Ever quit unemployed?

[Rakewell]

Wrong answer. You make the time to interview.

This.

Make up a medical problem requiring multiple Dr's visits... then interview.

If you need to wear dress clothes to said interview, hide them in your car.

If your current employment finds out and fires you, you collect unemployment.

Then you tell your perspective jobs afterwards that you were fired for lying about interviewing for other jobs, because they wouldn't give you the time off to do it.

 

[sactoking]

I quit a job once without a backup plan; there was too much cognitive dissonance with what I was being asked to do that I had a breakdown. Everything happens for a reason and I was much better of for having left, even if the month or two of unemployment was very financially tough.

 

[patrick409]

If you quit cold turkey, are you going to immediately start looking for jobs or will you take some time off?

I kinda did something similar, but my situation wasn't the same as you. I quit a job I had spent 7 years at and took a 6 month vacation. I was also single, had plenty of savings, and the job market for my industry is excellent so I didn't have too much to worry about.

I think if i were you, i would at least wait until you get your May 1 bonus. Like some others have said, make time to do your interviews.

 

[MichaelD]

Absolutely wait for that 1 May bonus check; you earned it so why let them keep it? These days you have to be flat out foolish to quit a job without another one lined up. Unemployed people have always been "red flagged" by interviewers as "damaged goods." These days if you're unemployed you're "radioactive red flagged." Don't do yourself the disservice of being disregarded. Get off your butt, follow the good advice for making time/hiding your job-seeking activities, and find another job FIRST.

 

[SKORPI0]

Did that 4 years ago as a shipping/receiving manager for a Fortune 500 company. Gave the 2 weeks notice, but didn't show up the next day. Found a better paying, less stress full job 3 weeks after I quit. Took a 2 week vacation in between jobs.

Ended up with a paycheck for 3 weeks unused vacation pay and holiday pay, 2 weeks unused sick pay.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

This.

Make up a medical problem requiring multiple Dr's visits... then interview.

If you need to wear dress clothes to said interview, hide them in your car.

If your current employment finds out and fires you, you collect unemployment.

Then you tell your perspective jobs afterwards that you were fired for lying about interviewing for other jobs, because they wouldn't give you the time off to do it.

I went on an interview in the middle of the day and had my suit in my car and went to (IIRC) an Arby's and changed in the bathroom. You have to make it work.

Having no time for interviews is an excuse, and a bad one at that. You always can make time.

 

[Dacalo]

I would strongly recommend that you have a job lined up before you quit your current job. You may get lucky and find a job shortly after but you have a peace of mind knowing where you will be after. Make time for interviews.

 

[FelixDeCat]

I quit in 2008. Ive been on vacation for 48 months now.

 

[CraigRT]

I quit a job once without having anything lined up. Honestly it was the best thing I ever did. I think I sorta got lucky in that I was able to work part time at another place which brought me just enough to get by, and found another, better full time job a little while later. I hated my job so much though I just needed to not be there anymore. It felt so good leaving that place and never going back.

 

[evident]

just stay in your current job and interview. it's the path that offers the lowest risk while giving roughly the same award (new job). if you take off work for an interview and they fire you, you got what you wished for, right?

 

[Red Squirrel]

Just ride the ship till it sinks. Meanwhile, try looking for another job. If you find one and get it, then put in your 2 weeks notice.

When I was working IT for a hospital I wanted to quit every day. The whole environment was a mess, the IT manager was an asshole and poisoned it to make things even worse. Every morning I dreaded going there and we spent most of the day looking for jobs between tickets. We did the bare minimum work required because any time we did work we somehow got in trouble for it. It was rediculous. I had found out that if I spend most of the day surfing the internet I got in the least trouble. Some nights at home I was even punching holes in cardboard boxes as a destresser.

Despite that, I waited till I found another job and applied, got it, then I quit.

 

[Zorander]

Did that nearly 2 years ago. I did the work of a senior-level accountant but was paid at clerical level and with not a shred of appreciation (in spirit and material). I stayed for 2-3 years but nothing changed. I decided I had learned all I needed and staying any longer would just be a waste of my time.

I quit without another job in line (been to a few interviews before but no offers). I went on a few overseas trips and spent weeks in my parents' home (which is overseas and I had not visited in 5 years). Looking back, it was the right decision for me. I was mentally burnt out from all the stress and needed (a lot of) time off. Money was not an issue either as I had saved enough and have little financial commitments. Now that I have a job already, it's very hard to find the time off to do these things again.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Jobs are overrated. Especially paying ones.


Even in a good job market I wouldn't suggest quitting before you had a new job lined up if you have bills. Where there's a will there's a way. Schedule interviews over your lunch breaks, or even phone interviews. Most companies would rather you have a job (and are more understanding) than some slacker who is trying to get a job who just left theirs.

 

[Sukhoi]

If you have a membership at a big chain gym with multiple locations around town it can be a very convenient place to change clothes for interviews.

 

[Farang]

Thanks for the advice. Kind of funny how it is as conflicting as what is going on in my head.

In terms of the meeting this morning, not as bad as I expected. I'll probably ride it out until May.

I'll still make time for interviews. It is just tough because I'm in staffing, and you get cynical about this stuff, so when your team is doing bad and you have a 'dentist appointment' everyone knows exactly what that means. But the worse they could do is fire me so whatever.

I think what I was looking for out of this thread was to get a commitment from myself not to quit today, and it worked. So thanks.

 

[RaistlinZ]

I quit my last job without one lined up because the stress was actually causing me chronic chest pains. It just wasn't worth it.

I had about 5 months of Funemployment afterwards before landing a much, much better job/career.

If you have savings, I say go for it and find your passion.

 

[brianmanahan]

dont resign until you have another job lined up. crap can happen, and its just not worth it. i had a sucky job for 6 months but i toughed it out, got some mad experience and people skills, and then landed a new job with a %40 pay raise. 2 weeks and i was outta there, even though they begged me to stay for 4 weeks. lol, no.

 

[MovingTarget]

Thanks for the advice. Kind of funny how it is as conflicting as what is going on in my head.

In terms of the meeting this morning, not as bad as I expected. I'll probably ride it out until May.

I'll still make time for interviews. It is just tough because I'm in staffing, and you get cynical about this stuff, so when your team is doing bad and you have a 'dentist appointment' everyone knows exactly what that means. But the worse they could do is fire me so whatever.

I think what I was looking for out of this thread was to get a commitment from myself not to quit today, and it worked. So thanks.

Thats the spirit! You aren't a person but a cog in their machine. What happens when a cog wears out? You cast it aside and replace it. People wonder why employee loyalty is at an all time low. It is because companies are not loyal to their employees anymore. Your situation is one that you need to get out of, asap. However, you burn your bridges after you cross them, not before. Best of luck to you!

 

[RavenSEAL]

If you ain't happy, it ain't worth it. Just make sure you're financially safe.

 

[brianmanahan]

If you ain't happy, it ain't worth it. Just make sure you're financially safe.

it might be worth it. work aint about happiness, its about money.

 

[RavenSEAL]

it might be worth it. work aint about happiness, its about money.

Yeah, but if you're not happy then that money will quickly turn into booze, hookers and blow relatively quickly.

 

[RaistlinZ]

it might be worth it. work aint about happiness, its about money.

No. Life is too short to spend the prime years of your life being miserable every time you wake up in the morning. That's pointless, self-inflicted hell and there are so many other jobs out there for the skilled and motivated. :thumbsup:

 

[Zorander]

it might be worth it. work aint about happiness, its about money.

It depends on how much the money is and how much the individual values his/her happiness.

 

[Red Squirrel]

No. Life is too short to spend the prime years of your life being miserable every time you wake up in the morning. That's pointless, self-inflicted hell and there are so many other jobs out there for the skilled and motivated. :thumbsup:

You will be much more unhappy living on the streets.... As much as some jobs can suck it's best to try to suck it up until you can find a better one.

 

[Saint Nick]

No. Life is too short to spend the prime years of your life being miserable every time you wake up in the morning. That's pointless, self-inflicted hell and there are so many other jobs out there for the skilled and motivated. :thumbsup:

I'd have to agree with this. I have worked several jobs over the past few years in IT, and it has taken me a while to find something I'm really liking. What I do now is okay...it's easy. But does it make me happy? Not really.

I think I'd most enjoy running my own business, but I need to get that started first, which requires some capital, which I have to work to get

Anyways, I'm actually trying to move from supporting enterprise software back into web development. Hope that works out. Hope it makes me happier than I am now, at the very least.