I resigned from my job two days ago and now I don't know what to do.

Sadikshya Karki

August 5,2022 at 1:29PM UTC

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I resigned from my job two days ago and now I don't know what to do.

I completed my bachelor's in Computer Science but in the second year itself, I realized that I am not interested in coding and more aligned towards managing so I joined a not-for-profit organization called AIESEC parallelly, I spent almost 5 years in this organization taking multiple leadership roles, from chapter head to corporate relation to Business Development and as CEO/President as well in 2020-21. After my term ended as president I applied for Sales Manager at one of the reputed Ed Tech companies in Nepal and got it. Even though the purpose of the company was really great but the team I was working with and the leader I had were really toxic which is why I resigned now I am confused and have started to question myself if I should apply to work for another corporate? Am I made for corporate? should I do a master's? what major should I take? I feel like I need help here and I found this page. It would be great if someone could help me in education or career counseling.

Thank you

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AnonymousAugust 5,2022 at 4:06PM UTC
I've held positions in multiple industries throughout my career. Some I sought, while others presented themselves.
Now is the time to question what you really want. If you liked the industry but not the company's culture, you can look into a similar role in a different organization. Ask yourself if it was the corporate mentality and if so, you might be a better fit for a smaller company.
To start focusing your attention regarding what you want, I would make a list of what you liked, didn't and in an ideal situation what you would like in a future employer. Once you have a clear focus, start researching companies that meet those cultures. Review websites like Indeed and Glassdoor to determine what current and former employees shared about the company. Good luck with your search!
AnonymousAugust 5,2022 at 6:19PM UTC
I think the team you work with makes all the difference. No matter how much you love a company’s mission, if the leadership is toxic, then you won’t be happy.
Think about not just the work you want, but the environment and leadership you want to have to help you growth professionally.
Good Luck!
Kathryn MontbriandSeptember 1,2022 at 3:14PM UTC
Don't discount an entire industry because of one bad experience - there are so many different types of companies and cultures out there, it takes some searching to find the right one for you.
At this point in your decision making it might be helpful to seek out some people who knew you well and watched you progress in your not-for-profit organization. Partners, advisors, mentors. When I get stuck in where to go next I often tap into my personal 'board of advisors' and get their perspective.
These people have seen what makes you great and can help you think through how those skills might translate into your next step - sometimes in ways that you wouldn't think of yourself.
The other piece of advice I'll give you is to think backwards from where you want to be in 10 years. What role would you be doing, where would you be living, what lifestyle do you have. Once you have some of those answers you can trace it back to what do I do today to help me achieve those goals.
Any of the choices ahead of you can be great - it's a matter of figuring out what helps you move forward in the direction you want to go.
AnonymousSeptember 1,2022 at 5:13PM UTC
I know this posted a month ago, and there is already some great advice here, but wanted to add some advice about doing a master's program and what degree to choose. Only do a master's if it's in something you are truly interested in. Master's degrees, especially if you do them while working, can be exhausting. If you aren't interested in the topic you will probably not get anything out of it besides resentment.
If you think that you need a master's to advance, do some research to see which degrees are in the preferred qualifications of the jobs you are interested in (both immediate interest but also jobs you think you would want to end up in). That way you make sure that you are getting a master's that is useful and will actually advance your career the way you think you want to. Once you've done this, look at the curriculum for these at a couple of universities. Are the majority of the topics things that you would be interested in learning about? If they aren't, then you should take a step back and reevaluate.
Hope this helps a bit! Good luck! :)
Yichen ZhangSeptember 1,2022 at 10:19PM UTC
Programs like Master's or MBA can be very expensive - it may help to take some free or lower-cost online courses to gauge what interests you and which institutions can offer top-notch education in those areas.
Admissions folks at universities can also be helpful if you reach out to them after you have a sense of what you want and need.
Hope this doesn't come off as discouraging: there are toxic work environments regardless of field, location, etc. This frees you to not rule out corporate or any other line of work - there are healthy and toxic teams out there, and I hope you can take away methods to spot unhealthy workplaces before they drain your well-being. (If you've got time and interest, I've found the books 5 Types of People Who Can Ruin Your Life and The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team helpful for context around workplace/general toxicity)
Been a month now - hope you've had a chance to breathe, take a break, and explore what you need, what you hope for. :)