An engineer who worked at a Bengaluru-based firm has sparked a conversation on social media after sharing his journey of leaving a cushy, high-paying job without another offer in hand.
Varun Hasija, who has a decade of work experience, quit his product management job that had him earning over ₹1 crore a year. On his last working day at the company in October, the 30-year-old did not have not another job offer with a higher salary.
“A couple of months ago, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life: I left my cushy, high-paying ( ₹1 Cr+) job without another offer in hand,” Hasija, who lives in Mumbai, said in a viral thread on X (formerly Twitter)
“No plan. No backup. Just the decision that I needed a break—a real one—for the first time in my decade-long career.”
The techie said the move wasn’t impulsive but a result of a structured framework he had followed throughout his decade-long career.
How did he plan quitting his high-paying job?
He said his first step was to take his family into confidence. He lives in Mumbai with his wife Dr Mokshda Manchanda, also 30, who is an English professor. The next step was to plan their finances as a couple. So, for the next two to three months, the couple tracked all the expenses they had, big and small.
“I made a basic Excel sheet and categorised everything—rent, groceries, insurance, eating out, travel, you name it. At the end of each month, we’d look at where the money went and split it into ‘must-haves’ (essentials) and ‘good-to-haves’ (luxuries).,” Hasija told HT.com.
After a few months, the couple had an idea of what their average monthly expense and thus, calculated a figure they felt was necessary to maintain their lifestyle.
“I had planned for a six-month break, but considering how the market is right now, we added another six months as a buffer. So, we just multiplied the monthly budget by 12, and that gave us a safe number to aim for,” he said.
How the couple secured savings for the next 6 months to 1 year
Not having a housing loan played a significant role in helping the couple decide that one partner could quit their high-paying job. The couple lives on rent in Mumbai’s Powai.
“We’ve planned enough to cover our basic lifestyle—no fancy trips or impulsive splurges, but we’re still comfortable. If something big comes up, we can dip into our investments, but that’s more of a last-resort kind of thing,” he said.
For Varun Hasija, three factors – happiness, impact and wealth creation – determine what job he takes up. The first two were missing in his last job, he said in his thread.
“Sending that resignation email wasn’t easy. Walking away from stability is hard. But sometimes, moving on is necessary,” he said in his thread.
Hasija has been spending the last two months living more mindfully, taking care of his physical and mental health, and spending quality time with his family.
Tips for someone who wants to take a career break
“First, make sure you don’t have any big expenses around the corner—like buying a house or something major you can’t handle without a salary,” Hasija said.
Hasija also advises fellow millenials to take their families into confidence before walking away from a job,
“Taking them into confidence makes things so much smoother and reduces stress later,” he said.
“Lastly, give yourself a buffer. Plan your finances well so you can actually enjoy the break without freaking out about money every other day.”
(Also Read: Ex-Google, Amazon employee quits 6-figure job to make pastries: ‘I’m happier’)