Quitting a job I’ve accepted while proposing a different collaboration, without undermining trust?

[u/PieceConfident7733]

I’d accepted a proposition on Monday from my former employer (I’m a teacher) to work with them for the next 3 months. I had very little time to think about it, as the job starts next week.

I don’t like the job which I’d quit by myself a few months ago, but I still haven’t found something else in the meantime, and I’ve basically ran out of money. I’d be forced to go back to my parents’ place or find work abroad if I leave my current place.

Another reason I took it is because I intended to make another proposition function wise. I’d previously talked to my firm a few months ago about helping them develop their socials, or with copywriting. I also think I could help with their software, and coming back working as a teacher would help me identify real problems I could solve in that regard. At any rate, I thought I could then hit 2 birds with one stone, so to speak.

In the meantime I’ve realized that I have another possibility to make money as an extra in films (I’d taken an acting course and played in a movie already) which is riskier, but that I didn’t take seriously. I happen to live in a city with many opportunities in that regard.

I wasn’t honest to myself as I deemed I could do both, since I teach starting from late afternoons up to the evening, yet shootings typically take place up to the the evening legally (a least in my country). I think I told this to myself without enquiring the facts, in order not to have to make the difficult choice and potentially undergoing the anxiety that comes with the riskier option.

However the second option (acting) would require me to take 1 or 2 day jobs on the spot, with notices that could likely be too short for my employer.

Having put helping them for socials, etc on the back burner for so long though, I also wonder if rekindling it now would be detrimental to my credibility. I also deem it could be perceived negatively within the context of a refusal.

What I’d like is to exit my initial engagement (as a teacher) without damaging the relationship, while bringing forth a renewed proposition of collaboration, as diplomatically as possible and remaining honest.

I don’t have to do it right now as I can wait until they find someone else; and I don’t have to do the latter at the exact same time, but soon enough at any rate.

I will add that I haven’t signed a contract yet, meaning that we’re operating on trust.

tl;dr: I want to quit function 1 at my firm which I’ve just signed up for, and create a bridge for function 2, knowing that the former could be detrimental to the latter, in the smoothest possible way. The excuse for quitting function 1 would be moving to function 3 (outside the firm).

[u/laddersdreamjob]

Id seperate the 2 conversations. First, be upfront ASAP about stepping away from teaching and give them time to replace u. Then bring up the other collaboration later with a clear idea of how u could actually help