Leaving a job: slowly or all at once

Be prepared. Build to scale.

Image created via Midjourney

I know a lot of people who carefully plan an exit from an employer. (myself included)

They spend their days applying for jobs or building up side income. They’re trying to protect themselves, not wanting to make a leap without something else lined up.

But sometimes circumstances force the issue. It happened to me when an employer drop-kicked me out the door before I had fully decided what I wanted to do next. It happened to a friend of mine who knew his company was in trouble but was then laid off before he could find another job.

I also know people who try to replace their full-time income with side income before leaving the corporate world for self-employment. I want to speak specifically to this scenario because it’s a tricky one.

And it might be tempting to say, “Oh, I’ll get to that [aspect of the business] after I leave my employer.” There are a lot of drawbacks to this mindset because you’re essentially holding back your business’s full potential.

Whether you’re considering a solopreneur life, easing into it, or making a quick pivot, here are some things to keep in mind.