I am a firm believer in giving a minimum of two weeks notice to my employers. If I’m leaving because I’m not happy then I give the bare minimum but I still give it. In this case, I’m not leaving my jobs because I’m unhappy rather I am leaving to travel.
With my less professional career (I often work in bars because it is a great supplement to travel), I have a good relationship with the owner and the time to let him know came up naturally in conversation about seven weeks prior to my flight. He was surprisingly happy for me, quitting this job was a bit nerve wracking. He even went so far as to tell me that I need to enjoy my life while I’m young. While I don’t plan on returning, they have told me that they would have me back any time.
With my professional career, I also gave a months notice. I did this because I want to return. I let them know that I’m leaving for a travel opportunity and asked if there was anything that I could do to return to once I’m back. The program manager is also an avid traveller and was super understanding, which led to a discussion of how I may be able to return once I drag myself back to Canada. Leaving this position has been bittersweet, I really enjoy the work and my coworkers. That being said, I would regret not going to Australia because of this position.
My significant other, also had a good experience with leaving his employment. His job will be there when he gets back, as his boss has actually done the one year visa for Australia he can see how beneficial it is to a persons life.
We definitely got lucky to have employers who are supportive of travel and we do not take it for granted. This may not be the case for everyone but you never know, people surprise you with their dreams. For us, our transparency and significant notice definitely helped maintain our working relationships. Quitting was definitely a big hurdle to clamber over but I’m glad that it is done. How well received my plans were was definitely an added bonus. I don’t know why I was so nervous.
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