How soon can I hand in my notice?

[crosssafelyhedgehog]

I have recently started a new job and I feel out of my depth and overwhelmed. How soon can I hand my notice in? Is there usually a stipulation in the contract about a set time you have to stay in the role?

You can hand it in whenever you like, its not a gulag.

How much notice you have to serve depends on your contract. If you have just started and not happy most employers won't hold you to full notice.

You can hand in your notice whenever.

Have you spoken to anyone at work about how you’re feeling?

Thank you for the replies. I haven’t spoken to anyone as I feel embarrassed. I would rather just leave quietly and look for something else.

Can you give it a bit longer? I think everyone feels overwhelmed and out of their depth when starting a new job. It’s hard when you don’t know how things work yet, what the rules are, what the unwritten rules are!

Is it anything specific that makes you want to leave?

I once started a job and knew I ought to leave. Instead I listened to others and gave it a shot. It almost destroyed me and my mental health is still recovering. If you know it's not for you just quit. Don't waste your life when you can find something else. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks

Can't you stay until you have another job? Much easier finding a job when you are in one, especially in the current situation.

I felt like this when I started my new job seven months' ago. Felt completely overwhelmed and out of my depth. There was so much to learn, new procedures, new environment, new processes. I had a lot of tears.

I'm still there, it's a lot better now but I'm still learning.

I would always give myself six months in a new job, it's always difficult at the start unless you go somewhere in the exact same line of work where you hit the ground running.

How recent is 'recently' though? I think most people feel a bit overwhelmed when they first start a new job. Don't hand your notice in right away - by the time your notice period is up you might regret it as you'd have settled! Obviously I don't have a huge amount of detail so I don't know how much of a chance you've given it, but you will have been given the job because they thought you could do it!

However if you have something else to fall back on and can hand your notice in straight away then that's a different matter.

I've never been that fortunate!

Is there anyone in a relevant role you can talk to?

As rubbish as you may be feeling, no company wants a new employee to fail. It is in their interest for you to make a success of things.

Before you hand in your notice, can you try to talk to someone appropriate about it? I don;'t mean, just sharing with a colleague, but your line manager, HR etc

I started a new job 3 months ago working at home as the offices remain closed. I cried on my first day and wondered wtf I had done. I felt extremely overwhelmed and like I didn’t know what I was doing. Training was hard while wfh. I’ve stuck it out and it’s slowly getting better. I would say try and give it at least 6 months. If you’re still not happy look for something else.

Before throwing in the towel, have you tried to,highlight your struggles to your manager and also ask if you can have a work buddy (someone who's kind, patient and willing to give you time to shadow them and explain things. You may only need this level of support for,a,couple,of,weeks, but it may be the difference between leaving and staying.

If you are someone who,is overwhelmed in a new job, going somewhere else won't get rid of the problem.

Sorry about my bad typing skills!

@Siennabear

I started a new job 3 months ago working at home as the offices remain closed. I cried on my first day and wondered wtf I had done. I felt extremely overwhelmed and like I didn’t know what I was doing. Training was hard while wfh. I’ve stuck it out and it’s slowly getting better. I would say try and give it at least 6 months. If you’re still not happy look for something else.

Great news and well done you! It pays off to dig deep and weather the storm.