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I Quit My Corporate Job for Good—The Wild Truth About Chasing Your Passions

From soul-crushing meetings to soul-fueling adventures—how I traded burnout for bliss (and why you can too).

Author

Ark
July 11, 2025

My Journey Leaving the Corporate World: A Leap of Faith

Introduction

Hi, I’m Alicia, a 24-year-old Indonesian living in Singapore. You might know me from my YouTube vlogs, where I’ve shared snippets of my life as a university student at Singapore Management University (SMU), my internships, and my travels. For years, I’ve been creating content on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, initially as a student and later while juggling a full-time corporate job. But recently, I made a life-changing decision: I quit my corporate 9-to-5 job without another one lined up. In fact, I’ve left the corporate world entirely to pursue a path that aligns with my passions and values. This is my story of why I walked away, what I learned, and what’s next.

My Background

I grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia, and moved to Singapore at 17 to study at SMU, where I majored in psychology and marketing. Initially, I dreamed of becoming a psychologist or therapist, but during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I discovered a love for social media marketing and content creation. Amid lockdowns, I picked up my phone, started filming on TikTok, and fell in love with vlogging and creating aesthetic videos. What began as a hobby turned into a passion, and from 2020 to 2022, I grew my TikTok to 200,000 followers and my YouTube channel to nearly 49,000 subscribers. Content creation became an unexpected but exciting new path.

After graduating from SMU three years ago, I faced a crossroads: Should I pursue a corporate marketing career, become a full-time content creator, or return to Indonesia to help with my family’s business? Although I was passionate about content creation, I felt pressure not to let my degree go to waste and wanted to gain professional experience. So, I decided to work in the corporate world for at least a year to see where it would take me.

The Corporate Experience

The corporate world was a shock. Over the past three years, I worked at three different companies, including a startup where I was laid off after four months due to restructuring. The job market in 2022 was tough, especially for foreigners like me in Singapore, and I didn’t land my dream roles in the beauty or tech industries. Despite the challenges, I gained valuable skills—technical expertise, soft skills, and an understanding of corporate dynamics. But I also encountered significant downsides that left me feeling unfulfilled, empty, and unhappy.

Why I Left

  1. Lack of Growth: I felt stagnant. My career progression was unclear, and I wasn’t learning or growing as a professional or person. As a young professional, I craved opportunities to develop and evolve, but I hit a wall where growth seemed impossible.

  2. Meaningless Work and Bureaucracy: I found myself doing performative tasks, navigating office politics, and dealing with bureaucracy. I wanted my work to have impact and value, but too often, it felt like I was going through the motions without meaningful outcomes.

  3. Loss of Purpose: Over time, I lost sight of why I was doing what I was doing. The long hours, combined with a grueling 2.5-hour daily commute, drained me mentally and physically. I underestimated how much commuting would affect me, especially for a job I didn’t love. The exhaustion left me with little energy for my passions, like content creation, or even for myself.

  4. Sacrificing Time and Dreams: The corporate grind made me protective of my time and energy. I became irritable and impatient, which wasn’t who I wanted to be. I also struggled to visit my family in Indonesia due to limited leave and rigid work policies. I felt like I was sacrificing my dreams and relationships for a job that only provided financial stability—not fulfillment.

  5. Societal Pressure: I stayed in the corporate world partly due to societal and peer pressure. All my friends were succeeding in their corporate jobs, and I felt compelled to follow the same path—get a degree, land a job, climb the ladder. But I realized this template didn’t suit me.

Taking the Leap

Quitting wasn’t an easy decision. I worried about being perceived as ungrateful or impulsive, especially since I’d only been in the corporate world for three years. But I came to see this move not as giving up, but as choosing myself and recognizing when a path no longer serves my highest good. Several factors made this leap possible:

  • Savings: I had saved enough from internships, content creation, and my corporate jobs to provide a financial cushion.

  • Parental Support: I’m fortunate that my parents support me, and I don’t pay rent, though I cover my own expenses like electricity and personal needs.

  • Established Platform: My existing content creation platforms, built during university, gave me a foundation to return to. Without this, I might not have been confident enough to quit.

I also acknowledged the privilege that allowed me to take this risk. Not everyone can leave a stable job, and I’m grateful for my circumstances. But as a young person, I felt that now was the time to take risks and bet on myself.

What’s Next?

For now, I’m focusing on reviving my content creation platforms—YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. I’m also exploring other options, like starting my own business or helping with my family’s business in Indonesia. I don’t have everything figured out, and that’s okay. I’m taking time to reconnect with my family, rediscover my hobbies (like painting, drawing, reading, and writing), and reflect on the kind of life I want to build. I’m done following a prescribed template of success. Instead, I’m asking myself, what truly matters to me? What life do I want to create?

Reflections and Encouragement

Leaving the corporate world has been liberating. I’ve been resting, rediscovering my passions, and feeling more like myself again. If you’re feeling unfulfilled, lost, or empty in your corporate job, know that you’re not alone. It’s okay to question the path you’re on and seek something that aligns with your values and dreams. Life and career paths aren’t linear, and it’s never too late to take a turn.

If you’re curious about my journey or want to follow along as I build my dream life, subscribe to my YouTube channel and stay tuned. Let me know in the comments if you’ve experienced similar feelings in the corporate world or if you’re considering a leap of your own. Thank you for joining me on this journey—here’s to betting on ourselves and creating a life we love.