Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

To ask if anyone has left a job with nowhere to go

87 replies

Heltonwelton · 24/02/2022 09:08

I'm in a job that I loved for so many years. Worked my way up, had so much experience in the sector here and abroad, but now I hate it.

I dread getting up and starting work, it puts me in such a bad mood and I get annoyed at the smallest things at home and in work. I don't like/agree with the projects I am working on as they've changed in the last 2 years. If I wanted to stay in this job I would have to continue with these projects as that is now what the sector is and has changed to.

I don't have another job to go to but could afford to have a few months looking for other positions or try another sector.

I suppose my questions are (technically not AIBU):

Has anyone else done this, and if so what did you say when you gave in your notice?
Am I being totally stupid - what if I don't find another job?

OP posts:

JenniferWooley · 24/02/2022 22:01

I have but because it would have compromised my professional integrity to have stayed.

A client found out I was leaving & offered me a job so it turned out ok but it's not something I would recommend unless it's unavoidable.

Jonny1265 · 24/02/2022 22:05

I've a low tolerance for fuckwits and have done this on a few occasions. I guess it depends on your confidence in finding another job. I was lucky to work in professions that have good agency/supply options and this covered me initially until I found new permanent posts.

user1471554720 · 25/02/2022 12:03

BearOfEasttown

I understand people can think this is risky but what if you are being picked on and want to kill yourself!!

There ia no point staying in a job if you are crying every day, have health problems from the stress and are walking in front of cars hoping you will get hit and die/be hospitalised. I did all this and if my dh didn't support me I would leave him. I was a nightmare to live with anyway, working long hours, continually talking about smart comments from peers, breaking traffic lights.

I know people say to address bullying properly but this doesn't work. HR and peers gaslight you and make out you are being sensitive. However if you act smart back to peers there is a big fight and they are not being sensitive at all. Often the only way out is to move departments/jobs.

D0lphine · 25/02/2022 14:27

I think it's a balance - is the stress of staying at the job worse than the financial stress of leaving?

This is one of the reasons I've made it a priority to build up a stash of money. I can ditch the job and be fine for 6 solid months. Realise I am in a very very privileged position. If you can do this it makes work so much better. I basically know I can quit any time I want and as long as I find a job in 6 months it's all good. So freeing.

Babyroobs · 25/02/2022 16:20

@Mindymomo

Some people say it’s easier getting a job if you are working, but often organisations need people quick and don’t want to wait till they’ve worked their notice. I am 60 years old and have been made redundant 4 times, 2 of these with no notice. The longest I was out of work was a week. Once I did a temp job and got offered something else within the company. My husband and I have always had an agreement that if we weren’t happy in a job and had to walk out for whatever reason, it was fine, life’s too short to be doing something you don’t like.

I ahve had about seven interviews in the past two weeks. It would have been impossible to attend these whilst still working, my previous employers would not have agreed to all the time off. I decided to quit my job a month ago and have been able to spend time preparing properly for interviews. My dh was supportive, I was not a high earner anyway.

wingscrow · 25/02/2022 16:56

@BearOfEasttown ''I would NEVER do this. It's extremely foolhardy.''

Life is not that black and white and you are mainly letting your fear drive your thinking which is never a good thing.

There are times when you need to do this to save your mental/physical health or to get away from a toxic environment.

It is ridiculous describe someone as 'foolhardy' if they have good skills/experience, work in a field where this is demand and have some savings and decide to quit a role that is making them miserable. The risk is actually quite low for someone in this category.

Many people commenting, including myself, have done this without any negative consequences.

wingscrow · 25/02/2022 17:00

I should added to the above that I quit one particular job because I believed their practices were unethical (it was a national charity...).

I did not want to be associated with them.

I quit after less than 3 months and leave them out of my CV.

Staying would have been a really dodgy prospect...

Babyroobs · 25/02/2022 17:02

[quote wingscrow]@BearOfEasttown ''I would NEVER do this. It's extremely foolhardy.''

Life is not that black and white and you are mainly letting your fear drive your thinking which is never a good thing.

There are times when you need to do this to save your mental/physical health or to get away from a toxic environment.

Many people commenting, including myself, have done this without any negative consequences.[/quote]
Completely agree with this.
I left my job a month ago with nothing to go to. the few months leading up to me leaving were extremely stressful, no staff and the ones that were left were making the job harder by doing aspects of the job wrongly. I raised concerns, no-one listened. It was on my mind all the time and I was ( stupidly) working on my day off and into the evenings. After I quit it still took a few weeks to get all the crap off my mind and stop worrying about clients who I now knew would be in an even worse position. I feel a lot better mentally for leaving.

mnnewbie111 · 26/02/2022 06:47

I did and started freelancing the next day, but it's a massive risk and I only did as we still had one healthy wage going in. Best decision I ever made tho

CheshireDing · 26/02/2022 06:59

I have done it a few times.

Various reasons - hated job, was moving abroad, moved counties, manager was a dick

I am
Not sure what your issue would be with telling your current employer OP, just resign and if they ask just say you don’t have a new job yet. No biggie 🤷‍♀️

Snailhaterz2 · 26/02/2022 07:46

I did it when I was in a job with a toxic colleague - I was very stressed and totally unsupported by my boss. I did have a bit of a financial cushion, as I'd just had a PPI repayment. The relief was incredible! After a bit I started temping, which nearly paid my bills and also found a brilliant work coach who helped me to get my confidence back. As a result I did a brilliant interview and got a very good job. In parallel, the toxic colleague was restructured out, and the unsupportive boss also lost his role - both done very publicly within my industry.

Snailhaterz2 · 26/02/2022 07:48

I forgot to say, one of the things the work coach helped me with was how to talk about my departure in the most positive light - so that if it came up at interview I could frame it in a way that would help me. And it never came up!

Flip

1 2 3 4