I’ve been blessed with friends who introduced me to travel, and barely a few trips later (within & outside India), I enjoyed it more than I expected. About a decade ago, 2 domestic trips & 1 International trip didn’t seem too far-fetched. Sixty trips (before I turn 60!) were the ultimate aim.
Then came a crucial aspect of taking time off for these travels and funding it. The annual 20-day vacation to force-fit holidays didn’t sit well with me (more like ticking boxes).
At the time, location-independent roles were scarce, and the concept was still relatively nascent. But Remote year was something that I stumbled across. Due credit has to be given to this portal for being the eye-opener and the first step in gaining immense clarity on what I was working towards. Escthecity.org was another portal that was a pleasant surprise with the roles on offer.
Cut to the present world, a post COVID world to be precise, where there is a surge in remote working and the rate of adoption has been phenomenal. What was previously thought impossible now seems like the new normal, albeit with a pause and considerable dip in travel.
Having worked remotely for more than a decade, it was something that came naturally to me. Having said that, few and far remote roles suddenly exploded into so many more available, and now a matter of finding your niche (sustainable at that!). Experience can be additional baggage that you end up paying for much more than what you initially bargained for.
Without stagnating further, I decided the logical next step was to translate ideas into action.
From my limited experience, I would have loved for it to be broken down like this a few years back -
Pre transition
1. Significant research required — translating to investing a lot of your spare time, also may mean having to sacrifice binge-watching TV series, reading the latest best-seller, having to say NO to a couple of social events)
2. Matching your areas of interest with something that makes sense commercially
3. Understanding the risks involved and having a fallback plan in case things go down south rather quickly
4. Setting aside funds and being prepared for zero income while in the transition phase for a set period that works for you
5. Acquiring skills/re-skilling in an area of your choice (for example, digital marketing, product marketing)
6. Connecting with folks in your area of choice on LinkedIn and Social Media
Trying out internships and volunteering to gain actual experience via Indeed, LinkedIn, Upwork
Actual transition
1. Take a sabbatical for about 4–6 months from your current role and put to practice the skills gained.
2. Experimenting/trying out co-working spaces in the current location or other locations based on budgets and the need for change in the environment
3. Either via freelancing or on contract — this is when you would actually start earning money and sustain yourself.
4. Continuing to re-skill / up-skill and keeping up with trends in the chosen field
If you are ever thinking of transitioning roles and doing something completely different would suggest reaching out to Arjun Prakash — PIVOT
Post transition
1. Share learnings
2. Help others/pay it forward
3. Keep collaborating
4. Specialise in a couple of areas, if you can
Hopefully, I’ll be able to cover much more with specifics on how I started from scratch learning Social Media/Digital Marketing with plenty of links.
Lastly, never stop enjoying what you do. Life’s too short to be lived with regrets and transient to be spent thinking, “What could’ve/might’ve been?”.
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