Book Review - When To Jump by Mike Lewis (extra story of Engineering vs Me)

Salam and Hey bookworms! 

OMG this is totally bizarre, Suzai is writing about books! HAHA Im back yo after so many of uncountable years. I dont even remember the last time Im reviewing a book in here yet I assuredly aware that a post label "Book" do exist on this humble blog. that was the moment when blog is like a journal to me and blog is where I put my 100% focus and efforts whereby nowadays, I have Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, TikTok and Twitter to sustain LOL OK that would be another separate rambling post of me being a content creator for almost a decade. HAHA cross fingers!

OK lets dive into the topic..

"IF THE JOB YOU HAVE ISN'T THE LIFE YOU WANT"

It was on few months ago, when i walked into the BookExcess and saw this book on the shelf, I know I should grab it. frankly, my full attention was on the quote "If the job you have isn't the life you want" instead of the tittle. yup, I was not yet in the stage of deciding any jump but im vividly clear that HAHA I HATE MY JOB!

NURSE TO DOCTOR : One of the inspired story ever. ready to drop your jaw as she is a single mom and she jumped at her late 30s! OMG and went into a medical school! OMG what an impressive and hard working woman. simple, if she could do it, why can't we??

This book is actually a compilation of stories about "Jumpers". A jumper is the term used by the writer, Mike Lewis referring to more than 40 individuals who shared their tale about how they finally quit their "boring" job and persuing their dream job. each story has their own plot, obstacles and method yet pointing to the ONE and SAME direction, they finally did.

Mike initiated the book by telling his own career-switch story and he even plotting the phases of "jumping" where usually, it was all started with a little voice inside. not to forget, the "How To" step by step which roughly could be your guidance to join the club. no fret, i'll share a bit in the last gist of this review. so, he asked around, met random people and gathered their "jumping" stories in which eventually become a great collection to be shared. hence, this book!

PHASE 1 : Listen to your inner voice

PHASE 2 : Make a plan

PHASE 3 : Let yourself be lucky

PHASE 4 : Dont look back!  

INTRO : THE IGNORANT ME (Me vs Engineering)

I still remember when I was in Uni, some of my coursemates decided to quit their engineering course and further their studies in another field. I specifically remember one of them was a boy (hehe Hi Adam!) who accepted a pilot course and another girl who went into a nursing school. seriously, I was shock and clueless on how can they stop doing things in the middle and restart the whole thing? 

It was the moment when we just finished our foundation and we have another balance of 3 years to finally graduate with a certificate of Bachelor (Hons) of Engineering on hand. my honest feeling during that time was "How come they're giving up at this stage?" because I was thinking that we have already went through half journey, why dont we just end it? either you like it or not?? its about to end btw?

OMG now only I realize that I WAS TOTALLY WRONG!! they were NOT GIVING UP but instead, they knew exactly and clearly what they want to do in life! plus we were still so young back then, we're only in early 20s, we're at the beginning path of 'what your life would be'. yup, I just now only understood the whole situation after done reading this book "When To Jump". so, those friends who left their engineering course and persuing their dream were super brilliant and well, super lucky because they've already known what they want in their life whereas at that same age, I WAS STILL SUPER STUPID HAHA by just staying there and struggling finishing the course that I KNEW from the beginning, IM NOT INTO ENGINEERING at all!

PART 1 : WHY DID WE STILL DOING STUPID THING as such

Assuredly, we all have that stupid moment which sometimes, we pray that the clock could ticking in ccw order but sadly its impossible! the thing about my situation above is because I have drown into this toxic mind setting; engineering is a great course and being an engineer is a lucrative job. imagine the tittle, seating in a glass-window building and receiving a lavish paycheck every month, what a good life one could have. OMG WHAT AN IGNORANT mind I have back then. 

Never did I know that being an engineer is not as splendid as it sounds. honestly, anybody with an engineering certificate could be an engineer yet the determination on how much influential is your engineer tittle is depending on which engineering field are you in? and of course which company that you're working with? because that would definitely differentiate the amount written in your paycheck!

Dont get me wrong! Honestly, i always feel so cringe calling myself engineer though my business card clearly stated 'Sr Sales Engineer' LOL but seriously, im not doing anything related to my studies at all and im struggling to get the paycheck amount that I imagined before and plus I dislike what im currently doing now LOL thats the crucial part HAHA

PART 2 : ANOTHER JUMPING CHANCE BUT I WAS STILL STUPID!

Admittedly, I regret for refusing a job offer during the first 4 years of working and instead accepting my boss's counter offer and continuing doing the same damn thing for almost 8 years! Initially, everything seems fine and I was so happy and thinking that i've made a correct decision yet never did i expect the result of this decision came later.

I was in a total comfort zone, managing the same job's scope, going to the same route everyday!, boss and colleagues feel like a second family, definitely my life feels so nonchalant and SO ROUTINE. lets be honest, we do need challenges to make our life a little interesting. otherwise, sooner or later, we'll surely be bored and fed up. Again, it was quite late as I got that feeling only after about 6 years but I DID IGNORE that little voice inside me and continued working there for another few years (that made the total of 8 years!) because I was scared to move to a new place, scared that I wont get the same freedom. The aftermath about this HAHA stupid decision is now, im lacking of job experience and stuck in the same field.

The valid reason of why im so into this book is because every single word felt so relatable! fast forward, on that one fine day, I finally got another job offer and sent a resignation letter. so, as a super senior of 8 goddamn years working with the company, I imagined that my last day would be a special day for everybody too, perhaps a farewell party celebrated by all coworkers? HAHA SADLY THERE WAS NOT EVEN A FAREWELL LUNCH because it was a CMCO (thanks Covid-19, the shop was close for a dine-in) thus, IT WAS EXACTLY as what happened above. my coworkers were all busy with their stuff and my boss was at his peak season where all projects reaching the deadline. I was even hesitate to go and meet him to bid farewell yet atlast, I did and even cried HAHA 

Whatever it was, to my super cool ex-boss, Mr Sim Soon Chai, thanks for believing in me, thanks for all the opportunities given and good lessons that I learnt from you. thanks for offering me this first job and of course, I won't forget all the good memories of 8 years working with you. :')

PART 3 : CURRENT SITUATION - CATASTROPHIC POINT

I believe everybody has their own limit where we suddenly feel reluctant, tired and fed up. im now at this stage of my career where I couldnt take it anymore. at first, I thought switching company might solved it yet when im done reading this book, OMG I just realized that it won't solve the problem and it won't omit the burden Im carrying now.

"What am i doing here? it just felt like shifting money from one place to another "

This is definitely what im currently feel! HAHA honestly, this new company is worst HAHA everything about my current workplace is suck. I won't go and blame others as now, I found out that the problem is actually me! IM ACTUALLY AT THE CATASTROPHIC POINT! I should actually stop pretending doing things that I dont like instead working my ass out on my "dream". thanks Mike Lewis, I owe you so much. 

PART 4 : SO WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIMING?

As I claimed at the beginning of this review, this book caught my attention because im unhappy, im always super stress when Monday comes in another simple words, I HATE MY JOB. hence I thought this book will give some motivation but instead, it gives me an answer of my current situation. Alhamdulillah I found this book, thanks Allah for leading me to this path. :')

One of my friend already DMed me asking about the summary of this book and her exact question was "So when is the timing to jump?' HAHA to Parhin Matori, most of the jumpers answered and believe that there is NO SPECIFIC TIMING to jump! you'll get the answer once you reach your limit and that catastrophic curve as i've mentioned above. HAHA im not the right person to advise as obviously, im not yet realizing the jump. im at the PHASE 2 : Making a plan. please everybody who ready this, please pray for me. 

"Ya Allah, Semoga plan Suzai untuk jump menjadi kenyataan dan Suzai berjaya membina kerjaya dan businessnya sendiri amin" thanks guys :')

PART 4 : SO HOW TO JUMP?

Another gist of why im so into this book is because it is well-structured, motivated and of course, insightful. So, Mike had separated the 40 plus "jump" stories into few categories such as "Make A Plan" or "Just Be Lucky!". personally, i go with the "Make A Plan" method due to the need of paying all the mortgage, monthly billing and family whos under my 'responsibility'. hence, i need A Plan! 

Eventhough I always called myself as spontaneous and risk-taker person HAHA but this time around, I fail to apply it. this is definitely a huge decision to be made especially to those with a family (as claimed by lot of the sharers) and as for me, OK im single and unmarried but I have both parents who depending on me. hence, again i need A Plan by START WITH THE FINANCIAL PLANNING. Ya Allah permudahkanlah segala urusan Suzai amin :')

This hit me right in my face! HAHA seriously, I always complaining that how my monthly commitments preventing me from quiting my job and start doing things that I love. This excuse in not valid anymore because as claimed by this brilliant sharer, "That's my life. All that's never going to go away! you will always be paying a mortgage and you will always going to have insurance and grocery bills". Nailed it. No more excuses. Kaput.

FINAL WORDS

All the stories told different tales, facing different trials and struggles. some of them were straight away met the success point whilst some even jumped into many careers before finally found the one but eventually, THEY HAPPY AND THEY'VE FOUND IT. so, my main reason to jump is I just wanna be HAPPY and doing things that i love. Seriously, im looking forward to the day that I wake up on every morning without feel like im carrying the weight of the world on my shoulder, open my laptop and eagerly, doing all the works. ameen to that! :')

So, why do you need to find and read this book too?? trust me, you'll be motivated and feel lifted because every jumpers are a POSITIVE thinker! once they've made a jumping decision, they're all so positive and never look back. I love this one quote "So, I assume that I wont fail" in order for him to drive himself and moving forward.

To know more about "What Should You Do Once You'll Jump?" Oh c'mon, go and get the book! HAHA hopefully, I provide you enough points to make your go uneasy and search the book now. Insyaallah see you on my next blog entitled "My Jumping story" ameen!

Thanks for reading :)

xoxo