Quitting My Job in This Economy-Am I Crazy?
Sometimes Happiness is More Important
I didn't want to be dramatic, but I assumed he knew what was up when I emailed the meeting request. People really can read between the lines. I also didn't want to quit mid-week. Awkward...
Anyhow, Friday rolled around and as I shut the door behind me, I could already see my manager eyeballing the envelope in my hand which concealed my two weeks notice letter.
For the past few months now, I'd been feeling increasingly unhappy. I was 26 years old working in a cubicle, staring at a computer screen all day. I don't think its anyone's dream to become another farmer in a cubicle pasture. Granted, I had a desk with a window view, but is it worth it if you want to jump out that window every day you have to stare out of it?
My time at my job originated with humble beginnings. I was temping as the front desk receptionist. It was purely supposed to be a short-term thing. When the owner of the company found out I had a college degree in Marketing, she created a position for me which was pretty cool at the time. But as time passed, I realized the glitter had faded and I was just another cog in a machine that was leading me astray from my real personal aspirations. Maybe it was the fact that my job title was very vague and didn't really indicate what I was supposed to be doing therefore I was pigeonholed into doing everything. I was the "Miscellaneous." It was an amalgamation of Project Manager, Accountant, Contract Administrator, Marketing Coordinator, Receptionist, Trade Show representative, and Community Outreach planner. Is your head spinning? Well, mine was. If I took another call from the conference room that asked me to research the latest on Carbon Trading credits in Europe and then travel to Houston for a Vendor symposium, followed up with how much we were invoicing our latest client, I was going to explode.
So, as I drove home from work one day, and was listening to NPR and the depressing news of our down-spiraling economy, I had an epiphany. "I HAVE TO QUIT."
Many people have called me crazy for leaving a stable job in this economy with no back up plan or means of income. Luckily I have a good amount in my savings account and I occasionally dabble in eBay. So I do have a plan of some sorts. Do some traveling with my boyfriend who also recently quit (Birds of a feather, what can I say?) and concentrate on my writing. As crazy and idealistic as it sounds, it makes me so happy and content about my future.
So back to that Friday in my boss's office. I stare him straight in the eye and say, "I'll give you 20 guesses about why I'm here."
Published by Annie Trinh
I love writing things that make people smile, laugh, and cry. Words that instill and embody feeling that can be translated from one person to another... View profile
- Good Reasons for Quitting a JobJust as there are many bad reasons for quitting a job, there are also numerous good reasons for quitting a job as well.
- Ways to Quit Your Job:Telling Your Boss to "Take This Job and Shove It"Lists a various ways to quit that unrewarding job.
- Quitting Your Job Working for a rude
- How to Decide If You Should Quit Your Job - Ask Yourself the Following Five QuestionsHow can you come to the decision that it is time to start scoping out the help wanted ads and turn in your two week notice? Start by asking yourself the following questions.
- Ever Thought of Getting Ahead by Just Quitting Your Job?Have you ever had a chance of actually writing down the price you pay to actually work/ Is it worth it. Take a look at what happens when the average person goes to work and how much money they spend because of it.
- Quitting Your Job Without Losing a Good Work Reference
- Four New Ways to Quit Your Job and Burn a Few Bridges
- Five Reasons to Quit Your Job
- Things to Consider Before Quitting Your Job
- How to Quit Your Job the Right Way
- Simplify Your Life Without Quitting Your Job and Moving to the Woods
- Should You Quit Your Job?
- Don't compromise yourself
- Be happy
- Choose your happiness over money
18 Comments
Post a CommentWHY YOU DISCUSTING GREEDY, STUPID LITTLE CREATURE. YOU DISCUST ME! YOU REALLY DO! SHAME ON YOU! HOW DARE YOU! THE FACT THAT I HAVE TO SHARE THE SAME PLANE OF EXISTANCE THAT SOMEONE LIKE YOU INHABITS INFURIATES ME NO END. YOU NEED TO LEARN THAT LIFE AIN'T A PARTY AND WHEN YOU HAVE A JOB WHEN MILLIONS ARE STRUGGLING(LIKE ME) YOU OWE US NOT TO THROW AWAY WHAT YOU HAVE LIKE IT IS GARBAGE. YOU HAVE INSULTED ME AND I DON'T LIKE IT ONE BIT! YOU ARE HORRIBLE AND YES IN THIS ECONOMY IT IS TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR A JOB WHERE YOU ARE HAPPY! IT IS ABOUT SURVIVAL NOW AND WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A JOB THAT'S A JOKE AND ACTUALLY PAYS YOU REAL MONEY YOU ARE A STUPID PIECE OF GARBAGE IF YOU THROW THAT AWAY! I CAN'T FIND A JOB! I WOULD GIVE MY BACK TEETH FOR WHAT YOU HAD YOU LITTLE INGRATE! BUT IT AIN'T OUT THERE TOOTS! YOU MAKE ME WANNA PUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WHAT YOU DID WAS SO STUPID STAND UP COMEDIANS CAN USE YOU AS A COMPARISON WHEN TALKING ABOUT STUPID PEOPLE. IN THIS ECONOMY WHEN YOU HAVE A JOB THAT ISN'T A JOKE AND THAT PAYS YOU STEADILY YOU SHOULDN'T GIVE IT UP UNLESS YOU ARE GETTING RAPED BY THE BOSS(AND IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE YOU WERE). THE JOB MARKET WILL NOT LIKELY IMPROVE ANYTIME SOON SO YOUR BEST BET IS TO GO BACK TO YOUR JOB AND BEG(AND I MEAN GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES, SHED ALL DIGNITY-A WORD THAT IN THIS ECONOMY SHOULDN'T BE IN YOUR VOCABULARY, HAVE TEARS IN YOURS EYES AS POSSIBLE) FOR YOUR JOB BACK. IF THAT DOESN'T WORK THERE IS OPTION #2 AND THAT IS TO PANIC. PANIC LIKE YOU'VE NEVER PANICKED BEFORE. I TRULY BELIEVE YOU MAY BE DOOMED. AND AS FOR YOU "LISA" IF YOU ARE THINKING OF EMULATING THIS IDIOT YOU SHOULD START THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU ARE GOING TO SURVIVE ON THE STREET BECAUSE WITH YOUR ATTITUDE THAT IS WHERE YOU ARE HEADING.
I love how one person's mind was so overwhelmed by what you wrote that they left several messages under several different "J" names. Heh. Whatever, idiots! Dude, I think what you did is crazy, but awesome, and I'm thinking about doing the same thing. I feel my soul being crushed on a daily basis and call me immature or whatever, I really don't care what people think. At the end of the day, I might be starving (again) and my mom might think I've lost it (again) but I don't care. :) Good luck to you.
You are not crazy just that like you everyone is looking for something that fits them at the same time able to endure this financial world. Like myself, I jump from one job to another not being happy working in front of a screen all day. I always fantasize that one day I be happy doing I wanted to do most without the worry of financial difficulty. Even it is not in millions just enough to spend and survive this world with nothing to much and nothing to less. I guess that will just be a fantasy for me.
SWEETIE,IFYOUGOTTAASKYOUMUSTKNOWWHATYOUDIDWASSTUPIDBEYONDSTUPID.ILOSTMYJOBALMOST3YEARSAGOANDITRUINEDMYLIFE.IWOULDGIVEANYTHINGTOGETITBACKEVENTHOUGHIWASREALLYHATINGBYTHEENDANDDREADINGGOINGINTOWORKEACHDAYBECAUSETHEJOBIHAVEISWORSEANDITSGETTINGWORSEWITHEACHPASSINGDAY.YOUMOSTLIKELYWILLNEVERFINDANYTHINGBETTERANDISUGGESTTHATYOUGOBACKTOYOURFORMEREMPLOYERANDBEGFORYOURJOBBACKANDIMEANBEGWITHTEARSINYOUREYES.IFTHEYDONTGIVEYOUYOURJOBBACKISUGGESTYOUGOFOROPTION
HAPPY?! YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HAPPY?! THE FACT THAT YOU HAD STEADY WORK WITH STEADY PAY SHOULD'VE MADE YOU HAPPY ENOUGH! IN MY OPINION YOU ARE GREEDY AND THEREFORE NO BETTER THAN THOSE CORPORATE MONSTERS WHO DROVE THEIR COMPANIES INTO THE GROUND SO THAT THEY COULD FLY IN PRIVATE JETS. YOU LITTLE GREEDY GUS! I AM STRUGGLING TO FIND WHAT YOU HAD AND THREW AWAY AND BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU I CAN'T. IN MY OPINION, YOU ARE A BAD PERSON! DOWN WITH YOU!
I CANNOT DECIDE WHETHER YOU ARE STUPID OR INSANE. I LOST MY JOB 2.5+ YEARS AGO AND I AM STRUGGLING LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS. THE ECONOMY MAY NEVER RECOVER AND EVEN IF IT DOES IT WILL BE YEARS FROM NOW. I LOST MY JOB THROUGH LITTLE TO NO FAULT OF MY OWN(MY JOB WAS STEADY AND IT PAID GOOD MONEY AND I WASN'T OVERWHELMED BY THE WORKLOAD. UNFORTUNATELY, A NEW MANAGER TOOK OVER AND DIDN'T LIKE ME FOR PERSONAL REASONS SO I WAS FIRED ON A TRUMPED UP REASON) AND SINCE THEN NOTHING BUT BAD THINGS HAVE HAPPENED TO ME. WHEN THE BAD THINGS START HAPPENING TO YOU, AND THEY WILL IN DROVES, YOU DESERVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM BECAUSE YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF. IN MY OPINION, YOUR BEST BET IS TO GO BACK IN TIME AND STOP YOURSELF FROM QUITTING WHAT JOB THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE GOLD TO MOST PEOPLE OUT THERE. YOU HAD GOLD IN THIS ECONOMY AND YOU THREW IT AWAY. YOUR ACTIONS ARE DISCUSTING.
Good for you. I find it very depressing when people cling to what little they have because they don't feel big enough to conquer the world. Odds are you'll struggle a bit, but in the end I know you'll be a happier person.
ARE YOU INSANE OR AN INGRATE?! YOU MAY THINK BECAUSE YOU HAVE A GOOD AMOUNT SAVED UP THAT YOU ARE SECURE BUT GUESS WHAT SWEETIE?! SO DID I AND IN 2.5 YEARS IT IS LESS THAN HALF WHAT IT USED TO BE. I HATE MY JOB AND WOULD LOVE TO QUIT BUT I WASN'T CRAZY ABOUT MY LAST JOB AND WHEN IN LOST I THOUGHT "HEY LOOK AT THIS AS A OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMETHING BETTER". WELL THERE WAS NOTHING BETTER AND IN THIS ECONOMY QUITTING YOUR JOB WILL NOT LEAD YOU TO BETTER ONLY TO HORROR. ENJOY LOSING THE MONEY YOU WORKED SO HARD FOR. INGRATE!
I also quit my job just recently for no reason. People always ask me why I quit and that they thought I loved the job which I did and still do. Quitting was the best and most selfish thing I did. It was the best because it made me realize how serious it was and in life there's no games. Everything you do there will be consequences that follows and I must admit I am getting the worst of it. It's so hard for me to find a job at the moment. It also made me realized how unskillful I am and that I have nothing to give to my potential employer. This whole experience made me want to do more and be more in life and that I can't just do things out of impulse.