It is critical that you attempt to keep good relations with your former bosses and co-workers. Odds are you will eventually run across them all again as customers, suppliers, new co-workers, neighbors, references, or industry competitors. Regardless, you will inevitably work with other people who know them. The last thing you need is the strategic disadvantage of people souring your reputation behind your back, so you should always end relationships on positive terms and keep in touch with all contacts that may benefit you or your new company in the future.
There will always be some people in your life who will try to discourage you from quitting your secure position when you want to start out on your own. The truth of the matter is that doing this is a big risk. But what is the worst thing that could happen? If you’re smart, you won’t let yourself get to the point of homelessness and destitution before you realize your plan has not worked, and then you could put yourself back on the job market. In the worst-case scenario, you still will have learned many valuable lessons that can be properly applied to your future.
We believe that if you have solid motivational drive, irrespective of your past, you could start at even an entry-level position and still make it to the top of your industry, given enough time. Make sure your boss’s plans for you are the same as your own, and make sure that you assertively earn and explicitly ask for your promotions along the way.
If you can’t be promoted at your current gig, you can keep looking for better employment until you find the most suitable match with someone who will give you the opportunities you deserve and are willing to earn. If you are well studied and proactive, someone will recognize your work ethic and the results you could potentially achieve for their team. From there, you could be hired and on your way up the corporate ladder.
You could possibly keep moving up the ladder until your boss becomes your business partner or until you venture out on your own with your new skills, using your sweat equity and network of contacts to build a larger, more sustainable income.
