Leaving a job without another to go to

pioneer31

I am in a quandary. For quite some time I have been bored stupid with my job. It’s the same old thing week in week out. Very little training has been given over the 8 years I have been there, despite having a ‘policy’ for professional development. There’s never enough money in the kitty for it



By the way I know what you’re thinking, “why has he stayed so long?”, well there’s a long story of family illness and other troubles which I was preoccupied with.



So my situation is this. I’m bored/frustrated to death. I also want to move across the country where the rest of my family/old friends are, as seeing them involves booking time off and very long journeys. This current lifestyle is doing my head in and it’s costly.



However I am not having much success finding another job. My lack of professional development probably doesn’t help. The jobs that get advertised pay (in 99% of cases) less than mine. On the plus side, it is cheaper to live if I move back.



The company has recently offered ‘Voluntary Severance’ and I of course applied for it, but got rejected. In fact only 50% of the people who applied got it.
So now I consider what I really didn’t want to do: move back and try and get back into work.



Is this an insane idea? I work in Audio Visual/IT. 42 yrs old.


My thoughts swing back and forth between "you'd be mad to chuck a job in" to "you've only got one life and it's seeping away"

Doshwaster

How much savings do you have? Could you afford to support yourself for a few months while looking for a new job? I'm no expert in the current rules but I suspect that you won't be able to claim benefits since you chose to leave your job.

If it is going to take you a while to find a new job then use it as an opportunity to do something constructive with the time such as updating your IT skills.

pioneer31

Doshwaster wrote: »

How much savings do you have? Could you afford to support yourself for a few months while looking for a new job? I'm no expert in the current rules but I suspect that you won't be able to claim benefits since you chose to leave your job.

If it is going to take you a while to find a new job then use it as an opportunity to do something constructive with the time such as updating your IT skills.

I have a fair amount of savings, although this is earmarked for a house deposit, so I'd prefer not to dig into them too much, if at all.


I think you are probably right that I wouldn't be able to claim benefits. Oddly I would have been if I had been granted severance.

1940sGal

You have to weigh up the pros and cons. Other jobs may pay less but if you're more likely to enjoy them and they give you job satisfaction, isn't it worth it?

Only you can really answer this question. If moving back home and taking a pay cut would make you happier, i'd say go for it.

TELLIT01

I for one aren't thinking "Why has he stayed so long" because I know I've done the same thing in the past. You get bored with the job but you're in a rut and the money is OK. Once in that mindset it is difficult to motivate yourself to make the change.
I would say that you need to get off your behind, metaphorically speaking, and start to plan for moving on.
You need to decide what you want to do, whether what you really want to do is practical, what other areas might you enjoy working in, are you bored with the type of work or just your current working environment etc, etc.
Personally I would say to stick with the current job until you find a new one. Rapidly diminishing funds are one of the greatest motivators to take any job and that would just be a case of out of the frying pan...

duchy

It is said It is always easier to find a job from a job..........If you believe this then it's another good reason to find another job before quitting as well as the financial aspects already mentioned.

Doshwaster

TELLIT01 wrote: »

I for one aren't thinking "Why has he stayed so long" because I know I've done the same thing in the past. You get bored with the job but you're in a rut and the money is OK. Once in that mindset it is difficult to motivate yourself to make the change.

I was in a similar position last year. I had been stuck in the same job for too long with no career progression. I could virtually do the work in my sleep (and often did) and was bored all of the time. The only thing keeping me there was that the money was quite good and I had quite a lot of redundancy entitlement built up - but was never selected when there were lay-offs as I was too expensive to pay off.

In the end a really good opportunity came looking for me. It wasn't a much more money, it's harder work and I had walked away from that potentially big redundancy payout - but I am much, much, happier.

theoretica

You would prefer not to stay in the job you have, dig into your savings or, it seems, take a significant pay cut. I think you need to prioritise your preferences.

Snakey

Find a lower-paying job back home, because if life's cheaper over there you won't need as much for your mortgage anyway. Don't leave until you actually get the job though - take holidays to go to interviews if you need to.

Don't wait until you're pushed. It could be years, and when it does happen it might be in a less pleasant (and lucrative) manner than you're assuming. You only get one life, and if you have any plans for marriage and kids, or even just a dog and a vegetable garden, then you need to first get settled in the place where you want to spend your life and also get that house bought.

Good luck!

Steady_Eddie_2

I know you're suppose to look for a job while in a job. It use to be my golden rule, but I quit my last two jobs without a job to go to. I am currently unemployed and have to wait 3 months for an interview and 6 weeks from the interview for the job to start.
I am also saving for a deposit and will have to dig into those savings while unemployed.

OP if there are no internal politics to consider where you are, then stick with your current job. If 'I'm bored' really means I want to strangle X Y and Z at the earliest convenience. Then leave.
I've learned the hard way about staying in jobs you hate. The long term damage can't be reconciled with a pay cheque.

pioneer31

There has been a U turn. I have now been offered a severance payment (6 mths pay).


This of course is more favourable, but I'm still wondering if it is wise to take it and go.


I'm getting opposing advice from family members. From "I wouldn't chuck a job in for 6 mths pay" (which in reality would last me quite a bit longer when staying with relatives) to "Get out while you can. The restructure is unlikely to be a 'good' thing". They always shaft people in these situations etc