The Only Advice: This is a conscious decision and should not be an abrupt one e.g. after having a conflict with your boss, or because you did not get promoted while others did! move.
I left my job with Schlumberger, the leading oilfield services company, about TWO years ago. To be honest, I wanted to do for a long time – NOT because I did not get along with my manager, or because I was too stressed out, or I did not like it. There was only ONE reason to quit my job – To pursue my personal dreams and goals! I sacrificed my GOOD in my quest for being GREAT.
My decision was not abrupt for my boss and my family. Both of them knew about it well in advance and they know it was inevitable. On the other hand, I spent time researching my options, my savings, my cash flow and the businesses I could venture into at least three months before I handed in my resignation.
After due research and consideration, I realized that the basic building block needs to come from own skills rather than depending upon someone else. Hence I co-founded inTime Oilfield Consultants (https://www.linkedin.com/company/intime-oilfield-consultants/) with the intention to provide technical consulting services. We started off well and landed our first contract within the first 6 months of incorporation. Since then, we have been able to provide services to multiple companies in Pakistan and recently contracted some work in Saudi Arabia.
Where do I stand TODAY? I am not where I wished to be but I am not very far either. In H1-2016, all the pundits were speculating upstream O&G revival by mid 2017. In reality the pace of revival is much slower than anticipated. The slow pace has enabled me to look for avenues outside O&G sector that I will be sharing in due course of time. The recent initiative is inTime Talent Enrichment (https://www.linkedin.com/company/intime-talent-enrichment/) that aims to provide practical and tangible solutions towards competency development.
Being an EMPLOYER gives you freedom, flexibility and above all the chance to pursue your dreams. If you value these, then you can also start thinking and planning to make the move. It is not easy and it is never going to be easy. Your immediate family and mentors need to be onboard as they will be the ones providing you the much needed support when you are down.
Last but not the least – Am I happy with my decision after 2 years?
YES I am.. and I am enjoying every bit of it.
Feel free to contact me if you require further information or any guidance.
Good Luck to all of you out there – getting ready to make the move.
About the author: Irfan Nazir is the CEO of inTime Talent Enrichment (iTE). He has more than 15 years of professional experience in management roles spanning Africa and Asia. He strongly believes that Pakistan’s socio-economic development can be accelerated by effectively nurturing its ever-growing youth. Irfan aspires to be a life coach for the youth, with focus on entrepreneurship, self-development, career counselling and corporate soft skill trainings.