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Your advice needed on a major career decision!

 
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robinsoncrusoe



Joined: 22 Jan 2010

PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 7:03 pm    Post subject: Your advice needed on a major career decision! Reply with quote

i'm not sure if anybody is in a similar situation, but i'm facing a major career decision these days:

after working/living in korea for several years, i've recently moved back to the states. i run a consultancy with a partner and 2 employees. they're all korean and based in korea. i'm thinking of exiting the consultancy i have because i don't have passion for it anymore and it's draining me. however, it generates a lot of revenue. and i don't have anything else to fall back on or any previous career that i can return to, since i came to teach english in korea soon after graduating college.

part of me is saying to stick with what i'm doing because of the lifestyle it affords me. the other part is telling me to stay in the states permanently.

so the facts are thus:

-i'll be 26 soon. if i'm going to make a career change, better now than later, i'm thinking.
-no kids, no wife, no responsibilities other than my work
-i am completely drained and burnt out. this is definitely not a career. i'd be losing hair by 30 if i keep going like this.
-the work we do doesn't scale very well. if we wanted more money, we'd have to take on more clients. and we're already at our breaking point as it is.
-i don't have to be in korea to run it, but i just prefer to be accessible to the clients
-i don't know what else i would do back home.
-i've been home a week now and already hate it Sad it's reminding me of why i left in the first place. economy's still in the shitter too.

any advice on what to do? i've already decided to exit my consultancy and now i'm living at home so i can plan my next move without spending my savings. i flirted with the thought of going on a lavish vacation somewhere warm for a few months, but this career dilemma would have me feeling anxious the whole time.


Last edited by robinsoncrusoe on Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:49 pm; edited 8 times in total
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highstreet



Joined: 13 Nov 2010

PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So, are you in the States or in Korea? Your post is very confusing.

Anyways, I'd stick with the consulting. ESL doesn't seem to have many possibilities for advancement.
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FMPJ



Joined: 03 Jun 2008

PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Your advice needed on a major career decision! Reply with quote

robinsoncrusoe wrote:
i've recently moved back to the states.


robinsoncrusoe wrote:
part of me is saying to stick with what i'm doing because of the lifestyle it affords me. the other part is telling me to move back to the states


Since you're already in the States, I think it's safe for you to ignore the part of you that's telling you to move there.
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robinsoncrusoe



Joined: 22 Jan 2010

PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Edited.
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Yaya



Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 12:01 am    Post subject: Re: Your advice needed on a major career decision! Reply with quote

robinsoncrusoe wrote:
i'm not sure if anybody is in a similar situation, but i'm facing a major career decision these days:

after working/living in korea for several years, i've recently moved back to the states. i run a consultancy with a partner and 2 employees. they're all korean and based in korea. i'm thinking of exiting the consultancy i have because i don't have passion for it anymore and it's draining me. however, it generates a lot of revenue. and i don't have anything else to fall back on or any previous career that i can return to, since i came to teach english in korea soon after graduating college.

part of me is saying to stick with what i'm doing because of the lifestyle it affords me. the other part is telling me to stay in the states permanently.

so the facts are thus:

-i'll be 26 soon. if i'm going to make a career change, better now than later, i'm thinking.
-no kids, no wife, no responsibilities other than my work
-i am completely drained and burnt out. this is definitely not a career. i'd be losing hair by 30 if i keep going like this.
-the work we do doesn't scale very well. if we wanted more money, we'd have to take on more clients. and we're already at our breaking point as it is.
-i don't have to be in korea to run it, but i just prefer to be accessible to the clients
-i don't know what else i would do back home.
-i've been home a week now and already hate it Sad it's reminding me of why i left in the first place. economy's still in the shitter too.

any advice on what to do? i've already decided to exit my consultancy and now i'm living at home so i can plan my next move without spending my savings. i flirted with the thought of going on a lavish vacation somewhere warm for a few months, but this career dilemma would have me feeling anxious the whole time.


I say give your job more time and effort. I think returning to the U.S. will require time and effort to readjust, and perhaps you are in that process. You might regret giving up the consulting company later on, and well, you DID leave Korea and I'm sure you had a reason for it.

Perhaps you need to tweak your job a bit to make it better. Click martynemko.com and perhaps this famous career counselor can help you make a better decision. Many undergo Korea withdrawal after returning home but going back to Korea isn't the best decision for everybody, though many try.
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Cartman



Joined: 30 Jun 2009

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 7:02 am    Post subject: Re: Your advice needed on a major career decision! Reply with quote

Yaya wrote:
I say give your job more time and effort. I think returning to the U.S. will require time and effort to readjust, and perhaps you are in that process. You might regret giving up the consulting company later on, and well, you DID leave Korea and I'm sure you had a reason for it.

Perhaps you need to tweak your job a bit to make it better. Click martynemko.com and perhaps this famous career counselor can help you make a better decision. Many undergo Korea withdrawal after returning home but going back to Korea isn't the best decision for everybody, though many try.


+1

Coming home always fuels these thoughts and emotions... I think it took me about 3 months to finally feel grounded after coming home.. Definitely wouldn't rush yourself with any decision this early.. just settle in and feel things out, with the effort and attitude in your head that you will be living in the U.S. permanently from now on. See where your head is at in a couple of months..
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robinsoncrusoe



Joined: 22 Jan 2010

PostPosted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 10:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yea I guess a lot of people go through similar experiences when they get back home. It's not so much the being at home part for me, however. I just don't know what to do for a job! You get this weird feeling of being lost and out of place when you go from working 80 hour weeks to nothing.
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