The Twenty-Something Series: I quit my job!

You guys might have noticed that I decided to start a new blog series about life and adulthood, The Twenty-Something Series.

Well, to kick things off, here's my first post to say...

I QUIT MY JOB.

I graduated last summer from Exeter University with a BSc Physics degree. During my last year of uni, I applied for dozens upon dozens of jobs. They were all in tech-related fields, because that's what I wanted to do.

So I applied for a job on a Digital Graduate scheme with a big financial services company. I got a phone call from the recruitment team and was told it was full for the Cardiff office (which is where I wanted to be, ideally, since it's close to home) but they thought I'd suit the Assurance Graduate scheme instead.

I wasn't convinced I'd get the job anyway, so I said sure, put me out for it.

I ended up getting an offer for the job. It was basically a job in audit - which is pretty much where you train to be an accountant and businesses hire you to look through their financial accounts and give them a stamp of approval that they've declared all the right amounts.

It was a three year scheme and I thought, hey, what've I got to lose? It's a good job, with a really prestigious company. It's close to home, and it's only three years. I'll be a qualified accountant, which would be kind of handy, and if it's not for me, after three years I can just go do my master's degree in programming.

I started in September. I like the office and the people and in all honesty, even though I found the work itself kind of... not riveting... I didn't mind the job. I didn't feel miserable going into the office, or anything. Well, maybe occasionally, but so what?

The problem was the exams.

So to work in audit, you have to be a chartered accountant. We did two exams within about a month of starting. Multiple choice. You had to get 55% to pass.

I got 54% in one of them.

That meant I had to resit a week later. If I failed the resit, I was out of the job.

(So, ya know, no pressure.)

The next round of exams were about six weeks later. I didn't leave my room for six weeks except to go for work, and one afternoon/evening for Bonfire Night. I got home from work and studied until ten/eleven o'clock at night. I studied throughout the entire weekend. I wasn't taking breaks to watch things on Netflix or meet up with friends.

And again, I got 54% in one exam.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back, for me. I couldn't take the stress and the pressure, and to have put all that effort in and still failed... I broke down in tears to my parents when I saw the results at 5am.

This wasn't a job I'd badly wanted, it wasn't an area I was deeply interested in, it wasn't something I'd ever even seen myself doing.

So I sat the exam again, and passed, and started applying to new jobs. Once I started getting offers to go for interviews, I told the boss I worked with most closely (she's awesome - we're going to see Hamilton next year) and my people manager.

Which, for the record, was completely terrifying. Like, 'Oh, hey, I don't really wanna work here anymore - we still cool?'

Obviously, I didn't say it like that, but that's what it felt like I was doing. 

Everyone was really supportive, though. I was still doing my overtime, still getting all the work done, still working hard. And I got an offer for a new job.

I was due to start college again for the next lot of exams at the end of March. A week before, I handed in my notice. 

I worked out my month.

And now, I'm out.

I was going to say 'I'm officially unemployed!' but I'm not. I'm self-employed as an author, but I'm also doing some freelance work.

So I'm spending the next couple of weeks doing freelance work as a social media content manager for an IT company and hopefully that'll lead to some more work a couple of days a week over the rest of the summer. I'm also going to really focus on my writing, too. Like, genuinely. I've got zero excuses and a shit ton of inspiration and motivation.

(Also: I'm available for school visits/events until September! If you're interested, you can email me at info@bethreekles.co.uk.)

The new job is an IT grad scheme starting in September. It's placement-based, so I'll get to try a few different things (and hopefully do a placement abroad, too!) and I'm honestly so excited for it. (For the record, I wasn't excited about the job I just left this time last year. I was relieved I had a job. I wasn't excited for it, though.)

So, yeah. I did the whole grad-scheme-after-uni thing, and it hasn't worked out. I know what I want to do with my life, and it wasn't audit. I'm hitting reset and starting again.

I'll let you guys know how that goes.