Switching things up might sound scary – especially when it comes to your job. Although staying in the same company for years might make you feel safe, it, often times, also lacks new and exciting challenges. That’s why the motto “Great things never came from comfort zones” couldn’t be more fitting!
Every so often we get inquiries from people that want to switch things up and risk something. Jule, for example, was doing an apprenticeship as a bank clerk and realized: ‘I don‘t want to do this job for the rest of my life.’ After doing some research she decided that she wanted to figure out her future while being abroad. So she found the courage to contact us and plan her internship abroad. In the end, her plan worked out exactly how it was supposed to as she found out that she wanted to spend the rest of her live doing what she had tried out in Barcelona: being a kindergarten teacher! For her, taking a risk was definitely worth it as she would have never found her true passion if she hadn’t left her comfort zone.
Another successful example is Claudia’s case: She has been working in an office for more than 10 years now. Over the last few years the thought of doing voluntary work abroad crossed her mind a few times and the wish to actually go through with it got stronger and stronger. She had this urge to give something back and wanted to help other people. One day she told herself „If I don‘t do it now, I will never do it!“ So she called us and successfully started planning her stay abroad: This autumn, she’s going to work at an NGO for 3 months.
Now, you might be thinking: But won‘t she lose her job? Is that really worth it? Well, good news is: more and more employers support a so called ‘educational leave’. Some even pay their employees to go abroad and become involved in a voluntary project. Moreover, there usually always is the option to take a sabbatical for some moths or even a year. And what better way to use it than to broaden your horizon by going abroad? It’s never too late to take a risk and, for example, go abroad – no matter at what point in your career you are. You will learn so much, not only professionally, but especially about yourself. It’s the best way to make memories that last a lifetime!
