How to Leave a Job for a Fellowship
Posted on | February 17, 2011 | Comments Off
Leaving a job for a fellowship is a hard decision. How did previous fellows handle it?
Saabira Chaudhuri: It wasn’t a problem since my boss knew I was applying for grad school. I did not set up any arrangements to return to the same publication.
Jason Leow: My former employer, The Straits Times, will take me back if I ever want to return to journalism. Just don’t leave your job with all the bridges burnt.
Nesil Staney: It was a bit difficult. I did not leave any such arrangements.
Eva Woo: My boss was supportive.
Serena Ng: This was one of the hardest decisions. I had been in my job for four years and largely enjoyed it, and could see myself in it for many more years. I also wasn’t sure initially if I wanted to give up everything I had in Singapore, as life was pretty comfortable. My company gave me several options, including paying all the fees and expenses that the WSJ fellowship didn’t cover–on the condition that I return to my job and be contractually bound to it for two years after graduating from NYU. Another option was for me to take unpaid leave for the duration of the NYU program, and return to my old job after it. I seriously considered both options, but in the end I simply resigned and moved to New York without any strings attached. Even though a safety net would have been nice, I decided I didn’t want to break a contract or resign later if a great job opportunity came up during or after the NYU program. I figured that if things didn’t work out in the U.S., it wouldn’t be difficult for me to reapply for a job at my former employer or other media outlets in Singapore.
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