to quit my graduate program to take a leap of faith?

[MyLadyDior]

Cross-posting for traffic.

I need a career advice.

I am in a graduate program in an enterprise. I came from a different industry and retrained in IT. My career trajectory now is in the BA/data analysis space. While I like data analysis, I find BA a bit, well, boring. If I were to go into data analysis, my previous plan was to study masters in analytics part-time while working so I can do data analytics. However, I am also interested in software development. I know a bit of programming, but I know it is not enough to secure a job as a programmer so I might have to go to a bootcamp if I want to become a programmer.

However, I found out that there is an opportunity for me to move overseas using my previous qualification. But I need to resign from my job and go back to my previous industry in order to push through with this. This is not a 100% sure thing, but there is a good chance.

If this pushes through, I will be moving with my partner, whose career will more likely improve in the new country. His career where we are is going well, but he might be in the ceiling, unless he goes into management, which he is not interested in. Eventually, I may be able to shift back to IT if I still want to.

Pros:

My partner will be with me. His career will most likely get a boost as his skills are very transferable and he is very good in what he does.

There will be more doors open to me, as I can choose which qualification I want to pursue (after the first two years of paying my dues.)

Cons:

I will lose my salary. However, my partner's salary is more than enough for the two of us. So it really is probably not an issue, but I have gotten used to earning money again after a long time of not earning money.

I am not young. I am afraid that if it does not work out, i will not get another job in IT again.

Thoughts?

Ok, the only risk is actually my graduae job now, and I am on track for a BA position or data analyst position probably. Not data analytics. Even if I'm staying, I still want to train in either data analytics or software development.

I do no want to be a BA. But that's the career trajectory I see for myself if I stay in this role.

I'm assuming you have a mentor or someone overseeing your development in your graduate programme? Have you had an honest conversation with them about your career aspirations?

Also, could you tell us how old you are and what safety net you have (savings, assets) - if you're going to make a risky move these are all relevant.

Have you discussed this with your husband? Does he agree that his skills and experience should make him finding a job in the new country easy?

But my view is to Go For It.

Take the international opportunity and travel. Don't rush to resign from your current position until you've secured the new position.

If I had an opportunity to get off this island I'd be off like a shot given the current political situation.

It all sounds a bit muddled and illogical. If you can’t explain on here why it would be a good move, it probably wouldn’t be. I’m not adverse to moving overseas having done it myself but it seems a bit odd to quit your grad scheme and move for a role where you’d lose your salary. That’s the bit that seems confusing.

I'm in my mid-30s. Savings enough to last for more than a year without working. No assets though.

I have not talked to my mentor yet, as I have not really decided yet.

Have you discussed this with your husband? Does he agree that his skills and experience should make him finding a job in the new country easy? Yes. His skills and experience are very in demand in the new country. I have no doubts he will find a job - the worst case scenario is he finds a comparable job to what he has here, but there's a very good chance his career will get a boost.

it seems a bit odd to quit your grad scheme and move for a role where you’d lose your salary.

I will only lose my salary (from my graduate program) while waiting for my visa to come, as I would need to undergo some trainings etc to prepare. It's a long story, but that's the gist - I'd need to resign from my graduate program, take a temporary pay cut (of 100% :D), in order to pursue the overseas opportunity.

When I start my role overseas, I will of course have a salary. :)

What is this alternative career which is in high demand in an overseas location but not here?

What is your husbands career and why is it in such huge demand elsewhere?

It's in high demand here. But the centre/capital of the industry is overseas, where I am going.

No kids, don't want kids.

Why do you want to move? Have you always wanted to live in this other country and reverting to your old career would enable this? Do you actually want to go back to your old job or is it a means to an end? Or is this all just to support your husband to move to a country where he thinks he'd do better?

I've gone back to an old career I've previously left and lasted less than a year. The same reasons I left were still there, if not worse. I definitely wouldn't have lasted 2 years unpaid! Don't go until you've really figured out what your motivation is, beyond being a bit bored on your grad scheme.

*curiouslypacific

If I move, I will have more opportunities, not just my husband.

I will not be unpaid for two years. I will only lose salary because I am quitting the graduate program, while waiting to leave (get the visa, etc). The wait is probably more or less a year.

Have you always wanted to live in this other country

Yes.

Will the overseas opportunity go away if you do not take it - or are there usually openings? A compromise would be to complete the grad program then move. I presume your DH job is likely to stay being in high demand in 1-2 years?

Hang on, if it will take a year to get the visa sorted - why are you rushing to quit the graduate programme?

You can get the ball rolling with the new position without quitting your current job. They only need to be told once it gets to the point where they're going to be asked for a reference - either by your future employer or as part of the visa process.

You can then discuss with them whether you need to quit there and then, or whether it's mutually beneficial for you to carry on with your contract until nearer the time you leave. If you have a mentor with your current employer be vary careful about what you discuss with them - consider who they are employed by and to whom they owe duties.

Again... Go For It.

But make sure you've checked over the implications for healthcare, pension, etc. If you want to cover yourself for a possible return to the UK at a later date speak to someone about voluntary NI contributions.

Where overseas?

Your writing style means this thread is impossible to understand.

Sorry but I don't think you have thought this through and your posts are jumbled up.
It would be very silly to dump a graduate training scheme with only 6 months left to run with (what you are saying) has a defined job at the end.
But, you don't see yourself doing this and neither have you appeared to have spoken to a mentor about what you think you would like to do. You don't seem to have all the information to hand to make the decision which doesn't bode well for data analytics either!
I would advise against jacking in the scheme until you have all the information

Stick with and complete the graduate program. This won’t be your only opportunity trust me. Don’t go two steps back to get one step forward when you could move two steps forward now then do a side move in a couple of years anyway. Make connections and visit the country you are interested in the meantime.

If your previous career was such that you decided to retrain, what has changed that means it's now desirable?

Why did you not previously go abroad? (Corollary to the above question)

What has changed (apart from you not really fancying the likely role you'll be offered after the graduate programme)?

Why is this now the best course of action when it wasn't before you started retraining?

I'm generally in favour of working overseas but it seems an odd choice part way through retraining to return to your original role. Unless whatever made you want to retrain in the first place has been resolved, you are just deferring your problems.

I intentionally made this vague so as not to be outed as I know a couple of people who frequent Mumsnet. Apologies if this is confusing because of the lack of details but the gist is this:

Scenario 1: Quit grad program, undergo some trainings required for the overseas job while the visa (PR, not working visa, which is what makes this very attractive as PR is difficult to get in that country) etc are being processed by sponsor, move overseas, work in the job for two years. After two years, I'm free to do what I want - either stay in the same industry and get further qualifications, or go back to IT and get further qualifications (masters or bootcamp). There is a third career option but it is a pie-in-the-sky at this point, but stranger things have happened. So three options for a career.

Scenario 2: Finish grad program, stay where I am, get a masters in data analytics while working. Live life in a comfortable bubble.

Scenario 3: Finish grad program, quit and enter a bootcamp to be a software developer. Live life in a comfortable bubble.

Why is this now the best course of action when it wasn't before you started retraining?

Because now, I am in the front of the queue. This process was started a long time ago, such that I lost hope that it will even happen because it took so many years of waiting.

It seems to me that you are looking for validation or permission to take the overseas opportunity because you present it far more positively than the other options, despite most posters suggesting it is unwise at this stage in your program. With such vague details only you can know if this is a genuine once in a lifetime kind of deal that you can’t pass up, despite it seeming sort of irrational/illogical from an objective view point.

you present it far more positively than the other options

I'm presenting it factually. Graduate program finishes, stay, continue working while doing masters. Graduate program finishes, go to a bootcamp and train in software development. Live a comfortable life in both scenario.

It's a nice life.

Does a completed grad program stand you in better stead to do the bootcamp/masters? Could you still do masters part time or coding in your spare time if you did scenario 1?

Unless you have ties to UK - unwell relatives, kids education, I’d be tempted to do option 1 - but only you and DH would be able to gauge that