Quitting (senior role)

[GrooveArmada]

I'm in a senior role, the most senior in the business within my field. My boss (female) recently left. She was brilliant and a big supporter of mine. The business has had a round of PE investment some time ago and it's gone to shit. Abysmal decision making, overwhelming employee burnout, loss of values - those of you who have been through it will understand. PE done the wrong way. People leaving in droves. Profits tumbling. Stress.

I have one more stage to get to in terms of my seniority, but they're dangling the carrot because of all the PE nonsense. Meanwhile, I am now doing the job anyway without the title or pay rise, even though I raised both issues directly. The wider business is proving itself to be a total boys club with severe lack of senior female influence. Which is why I fully expect I'll forever have a sticky floor here and they'll work me to the ground.

I hate this. I hate what it's become, it was very different when I joined. It feels nihilistic, like it's about to get destroyed by the PE investor. Colleagues are in despair and I need to hold calm face in front of them and support them.

I've applied for several roles and liaised with recruiters largely on a speculative basis and am yet to hear back. I have good experience, skills and CV, but the market is in a strange place with less senior roles available (I expect this is temporary, but unhelpful timing).

Would you resign without a job to go into? I am seriously SO done with it. I have a family and am the main breadwinner. I could afford to be off for 3 months with no pay, but probably not much longer with various upcoming commitments. I am close to burnout and possibly depressed at this point, the stress and pressure is really affecting me, my life, my health and my relationships with my family.

I am even considering changing the industry and starting afresh in an easier, less ambitious job but it might kill me in other ways. I have also considered starting my own business but it's not straightforward due to various hoops that I don't want to bother with. I have no bandwith left.

Shall I just go? WWYD?

Gentle bump

Three months is a very short time to gain another job even considering you get a job quickly- interview processes/ all admin stuff etc.
it is said it is always easier to get a job when you’re in one. Are you making big efforts to network with people who could be influential in getting a new role? Times are strange, but contacts and connections are invaluable. Is LinkedIn widely used in your industry? If so, up your activity on it.
it sounds awful- but please find ways to bide your time

I have good following and visibility on LI and a good network of contacts, it's just there are no live vacancies in my area right now that would be at the right level. Plenty in London, but I'm not city-based.

Looking at the job market I would stay til.you have something else.

Could you go on sick leave for a month or two and then come back and resign? You are genuinely stressed and depressed.

It's also with considering/looking into whether the PE has done this deliberately - is your business a competitor to someone else?

You obviously want (possibly even need) to go. However, I don't think 3 months living expenses is enough. The recruitment process for a senior position can easily take longer than that. I'd want 6 months to a year of living expenses.

Can you delay the "upcoming commitments" you mentioned, so the money will last longer? Can your DH (if you have one) bring more in? Can you cut your expenses?

Mentally, you already have one foot out the door, so can you quiet quit - just do the scope of your role and no more while you save money and keep applying
Stop covering the more senior role without the pay or the title!

Have you reached out to your old manager to see if she knows of any opportunities?

I've quite with nothing to go to as the main breadwinner but I knew we could survive without me working for much longer than 3 months. I don't think 3 months is enough wiggle room.

I'm a contractor these days, up until a couple of years ago I'd never had more than a week's break between contracts. Before my last role I had 9 months without work, and although I do quite a specialised role I'm really flexible on location.

I wouldn't leave OP, not unless you really feel that you have no other choice. As you say it's a tricky job market at the moment. I know senior people with excellent CVs who have been looking unsuccessfully for months now. Even finding an "easier, less ambitious" role may be harder than you think. I would stay put and apply apply apply for other jobs.

I would not quit with only 3 months expenses as the main breadwinner.

If you left could you do temp roles to tide you over until you get something else? If you’re super unhappy I’d be tempted to do whatever job you can get that covers your salary requirements.

As someone else suggested have you reached out to your previous manager and see if she has any connections that can offer you something.

It’s shit, I’ve been in your position. I waited it out doing the bare minimum, wfh as much as I could to avoid the toxic office and got out as soon as I could but that was 8yrs ago and times are unfortunately a lot different now.

I would find it too stressful to have the pressure of needing to find something within that timeframe.

Thanks all. Some really valuable thoughts.

It is a concern to me, I see a lot of good people on LI finding themselves out of work suddenly and struggling for longer than I thought to find something else. It's not a great market now, it's unsettled.

The commitments are already lined up and part-paid for, it's my big birthday year and it was supposed to be lovely and celebratory. Turned into a total nightmare within two months. Anyway, parking that. I will need to crack the numbers, it would actually be longer than 3 months, I have 3 months notice period and savings. It's just an expensive time that is coming up.

I have done quiet quitting as of today. Big cut down. I'm reducing all involvement in the latest projects that I've been dragged into. I told one particular toxic person that I'm out of a few things and very happy for them to lead. I think he was mortified, shocked - he got what he wanted after eroding me and undermining me for a while.

I don't know how much longer I can keep going. Sent out two more applications last night and waiting. I can't believe this is such a nightmare.

It's an interesting point re PE and competitors. I've not thought of it this way, but I'll dig around. So far it's looked to me as if people who have got no idea about our work have gone into board level management and they've steadily destroyed the best functioning teams. I considered this to be a bad choice of PE investor and incompetence (handsomely paid). But maybe there is more to it.