting my teaching job for about three years.

The seeds were sewn in 2020 when I met a man from Holland in my gym.

Yes, what happens when an Irishman and Dutchman walk into a Turkish gym?

The Irish guy remembers.

Yes, I met my new employer in my local gym.

The man who heads up a global recruitment company goes to the same gym as me, in a random city in the middle of Turkey.

He told me all about his then-fledgling company. I was so impressed by him and excited by his endeavors. He asked me if I was interested in traveling to Holland with him for an interview.

I remember being crestfallen when I had to refuse. I was under contract at my school and couldn’t take time off.

Fool

I should have quit, but I was too careful and, if I am being honest, I wasn’t that confident in my network, so...

I Visualized

I spent the next two years acting like I already had the job.

I researched marketing, read marketing books, expanded my network on LinkedIn, and researched my soon-to-be employers' target markets.

Every week, I would take a moment to visualize myself in Amsterdam with my new boss.

I visualized myself saying YES to him next time.

The First Offer

Three months ago, I met the boss again at the gym.

I hadn't seen him since that last time in 2020.

I finished my workout before him and was on my way home when I decided to sit outside the gym and have a coffee.

I took my notebook out and started writing, doodling, and drawing. Why? I just thought he would find that interesting if he saw me again on his way out.

Silly, I know

Well, he saw me and walked right by me before stopping for a moment and inviting me for a drink.

The Notebook worked

During our drink, we chitchatted and had a good time.

He offered to show me the office the next day.

I said yes.

Happiness

I remember running home like a happy camper to tell my wife.

“Do you think he’ll offer you that job?”

“I don’t know, but I have a good feeling

I was excited. I was happy.

The Second Offer

I remember walking into the office withthree other people in the conference room. One of them was the boss, and the other was the coordinator for Turkey.

The boss shook my hands and said,

“Peter, I want to make you an offer.”

“Sure.” ‘This is it! This is it!’

“We would like you to teach our staff English.”

'Oh, for fuck sake,’ I thought to myself.

I said yes. I was depressed and defeated.

‘Am I cursed to teach this language for the rest of my life?’

And so I became his English teacher for the coordinator

I returned to my wife, defeated and embarrassed.

The Final Offer

I decided to treat this setback as an opportunity to impress. After all, I had spent the previous two years researching the company, so during my lessons with the coordinator for Turkey, I showcased what I knew.

I was teaching him how to introduce himself to clients in English and how to speak about the company, so it was a perfect opportunity to do so.

I went to that office twice a week for three months to teach the coordinator.

We became friends, and he was impressed with my knowledge and the amount of market research I had done.

So much so that last week, he scheduled a meeting with the boss.

This time, I was ready.

This time, I would say yes.

“Peter, would you like to work for us?”

“Yes.”

“Peter, would you like to come to Amsterdam with me to meet the team?”

“Yes.”

The Fear

Now, I find myself in the position I have been visualizing for so long, and I’m afraid. Funny, I know, but I’m afraid in a good way. The kind of fear you feel when you just know that you have to make it work or return to the past.

There are those moments of weakness when I contemplate crawling back to teaching.

I recently visited my wife’s school. I was there to lend my views on next year's curriculum. The principal invited me to sit in on a lesson.

I thought I would miss teaching and the classroom, but when I heard the loudness of the kids, the silly questions, and the stuffy halls, I knew I had made the right decision to walk away.

I’m Excited

Instead of planning next week's lesson plans, I am booking tickets to Dublin, London, and then Amsterdam.

I should have said yes the first time he asked, but then I would not have met my wife.

Timing is everything, and everything happens for a reason.

I have been Peter Murphy, and you have just read my stuff.

Happy Holidays