PETALING JAYA: Young adults are finding unconventional ways to chart their career path.
This has allowed them to take a much needed break from their jobs and recalibrate their lives, while still being able to earn an income.
Realising that his values were at odds with corporate culture, Isaac Siew, 29, left his job as a strategic analyst for a working holiday abroad.
“I was unhappy working in a culture that prioritised maximising profit to appease shareholders, instead of creating better products for their customers,” he said.
He lived in New Zealand for six months with a working holiday visa, taking on jobs such as farm work, housekeeping and parcel sorting, and then taking time to explore the country.
“It was life-changing. The peace and quiet allowed me to re-evaluate why I was so unhappy in my previous position, and to understand my values and priorities better,” he said.
After the break, Siew has decided to pivot into his own food and beverage business.
Operations executive Rubendren Ragumar, 28, was exhausted by his previous job, which had him working for more than 10 hours a day and constantly answering messages on the weekends.
Jumping into the unknown, he went on a working holiday in Australia for a year, where he worked in farming and construction.
“It was scary of course, but when my work became too overwhelming, I started surveying job opportunities in other countries,” he said.
“Although work in Australia was physically gruelling, it was much more bearable than the mental drain from my previous job.
“At least I was paid fairly,” he said.
Rubendren added that the break gave him space to sort through his priorities and upskill himself.
He became more cautious about choosing his next job, prioritising a more sustainable work-life balance.
Self-employed Syafiq Abd, 33, said the lack of acknowledgment and financial promotion from his bosses led to a burnout.
“After a good period of me providing ideas and energy which was reciprocated with little to nothing, I became tired of work and less creative,” he said.
After 10 years of working, he was retrenched due to downsizing.
“However, that break from work gave me the chance to start my own creative agency with former colleagues and pursue what I love,” he added.
