Should I quit my current job without having another one lined up?
April 6, 2017 7:04 AM Subscribe
Work is stressing me out. I believe my project is going nowhere fast. Should I leave even though I don't have another job in hand?
Current job field: web development (8+ years xp).
Resources: 6 months expenses saved. Can stretch to 12+ by using credit. Can stretch to ~18 by raiding retirement savings.
Dependents: none. Currently living with 6 other people to keep expenses down. Current lease up in 10 months, believe (but cannot confirm) there's an option for another year.
We've recently changed management on our team, and I believe we are going in the wrong direction. The project that I'm on has been floundering for two years, with no end in sight. I'm not learning anything at work. I'm waking up hating my job every morning. I have a litany of other complaints about my workplace. There are a few minor things I like (my team are good people), but the bad has outweighed the good for a long time, and things have taken such a sharp recent downturn that I've started to consider jumping ship without having another job lined up.
I have major anxiety about finding a new job, even though both times I've lost mine (laid off once, fired once) I've gotten a new one within two months. I consider myself below-average as a developer, but that hasn't stopped me from working on major projects and holding down a job for a long time. The last time I went job hunting I had two or three unsuccessful interviews (not counting resumes that just weren't responded to) before accepting a job that I moved across the country to take.
MeFi, what's your counsel on this situation?
Current job field: web development (8+ years xp).
Resources: 6 months expenses saved. Can stretch to 12+ by using credit. Can stretch to ~18 by raiding retirement savings.
Dependents: none. Currently living with 6 other people to keep expenses down. Current lease up in 10 months, believe (but cannot confirm) there's an option for another year.
We've recently changed management on our team, and I believe we are going in the wrong direction. The project that I'm on has been floundering for two years, with no end in sight. I'm not learning anything at work. I'm waking up hating my job every morning. I have a litany of other complaints about my workplace. There are a few minor things I like (my team are good people), but the bad has outweighed the good for a long time, and things have taken such a sharp recent downturn that I've started to consider jumping ship without having another job lined up.
I have major anxiety about finding a new job, even though both times I've lost mine (laid off once, fired once) I've gotten a new one within two months. I consider myself below-average as a developer, but that hasn't stopped me from working on major projects and holding down a job for a long time. The last time I went job hunting I had two or three unsuccessful interviews (not counting resumes that just weren't responded to) before accepting a job that I moved across the country to take.
MeFi, what's your counsel on this situation?
Never make a plan that involves relying on credit card debt and raiding your retirement savings! Not unless you're fleeing abuse or something.
Hell, just go into work today and spend all your time applying for jobs.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:10 AM on April 6, 2017 [29 favorites]
Hell, just go into work today and spend all your time applying for jobs.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:10 AM on April 6, 2017 [29 favorites]
My counsel is the same as above -- start applying now, while you have a job. You don't have to quit your job to find one.
posted by warriorqueen at 7:19 AM on April 6, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by warriorqueen at 7:19 AM on April 6, 2017 [2 favorites]
I would say no.
I'd look for a job while I still had a job, because fair or not, it improves your chances of finding a new one.
If you think you can slack off and surreptitiously job-search while at your current job, I say go for it - one does what one must for mental health.
And hey, you're not going to need a recommendation from this job if you're still in it, so that gives you some slack too.
posted by sazerac at 7:26 AM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'd look for a job while I still had a job, because fair or not, it improves your chances of finding a new one.
If you think you can slack off and surreptitiously job-search while at your current job, I say go for it - one does what one must for mental health.
And hey, you're not going to need a recommendation from this job if you're still in it, so that gives you some slack too.
posted by sazerac at 7:26 AM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
When I'm working at a job I hate I struggle finding the energy to do anything productive once I clock out. My advice: call out sick tomorrow. Spend that time and part of your weekend looking for jobs and applying, for as long as you can stand it. Conversely, treat yourself tmw, get refreshed. Then look for jobs Saturday and Sunday.
posted by blackzinfandel at 7:31 AM on April 6, 2017 [9 favorites]
posted by blackzinfandel at 7:31 AM on April 6, 2017 [9 favorites]
I know enough people who have been job hunting for years with no luck to say that I cannot advise you to quit without another job in hand unless you're seriously at the point of "I would rather shoot myself than go to work today." Even if you have enough for 18 months of not working, I know people out of work for longer than that and they're not getting jobs. Unless whatever you do is in super high demand and you're a superstar, maybe....but still, I think it's a terrible idea.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:35 AM on April 6, 2017
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:35 AM on April 6, 2017
There is the double-agent thrill of going to work while sending resumes out at night. It can add an angle of excitement to an otherwise boring job. Also lets you be pickier in what you apply for knowing you still have a paycheck coming in to ultimately find a workplace environment you love.
posted by nickggully at 7:42 AM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by nickggully at 7:42 AM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
How large is your company? You say you have "new management" - have they been clear about their strategic goals? Is that what you are uncomfortable with, or is it the tactical means of achieving them?
I ask these questions because, if your company is large-ish, you may be able to transfer to another team, with better goals, and clearly articulated way to get there.
You need to be able to say what it is you disagree with about what's going on - you may never say it out loud to anyone, but finding out what you REALLY don't like, will be a key to a better job in the future. Knowing what to look out for is half the battle.
Best of luck!
posted by dbmcd at 7:59 AM on April 6, 2017
I ask these questions because, if your company is large-ish, you may be able to transfer to another team, with better goals, and clearly articulated way to get there.
You need to be able to say what it is you disagree with about what's going on - you may never say it out loud to anyone, but finding out what you REALLY don't like, will be a key to a better job in the future. Knowing what to look out for is half the battle.
Best of luck!
posted by dbmcd at 7:59 AM on April 6, 2017
No, I don't think this is a good idea. It's fantastic that you have a safety net in case you lose your job, and I think it would be a mistake to dip into it in this situation. Unless you're suffering more than you imply in your post, it doesn't sound like the kind of situation you need to urgently escape from.
Take a couple of days off to re-centre yourself if you need to. Chill out, work on your resume, look at job openings, think about what you would like to do next, think about whether there's something else you could do at your current company.
Keep in mind that sometimes any kind of change is upsetting and you may just need some time to adjust to it. There may also be avenues for you to pass feedback on if things are moving in a really bad direction.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 8:10 AM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
Take a couple of days off to re-centre yourself if you need to. Chill out, work on your resume, look at job openings, think about what you would like to do next, think about whether there's something else you could do at your current company.
Keep in mind that sometimes any kind of change is upsetting and you may just need some time to adjust to it. There may also be avenues for you to pass feedback on if things are moving in a really bad direction.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 8:10 AM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
Are you doing your job hunting by yourself? You may want to enlist a recruiter to assist you (covertly, of course). They may also be able to offer you advice on job-hunting strategy.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:30 AM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:30 AM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
I consider myself below-average as a developer, but that hasn't stopped me from working on major projects and holding down a job for a long time.
You're probably not below-average--all of us seem to have problems comparing ourselves to people who create unreasonable expectations, from what I've seen--but maybe now is the time, before you outright quit, to give it a month of scheduling like an hour or two hours every single day to brush up skills in some area that interests you. Once you have something recent that you've done that you feel reasonably confident in showing people, then I think you can pull the plug and feel reasonably confident in getting somewhere within six months. The only people I know who've had trouble looking for work have been people who haven't been keeping their skills up.
posted by Sequence at 9:10 AM on April 6, 2017
You're probably not below-average--all of us seem to have problems comparing ourselves to people who create unreasonable expectations, from what I've seen--but maybe now is the time, before you outright quit, to give it a month of scheduling like an hour or two hours every single day to brush up skills in some area that interests you. Once you have something recent that you've done that you feel reasonably confident in showing people, then I think you can pull the plug and feel reasonably confident in getting somewhere within six months. The only people I know who've had trouble looking for work have been people who haven't been keeping their skills up.
posted by Sequence at 9:10 AM on April 6, 2017
It sounds like you're really likely to be able to find a job in under six months. You're an experienced web developer. There's excessive demand for them, and employers are having a hard time filling those positions.
It is always better to have a job in hand when you give notice, but if you're so drained that you can't look for a job while working at your current one — or are uncomfortable with "checking out" of your current job while looking for one — then, go for it. Just quit, get yourself back together and get a better job.
posted by ignignokt at 9:29 AM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
It is always better to have a job in hand when you give notice, but if you're so drained that you can't look for a job while working at your current one — or are uncomfortable with "checking out" of your current job while looking for one — then, go for it. Just quit, get yourself back together and get a better job.
posted by ignignokt at 9:29 AM on April 6, 2017 [1 favorite]
Work is stressing me out. I believe my project is going nowhere fast. Should I leave even though I don't have another job in hand?
No. If you're stressed out now imagine how stressed you'll be with no job. Start a job search but stay with the one you have to keep the bills paid.
posted by Rob Rockets at 10:09 AM on April 6, 2017
No. If you're stressed out now imagine how stressed you'll be with no job. Start a job search but stay with the one you have to keep the bills paid.
posted by Rob Rockets at 10:09 AM on April 6, 2017
Counterpoint: your success in job searching, like many endeavors, is going to be impacted by the level of energy and enthusiasm you bring to it. If you spend 9 hours a day grinding out work you hate at a job you hate, you're not likely to bring your best effort to after-hours job hunting. Quitting your current gig lets you excise a source of negativity and a massive timesuck from your life, making room for your new job of job hunting.
Because the key to job hunting is to take it seriously. Like, wake up at normal working-people time, have coffee and breakfast, then go the library and put in a solid 8 hours. Make a spreadsheet of every viable employer in your metro area, their open positions, tech stacks. Push code to your personal github account every day. Don't just 'update' your resume, write 5 versions targeting niches you're interested in, then send those out for critique by former colleagues you trust. Write contact emails that read like you actually know what the company does, rather than the usual bullshit boilerplate, because you spent the time actually learning what the company does. Pick up some contract work to keep yourself in the game.
There's no way to do this effectively in one tired and depressed hour a night. Even if you get responses, you're likely to accept a mediocre offer just to escape your current purgatory and start the shitty job cycle again.
You're lucky being in webdev - the old saw that you need a job to get a job can be true (and it's fucking poison but that's besides the point) but much less so in tech. "I took time off to modernize my skills and explore my career options" is totally valid and will make sense to plenty of interviewers -- at least the ones you actually want to work for.
posted by The Prawn Reproach at 10:52 AM on April 6, 2017 [3 favorites]
Because the key to job hunting is to take it seriously. Like, wake up at normal working-people time, have coffee and breakfast, then go the library and put in a solid 8 hours. Make a spreadsheet of every viable employer in your metro area, their open positions, tech stacks. Push code to your personal github account every day. Don't just 'update' your resume, write 5 versions targeting niches you're interested in, then send those out for critique by former colleagues you trust. Write contact emails that read like you actually know what the company does, rather than the usual bullshit boilerplate, because you spent the time actually learning what the company does. Pick up some contract work to keep yourself in the game.
There's no way to do this effectively in one tired and depressed hour a night. Even if you get responses, you're likely to accept a mediocre offer just to escape your current purgatory and start the shitty job cycle again.
You're lucky being in webdev - the old saw that you need a job to get a job can be true (and it's fucking poison but that's besides the point) but much less so in tech. "I took time off to modernize my skills and explore my career options" is totally valid and will make sense to plenty of interviewers -- at least the ones you actually want to work for.
posted by The Prawn Reproach at 10:52 AM on April 6, 2017 [3 favorites]
I had a roommate who took my advice and stopped working for a year where I expected she might learn to dress and clean up after herself but she instead played Pokemon and World of Warcraft. She ate out a lot. She was sitting on enough money to do this and at the end she went right back to the same kind of job that she had before she jumped ship. I have a clear feeling she is way less well off as a result of her experience.
That said, three months off doesn't really hurt and is enough time to spend four weeks learning the steps you will need to implement not just to get your next thing but to stay in that thing despite the odds of going right back to what you were doing. You can buttress that with short breaks to try new places out or simply move to a new region.
The problem is that once you figure out how to make it work, you may decide you don't really want to do it right now. You may decide you can wait. I urge you not to wait too long. Interviewing is really important, even if it's just informational because you need to feel secure in the choice you are making. When money is an issue, people have a tendency to jump for anything and reject more viable opportunities. I am still shocked how many people didn't go for my job, which allows me to walk to work and finish at 4:30 everyday. It's a huge benefit to my life.
posted by parmanparman at 1:02 PM on April 6, 2017
That said, three months off doesn't really hurt and is enough time to spend four weeks learning the steps you will need to implement not just to get your next thing but to stay in that thing despite the odds of going right back to what you were doing. You can buttress that with short breaks to try new places out or simply move to a new region.
The problem is that once you figure out how to make it work, you may decide you don't really want to do it right now. You may decide you can wait. I urge you not to wait too long. Interviewing is really important, even if it's just informational because you need to feel secure in the choice you are making. When money is an issue, people have a tendency to jump for anything and reject more viable opportunities. I am still shocked how many people didn't go for my job, which allows me to walk to work and finish at 4:30 everyday. It's a huge benefit to my life.
posted by parmanparman at 1:02 PM on April 6, 2017
Sorry that work is causing so much stress. I'm a firm believer that people should enjoy their job. That being said if you can pursue your job search while toughing out your current job until you get something else I'd highly recommend that. However given the fact it's just you and you have a 6 month cushion...maybe quitting so you can search full time for a new job would be option. Can you go into any sort of super budget mode and extend that 6 months by a few more months? Eat ramen noodles, cancel cable, no meals out? And then you'll have to be disciplined about going hard core on your job search. There's gonna be stress either way. Really depends on your tolerance for risk. If you can take a risk then quit. If that's too scary...then look for another job while continuing with your current position.
posted by ljs30 at 9:30 PM on April 7, 2017
posted by ljs30 at 9:30 PM on April 7, 2017
I consider myself below-average as a developer, but that hasn't stopped me from working on major projects and holding down a job for a long time.Being dependable and supporting major projects is a big deal to employers. One way to get more information about your standing and your chances for a new job would be to start the hunt now and use the outcomes of your interviews as information. You don’t have to take what they offer but it will help put your six months into context to know your success rate. You might decide to quit without a new job lined up after all, if it turns out that you’re seeing good offers on applications and interviews that you’re not taking out of desperation.
posted by migurski at 2:51 PM on April 8, 2017
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Why not start applying for jobs today? Sometimes knowing you're actively looking for something else can give you enough psychological relief to tolerate a bad situation for a little longer.
posted by something something at 7:08 AM on April 6, 2017 [4 favorites]