Leaving a job without another to go to
Discussion
Many of us have contemplated this, but how many have gone through with it and is it a bad idea?
It’s been a fantastic learning curve for the past 4 years but I hold no sentiment towards it. Morale is poor, the work is grim, the travelling interrupts my life style and management are insane. Funnily enough although I’m underpaid it’s not really a motivator for leaving - that's when you know you've had enough.
I need to give 30 days’ notice and I have enough money saved not to have to worry about working for quite some time although I intend to get another job ASAP.
The old argument is that it looks bad to potential employers if you’re not already employed, but is this still the case?
I should add, I have plenty of things to do inbetween dishing out CVs
It’s been a fantastic learning curve for the past 4 years but I hold no sentiment towards it. Morale is poor, the work is grim, the travelling interrupts my life style and management are insane. Funnily enough although I’m underpaid it’s not really a motivator for leaving - that's when you know you've had enough.
I need to give 30 days’ notice and I have enough money saved not to have to worry about working for quite some time although I intend to get another job ASAP.
The old argument is that it looks bad to potential employers if you’re not already employed, but is this still the case?
I should add, I have plenty of things to do inbetween dishing out CVs
It depends on the length of unemployment, and how you justify leaving.
The safe thing to do would be to stick at it until you find something. However, can more than understand hating a job that badly. So long as you able to support yourself and family if applicable for a short period of time, I'd say go for it.
The safe thing to do would be to stick at it until you find something. However, can more than understand hating a job that badly. So long as you able to support yourself and family if applicable for a short period of time, I'd say go for it.
I've never had a problem getting a job before I've finished working my last one, that said depends on your skill set and how in demand it is. If you're in a position where you only have 30 days to find yer next job it could be out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Go for it if you have enough $ in the bank to pay the mortgage for 6 months while you find something else, otherwise why not spend you time constructivly on jobsite finding your next job and getting paid for it rather than jumping into the unknown.
Go for it if you have enough $ in the bank to pay the mortgage for 6 months while you find something else, otherwise why not spend you time constructivly on jobsite finding your next job and getting paid for it rather than jumping into the unknown.
Wacky Racer said:
Don't be hasty, think things through, even though you hate your job you do have some money coming in. That's got to be worth something.
It is worth something, but I'm guessing that if he's asking the question he's already decided that the hassle/reward ratio is already tipped in favour of leaving 
Self-employed, been there done that, yes it’s got its pros but ultimately it’s not something I want to do.
I have enough savings to not have to work for a couple of years but obviously sat at home is not what I want to do (and I’ve done the travelling thing so that’s out too).
I have a bit of a commute at the moment so I’d like to work in my home city however jobs are fewer so that’s the only stumbling block I can see.
I have enough savings to not have to work for a couple of years but obviously sat at home is not what I want to do (and I’ve done the travelling thing so that’s out too).
I have a bit of a commute at the moment so I’d like to work in my home city however jobs are fewer so that’s the only stumbling block I can see.
SkinnyP said:
Self-employed, been there done that, yes it’s got its pros but ultimately it’s not something I want to do.
I have enough savings to not have to work for a couple of years but obviously sat at home is not what I want to do (and I’ve done the travelling thing so that’s out too).
I have a bit of a commute at the moment so I’d like to work in my home city however jobs are fewer so that’s the only stumbling block I can see.
Its not the best time of year TBH. I am leaving my job in a couple of weeks without another one to go to and the market usually slows down at this time of the year. So looking forward to a couple of months at home!I have enough savings to not have to work for a couple of years but obviously sat at home is not what I want to do (and I’ve done the travelling thing so that’s out too).
I have a bit of a commute at the moment so I’d like to work in my home city however jobs are fewer so that’s the only stumbling block I can see.
I did it almost 2 years ago, my last day was 31st october 2012.
I hated the place and knew that I wouldn't be truly committed to finding another job unless I was in the position of actually needing one.
I think when in work you tell yourself you would take a job at mcdonalds or any old shelf stacking job if you had to but the reality is, depending what money/work you are coming from, you really do shy over those jobs when you look at the details.
It sounds easy getting more work. You look at the general work shy populous and tell yourself it can't be hard to find work. Well, it is! unless you really do have a particularly sought after skill set then you really are just another small fish in a big pond.
I wasn't in a major hurry as I had savings but it took me until January to get work, currently the best job I have ever had.
Admittedly I wasn't throwing CV's left right and centre but the jobs I though were easily attainable, certainly temporary xmas work just never materialised. I think many places do just look at the first 10-20 applications and select a random few for interviews.
But on the whole, besides the negative aspects I do think it was the best decision I ever made. I had to do it then otherwise I would never have left.
I hated the place and knew that I wouldn't be truly committed to finding another job unless I was in the position of actually needing one.
I think when in work you tell yourself you would take a job at mcdonalds or any old shelf stacking job if you had to but the reality is, depending what money/work you are coming from, you really do shy over those jobs when you look at the details.
It sounds easy getting more work. You look at the general work shy populous and tell yourself it can't be hard to find work. Well, it is! unless you really do have a particularly sought after skill set then you really are just another small fish in a big pond.
I wasn't in a major hurry as I had savings but it took me until January to get work, currently the best job I have ever had.
Admittedly I wasn't throwing CV's left right and centre but the jobs I though were easily attainable, certainly temporary xmas work just never materialised. I think many places do just look at the first 10-20 applications and select a random few for interviews.
But on the whole, besides the negative aspects I do think it was the best decision I ever made. I had to do it then otherwise I would never have left.
I'd love to just walk but the OH is adamant that I have to have something else to go to. If I take a couple of weeks off I'm a totally different person by the end of week one - my head is so much clearer - and I really feel like I could attack the challenge of building a new working life for myself. If I had enough money to survive alone for, maybe a year, I'd just do it and tell the OH she can react how she likes, but sadly I need her backing. I just can't think clearly enough with the same dross weighing down on me, day-in day-out, to mount a focused bid for a new job - I feel too ground-down.
MitchT said:
. If I take a couple of weeks off I'm a totally different person by the end of week one - my head is so much clearer
Not having a pop but if someone said that to me at interview I would bring it to a close pretty quickly.Your OH is definitely correct unless you have such a niche career that you are priceless to another employer.
More realistically, if an prospective interview has two identical CVs he will ignore the one with someone who has left their job.
blindswelledrat said:
Not having a pop but if someone said that to me at interview I would bring it to a close pretty quickly.
Your OH is definitely correct unless you have such a niche career that you are priceless to another employer.
More realistically, if an prospective interview has two identical CVs he will ignore the one with someone who has left their job.
I get what you're saying, but ... 17 years in the same company, dire wages, zero career progression in spite of it being repeatedly dangled like a carrot and something that the company, at least through its self-promotion, prides itself on, being micromanaged to within an inch of my sanity day-in day-out ... psychologically I'm literally just keeping my head above water. You don't expect to line up a new relationship while you're still with someone who treats you like crap - you need time out.Your OH is definitely correct unless you have such a niche career that you are priceless to another employer.
More realistically, if an prospective interview has two identical CVs he will ignore the one with someone who has left their job.
blindswelledrat said:
Not having a pop but if someone said that to me at interview I would bring it to a close pretty quickly.
Your OH is definitely correct unless you have such a niche career that you are priceless to another employer.
More realistically, if an prospective interview has two identical CVs he will ignore the one with someone who has left their job.
Disagree, sometimes we actively prefer people without a three month notice period. Your OH is definitely correct unless you have such a niche career that you are priceless to another employer.
More realistically, if an prospective interview has two identical CVs he will ignore the one with someone who has left their job.
It al depends on your references, and whether you can show why you left, without slagging your last firm off.
MitchT said:
I get what you're saying, but ... 17 years in the same company,
That makes a massive difference, to be fair.The average person I see with the 'I walked out of my job' cv will not have that behind them. You are fairly unique in that way and it certainly wouldn't stop me interviewing you in that case. Just have a better answer than "I needed to get my head straight" which is effectively what you said up there.
Alternatively, get a new job first.
SkinnyP said:
The old argument is that it looks bad to potential employers if you’re not already employed, but is this still the case?
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