As someone who has been in that position before, I know how it feels to be miserable at work. It can make you feel like you’re drowning, and when the time comes to look for a new job, it’s hard to imagine what life will be like without your current company. You might ask yourself: “How long should I stay at a job if it’s making me miserable?” The answer is complicated and dependent on many factors, but we’ll break down some of the main points here.
The biggest deciding factor in quitting a job is do you have another one lined up? Only an idiot quits a job with out a plan in place. Do you have some money saved or a safety net just to walk out one day? If not, it’s going to be a lot harder for you.
You should do some soul searching and figure out why exactly this job is making you so miserable? Maybe the environment isn’t right or maybe your work life balance isn’t working with your home life. You might need to make changes in order to find satisfaction at work again before quitting becomes an option. It could also mean that the company needs big changes like more resources, which leaves room for advancement if they can get better!
I know my last post was about how great it is when people leave jobs but sometimes there are really bad situations where leaving is actually doing them a favor by getting them away from toxic management/coworkers, horrid working conditions or long commutes.
We all hate working at some point in our life. If it’s not the actual work you have to do, but your horrible boss or coworkers are making you miserable then that is a valid reason as any to hit the road. But, when do you know enough is enough?
When you’re job is making you miserable, but your looking for a new one that doesn’t exist yet then something has to change and fast! Take some time off or get an interim assignment of sorts so that when the right opportunity comes along there won’t be any gaps in your resume from unemployment.
If you do this make sure before going on leave, work with HR to set up a leave plan incase they need someone fill-in while also giving them enough notice to get everything squared away if possible. You don’t want to surprise anyone by leaving abruptly either because it will catch people off guard and could derail important projects/meetings/events which would just cause more problems.
However, if you do want to stick it to your boss, quit in the middle of the day while doing something important….but make sure you don’t need a good reference. I hated one job I had a car dealership. It was the longest year of my life and I couldn’t stand the owner. The day I quit, he was shocked and made every effort to hang on to me. In the end he was thankful that I was always professional and worked hard even to the last day.
I am glad I had the guts to quit and do it my way, but if you decide on a more passive aggressive approach (like me), make sure your boss doesn’t hold grudges. Some poor managers and business owners take it very personal when you quit. Like they wouldn’t do the same to you if the situation was reversed.
Don’t stay at a job you hate. Life is to short. Take all that energy of hating your job and put it into bettering your situation. Make sure you set yourself up for success by doing the leg work before quitting (having income, researching opportunities).
I know it’s easier said than done, but enough is enough. If you’re miserable, find a new job. If it’s not making any changes (or none that are positive), then why stay? Don’t be afraid to walk away from your current situation if it means bettering your future. You’ll probably get comfortable and think of reasons why staying is the best option, but remember this saying:
Leave with no regrets by utilizing all available resources before quitting like networking or taking online courses. Maybe someone offers you something else in their company when learning about how long you’ve been at your old position without being promoted or receiving incentive for good work ethic/outputs .