Engineer-turned-stand-up comedian shares perils of quitting well-paying job to pursue passion

Social media is splashed with examples of people who quit their high-paying jobs to pursue their dreams and ambitions. Quitting your 9-to-5-job to pursue your ambitions has become the ‘it’ thing. However, while many people have been able to taste success, there is a group who are still struggling and even worse, have ended up regretting their decision.
 
Puneet Chadha, a standup comedian took to professional networking website LinkedIn to share his journey. A BITS-Pilani alumnus, Chadha left his high paying tech job to become a stand-up comedian. “Many friends I made in the Standup Comedy scene also quit their jobs at the same time. With no bosses to take instructions from, Everyone had a single-minded goal of building our career in standup comedy accumulating fame and riches on the way,” he said in his post. 

 
For eight years, he and his friends, who stuck around, continue to struggle but haven’t been able to make a mark yet. “8 years later, some of us pivoted but most who stuck to it, are still struggling to get the success and fame they desired. And still making similar or even lesser amounts per month than their first jobs offered. Not to mention the value of money has gone down massively since then," he wrote.
 
Chadha also went on to highlight that he wouldn’t agree with the idea of “money doesn’t define the quality of your life.” 
 
“That sounds ideal in your 20s or if you were born with generational wealth, but in your 30s when the biological clock starts working against you and your loved ones. Your priorities might change,” he wrote. 
 
He said that while one may not have a “cool profession” to brag about, he or she can definitely enjoy the other pleasures of life like marriage, children, supporting parents in old-age if they have money.
 
He also said, “The internet loves to take a dig at a stable job, but if you work a 9-5. It can easily help you build a fulfilling life for yourself with regular vacations, a house to call your own and the ability to take care of people around you. All of which are respectable goals to have.”
 
He concluded by saying that one has to be extremely sure about what he is doing before taking any step.
 

Also Read: 'Fiercely rich people walk in chappals': Zerodha's Nikhil Kamath shares why he picks Bengaluru over Delhi, Mumbai