12 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Quitting Your Job

Before making a big career change, consider what kind of apprenticeship you might be able to engage in without leaving behind that sweet, sweet paycheck. Careerosity, a website dedicated to helping people navigate career change, recently interviewed product manager Emily Johnson, who left behind her freelance writer career. How did she decide to take the leap from writing to being a product manager at a tech company? As she put it: "If you're interested in trying it, I'd recommend starting a mini business of your own. Most of the product managers I know sold pizza on the corner in college, or made jewelry to sell on Etsy, or started a website. These mini businesses failed in many cases, or made just a bit of extra spending money, but thinking about your market, your product, and your delivery will teach you most of what you need to know for a regular product manager job." In other words, if you think you want to be a product manager (or whatever it is you're thinking of), try it out on the side first. Just to make sure.