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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To leave a job without another one to go to

38 replies

JeanSeberg · 13/02/2014 09:27

That's it really - I'm handing my notice in on Tuesday. I have a 6-month notice period and financial security to allow some time off to consider what I want to do next and to find the right next-move for me.

I've been pleasantly surprised that no-one has tried to dissuade me from this (or tell me I'm stupid!) on another thread I've got on here so I thought the acid test would be to post in AIBU!

OP posts:
MothratheMighty · 13/02/2014 09:28

I've done it several times, it's always turned out fine. Smile

t3rr3gl35 · 13/02/2014 09:33

No point spending the best part of your waking hours doing something you don't want to. I pick and choose my contracts and have left jobs because they didn't live up to the hype. Smile

manicinsomniac · 13/02/2014 09:42

I don't know, it depends? Are you single? Do you have children?

If you are single and have children I'd say you would be crazy.
If you are single and don't have children I'd say you would be unwise but if you want to take a risk go for it.
If you have a partner who is earning a good salary and you wouldn't be leaving yourselves or any children struggling then I still don't think it's the best idea but you have a good chance of being ok.

Remember, it's always easier to find a job from a job.

oranges · 13/02/2014 09:44

its fine as long as you hold your nerve and don't grab the next job out of a panic and it turns out worse than this one.

Original poster
JeanSeberg · 13/02/2014 09:45

I'm single with 3 boys, 2 at uni, one in Y11. Not a single parent though, they have spent equal time with me and their dad since we divorced many years ago. No financial support from their dad (or me to him) as it's never been necessary and that won't change.

I have the 6 months' notice period to either decide to look for a new job or take some time off.

OP posts:
Callani · 13/02/2014 09:47

With a 6 month notice period plus financial security on your side you'll be fine - I'd say go for it.

manicinsomniac · 13/02/2014 09:48

Ok. Well, it sounds like you know what you're doing. I'd also be wary of finding it harder to get a job if you're over 50 though (not saying you are, just that it's possible with children the age of yours).

Sorry, I guess I'm just a naturally wary type. I'm also single with (almost) 3 children and would be so screwed without a good job.

Ginocchio · 13/02/2014 09:49

I was the sole earner / 2 DCs & I did it. 3 months notice period, but luckily they were happy to keep me on flexibly for a while after that doing some project work - took about 6 months to find something.

It all worked out fine in the end, but - even though I had good reasons like still being at my desk at 4am - in hindsight it was a fucking stupid thing to do, and I shudder to think what state we'd have ended up in if I hadn't found something.

One thing to be careful of is that employers like to hire people that are already in work - quite a few were rather Hmm that I'd already resigned.

Back2Basics · 13/02/2014 09:52

I'm single with 2 dc and I'm leaving at the end of the month.

My childcare has broken down work will not let me swap shifts to the earlier one where I won't need childcare so I'm not going back after the end of this month.

It's not just that I hate my job to, well not my job it's working with a stroppy grumpy cow that's the biggest problem with no flexibility. I rang in sick this morning and because I had a illness in December the dept manager had a right go at me so I said "it doesn't matter now as I won't be there next month anyway".

There are plenty of jobs in my area and I won't have a too big a problem getting a new one but I have a business idea I want to try out to. Fuck em the fuckers they can't help me so I can't help them.

Original poster
JeanSeberg · 13/02/2014 10:01

I appreciate your posts, manic. The reason I posted here was to get honest answers and have someone challenge me as so far I've been a bit Hmm that no-one's really questioned my decision as not being the right one. (Not just on here of course but RL friends too.)

I'll have just turned 47 when my notice period ends.

One thing to be careful of is that employers like to hire people that are already in work

Point taken. However I've had two extended periods of time-off previously post-redundancy and always found a job fairly easily after that.

Should also add this job is in many ways autonomous, well-paid with a generous bonus, flexible, 15 minutes from home, lots of international travel but to my time-scale, boss in another country who lets me get on with things with minimum involvement...

OP posts:
Original poster
JeanSeberg · 13/02/2014 10:13

employers like to hire people that are already in work

Do they really wait 6 months for people to be available though?

OP posts:
jay55 · 13/02/2014 10:25

I've gone it before, it was a bad time to do it and I was out of work for 7months, but I'd still do the same again.

Will they want you to work all your notice?

The employers preferring people in work is really industry dependent, in mine they always want people to start asap (then there's a delay and you wait another 3 weeks anyway, sigh).

Best of luck.

grumpyoldbat · 13/02/2014 10:53

You're very brave, I'd never risk it in this climate. Mind you I'm the sort of person who nobody wants to employ. Verging on unemployable (100s of rejections) so maybe it's not such a bad idea for someone more employable.

Moggy72 · 13/02/2014 10:59

Jeanseberg - I personally would advise against it.
I think it is an incredibly tough job market at the moment. I know from personal experience that more often than not employers prefer to hire someone youngish (30s) and senior experienced jobs are hard to come by. To me it hasn't made that much difference because my DH is earning ok. But looking for a job is boring and it is hard to really "enjoy" your time off until you have pinned anything down. However a notice period is helpful - gives you six months to get on with the search. I don't know what line of work you are in though.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 13/02/2014 11:05

I've done it several times and it's generally worked out reasonably OK.
However looking back I think I was a bit hasty and should have hung on really/ not flounced!
ATM I'm looking for work and have had interviews but nothing has come through for me yet. I think people do like to employ someone currently employed unfortunately.
However with working out a 6 mth notice period and with a financial safety net you may be OK.
Good luck!

Original poster
JeanSeberg · 13/02/2014 11:07

I appreciate your comments. I'm not necessarily looking to go back into work at the same level or even in the same line of work.

Career-wise, I had a promotion 2 years and always said I would give this job 2 years (been with the company for 8 years) and if it wasn't for me, I would leave. I was always clear that this was the only part of the organisation I'd want to work in so an internal move isn't an option.

I'm fortunate that I'm in a very comfortable financial position - not a boast but it places me in a position to make a serious life change and takes the pressure off. And in another 3-5 years my plan is to re-locate and downsize again.

OP posts:
JugglingFromHereToThere · 13/02/2014 11:12

Oh BTW I didn't actually leave my last job and am still meant to have a zero hours contract with them but no work offered recently.
One thing I need to do is keep pushing that door and see if there are possibilities there for me. As well as keeping pushing other doors too.
Hopefully one will open soon, with persistance.

I do think it's easy to forget how much work and frustration and upset can be involved in job seeking. When I get my next job I will appreciate it more, despite the inevitable challenges.

Pigletin · 13/02/2014 11:23

*employers like to hire people that are already in work

Do they really wait 6 months for people to be available though?*

It depends on the company and the profession. In large companies, it is normal to wait for 3-4 months until a new person can start. That's why employers start the recruitment process early.

I personally wouldn't leave unless I had a job lines up or financial security in place. I already did it once and was unemployed for 11 months even though I had savings and was able to support myself. Not a nice experience.

Original poster
JeanSeberg · 13/02/2014 11:26

What would you call financial security Piglet in terms of number of months' salary to fall back on, just out of interest?

OP posts:
Pigletin · 13/02/2014 11:29

For me, having had the experience of being unemployed for almost a year, I would have to have enough savings to support me at least for a full year. If nothing else came up before then, I would be prepared to take any job that comes along. Honestly, having done this before, I wouldn't do it again. But I guess it depends on your circumstances and reasons for leaving. Best of luck!

KellyElly · 13/02/2014 11:47

I've done this twice and have never had a problem finding another job.

Drquin · 13/02/2014 11:55

I'm wondering the same thing!
Although I know I don't have enough financial security to do it ...... What's enough? I guess it's dependant on your situation, enough to cover mortgage and living expenses for a few months. I'd always been told 3 months' salary was "enough" but it depends on specifics!

Also depends how likely you are to be able to get "a" job if needed, to keep you going pending "the" job. I live in a buoyant jobs market area, I know I could always get admin / logistics temp contracts to tide me over, that plus not much spending on shoes / drink / handbags etc and I'd probably be OK.

Have a reason ready to explain any breaks in the CV!

Topaz25 · 13/02/2014 12:01

It can be difficult to find a new job in this economy but with the 6 month notice period I don't see what choice you have TBH. Any employer you find now won't want to wait 6 months for you to be available so it makes sense to hand in your notice and then use that time to look for jobs, so long as you have savings if it takes longer than you expected.

tellmeonasunday · 13/02/2014 12:03

I have the 6 months' notice period to either decide to look for a new job or take some time off.

How long can you live without an income? 6 month? a year? 5 years? And what will you do if no job has come up at the end of that time?

DorisAllTheDay · 13/02/2014 12:04

Depends a bit on your qualifications, skills and experience, I'd think, and how likely they are to get you a job you'd like when you're ready for it. And on how risk-averse or otherwise you are. For myself, I think I'd have to be really, really desperate at this stage in my life (late 40s) to give up my job with nothing to go to. I did it when I was in my early 30s but as well as me being younger, the economic climate was very different.

On number of months' salary, I think that will depend on how far you're willing to forgo any luxuries you might have got used to, and whether you have skills that can tide you over for a bit. When I took the plunge in my 30s I had three months' salary (at the rate I'd been earning) stashed away, and knew that I could do some home tuition at a reasonable hourly rate to eke that out. So I was fairly confident that I could get by with some sacrifices if need be for at least a year, though in the end it didn't come to that.

YWBU if you were going into this without planning, without thinking how you were going to survive after your notice period and without taking into account what your anxiety levels are likely to be. It doesn't sound like that's the situation, though, which might explain why no-one has tried to dissuade you. YANBU to make a considered decision, having thought through the consequences, if your current job is not right for you and you want to go.

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