Want to quit my job.

[copernicus5]

Here’s the set up:

Recently divorced after 30 years
over 20 years as SAHM
receiving some maintenance for 2 years
doing a 2 year training course to be a counsellor
published author but make v little money from it

I started a shop job part time a few months ago. It pays minimum wage, not a field that interests me. My colleagues are late teens, early twenties. I hate it but I have applied for over a hundred jobs before finally being offered this one. Everyone said it’s easier to get a job when you have a job. I’ve been applying for other jobs since I started this one. Nothing is happening.

This job is now taking a toll on my mental health. The effort seems to outweigh the reward, but would it be foolish to quit?

i have a couple of ISAs I could use to supplement the maintenance. I was going to use them later if needed once the maintenance ends.

I wonder if I would be better off concentrating on my studies and writing my next book (due later this year). The divorce has fucked with my head so much. I have no confidence, especially when it comes to big decisions. Especially with money.

help please!

Life is too short to be this unhappy

Is this your first job in 20 years? Of course it is going to be a shock to the system. I think it’s worth working through this - counselling isn’t going to be easy anyway, but if you’re avoiding interaction with people you’re working with, it’s going to be even harder.

It’s also an excellent example to your children.

I don't think any job has a reward that outweighs the effort. I'm what ways is it hard and taking a toll on your mental health. Trying to figure out if it's a case of the change from being a SAHM so it is issues with any jobs or just specific to this role, as the advice would be different

I think it’s just this role. It’s not intellectually stimulating, there’s no possibility of advancement, it pays the bare minimum. My colleagues are sweet but we have nothing in common. I took it in the hope that it would be a step to something better.

I did volunteer work while a SAHM and wrote novels. I have a full, busy life outside of this job. I’ve had to stop doing some things I enjoyed like hosting foreign students and running a writing group to make space for this job, but I’m just not sure it’s worth it. I’d be happy to find another job that’s either more interesting or pays better or is more stimulating or challenging. It feels like I’m giving a lot of my time to something that’s giving very little back to me and isn’t leading anywhere.

Trouble is, those jobs are hotly contested by people with significantly more work experience than you.

What do you mean by taking a toll on your mental health? With respect, feeling sad or dissatisfied is not a mental illness - it is a normal part of being human - and it is not helpful to overblow it like that.

You're not going to snap up a shiny new job with a few months' experience after 20 years out of the workforce, especially if you're not engaging with the skills you could learn from this one.

Some of the big accountancy and consulting firms are exploring options to deploy their trainees into roles like yours to develop the skills they need for their careers. It's not worthless work if you make the most of the opportunity.

https://www.azets.com/en-uk/resources/our-ceo-comments-why-soft-skills-are-key-to-the-future-of-accountancy

https://fortune.com/2025/12/15/gen-z-grads-given-resilience-training-pwc-uk-toughen-up-job-taking-criticism-negative-feedback-new-hires/

What is it you would like to do for work? What kind of roles are you applying for? What kind of counselling course are you doing?

Rather than quitting, maybe make yourself a roadmap of the skills and experience you can gain to use as a stepping stone to get you where you want.

Have you considered applying for paid roles in the charity sector. You could feel like the jobs worthwhile and still persuing more creative things. The job market is very hard at the moment definitely easier to get a job when have a job. Quitting with no paid income or back up because your not feeling fulfilled would be make job hunting harder especially if you haven’t got a. Long record of paid work.

I wonder if there’s an air coming from you of “I’m so considerably above such low level work” and that’s creating an atmosphere?

what actual education/work experience do you have to be so much better than your colleagues?
Your novels, do you have a agent and publisher or are you self published?
why can’t you make a living from them?

I had to tolerate a job which didn’t stretch me and was dull but I made the effort to create conversation points with colleagues. I watched shit tv so I had something to talk with them about. I only did it for a year but I needed that on my cv to move on from. I actually think that time helped me as a manager now, having a broader understanding of motivations and dynamics.

I don’t think I’m above it. I’m happy to muck in, clean the bathroom, do the washing up in the office, whatever needs doing. I always deal with the difficult customers because the younger people hate doing it. If it paid a bit more it would be more worthwhile to stay, but it’s just not ticking any boxes.

There is often work advertised as support workers for young people with disabilities. It’s usually part time I think and could draw on your hosting experience and your counselling training. It’s badly paid but so many jobs are these days

Yep, I had a career before kids fundraising and managing grants for charities. I’d love to do that again and have applied for lots of those kinds of jobs. That’s the kind of job that could be minimum wage but still feel worthwhile. I’ve wondered if I might be better off quitting this job and volunteering for a mental health charity. It would be useful experience and good to have on my cv once I qualify as a counsellor.

Oh, and I’m traditionally published. Working on the fourth book. Selling well enough to be offered a new contract, but writing pays peanuts. I make about 90p per book sold.

To give up a job to volunteer is a decision best for you. Don’t forget if did want to claim benefits giving up a job has consequences. You are studying counselling and working, whilst writing (sounds very busy) to me I would qualify in counselling then reassess my options.

I think my soft skills are good. I have gained some new knowledge like taking card payments, using a new software system, etc at this job.

I’ve got a pathway mapped out for the counselling. Doing the certificate now and starting the PgDip in Sept. I’ve wondered if my time at this job might be better spent volunteering for a mental health charity which would directly benefit me once I qualify.

I’ve applied for all sorts of jobs, remote working, admin, charities, school receptions. I did two postgrad degrees while being a SAHM. One with the OU just out of interest and one which lead to my writing. I’ve tried applying for various roles in those fields but the lack of experience is an issue. The shop job is working experience, but it’s not the skills I need to demonstrate for these other jobs.

It is very busy and demanding, which is why I’m struggling. The important things ultimately are the writing and the counselling as far as a career but the job is taking a lot of time and energy. I’m fortunate in that I have some financial flexibility for the next two years. I don’t need this job to survive right now.