Quitting your job without another job to go to

Have you ever done this? Has work become so unbearable you just quit without another job to go to, in the hope that something will come along sooner or later? What happened, did you run out of money, unable to feed yourself and die?

Your experiences are welcome. I ask because this is pretty much my scenario, I work in sales, i drive everywhere (typically 300miles, 3 times a week) which I hate!

I guess like many people I’ve considered it… but it’s not easy in my sector to get something else – 200 experienced people applied for the last job I went for. 😯 So, I’m doing the safest thing – staying put, but looking out for opportunities.

I’ll watch this with interest. I’m in the same position. hate is not a strong enough word for how I feel.
I’m getting seriously depressed with my job

Tough call. I have done it yes, was on the skids of my arse for several months and had to ask my mother & brother to help pay my mortgage which wasn’t nice. BUT there’s probably no better motivator to getting another job than not having one. If you think that the very worst thing that could happen to you is your death. Are you going to die as a result of this decision? From that standpoint everything else is up. Do you have kids and responsibilities? If not then eff it, do it!

I found there’s plenty of stop gap jobs available if you don’t mind lugging pallets about postal depots & such.

They say it’s easier to find work when your in work, and I have to agree.
But in May 2012 I walked out of my job I just couldn’t take it any more thinking finding a new job was easy I was wrong it took until September to find a job and the end of October before I saw a pay packet.
As my wife was a student we had to live off her bursary which made things very tight.
Would I do it again? Yes would I advise it? If your in the position to fund your self for a good few months then yes, if not no.

Wanted to on many occasions but didn’t as had no savings to back me up, also v stubborn and don’t like being proved wrong…

Do apprecite that on at least 2 occasions I was just being a mug though! Co-incidently they were both Sales jobs.

i did but under different circumstances as i was threatened by my boss with my job so i told him to stick it up his ar*e and find someone else a bit daft really as i’m still out of work 3 months later starving to death 🙄

Yes.

Was taking a month off in December for my wedding in NZ – work were OK with it, but I was bored with what I was doing and would be returning to 6+ months of the same. Had been dissatisfied since I took a few months off a couple of years ago, things were supposed to change but really hadn’t. Gave my notice instead.

Had a few offers of contract work either doing what I was before or related to it (I was often subbed out to another company), but just didn’t want to go there again. There was a false start with a company that just wasn’t a good fit for me (lasted 3 weeks) but landed a great job with an awesome company that I really love working for.

I will say that the pace of recruitment of larger organisations can seem glacial when you’re not working. Even though you can do interviews at a drop of a hat, it can be months from them advertising, to selecting candidates, to interviewing, to making an offer – then they’ll be expecting a notice period to arrange things so you can start. It works much better with smaller ones who’ll be happy to have you come in at the drop of a hat.

It worked out OK for me but I’ll caveat it – I currently have few financial responsibilities (rent & bills is the extent of it), no kids, and had squirreled enough away that I could afford to not work for a year or more if it came to it. I also live in London so had a much larger pool of potential jobs to choose from.

Call it a career break, it’s accepted these days.

Who wants to work in a situation that is clearly not beneficial to either You nor your Employer.

Enjoy your break..

I worked in a LBS that I walked out on once. The place had so much promise, and a couple of nice staff, but the Manager treated me like a Saturday Boy, [eg I was not allowed to sell expensive bikes, or even talk about them much, I had been promised workshop work – the best I got was assembling kid’s bikes]. His wife was a screeching banshee who bullied and picked-on just because she could [and seldom did anything her self despite being on my case 24/7], and the chief mechanic was a real smug git who took every opportunity to put me down.

I was gutted – thought it was my dream job when I was head-hunted from Halfords, but the anger was building up every day. One day I stood outside the Boss/owner’s office for 30 minutes waiting to speak to him because I was ready to walk out. He wouldn’t see me, so I walked off wrote a note saying “gone home for lunch and I’m not coming back” and did just that.

Now I think it was unreasonable and unprofessional of me, but I also remember how angry I was and it still makes a lot of sense.

In my case, money wasn’t a problem – I went back to Halfords AND kept my £3k pay-rise but what caused the problem was my girlfriend of the time – I asked my friend/landlady just before I handed in the note if it would be a problem if I had to owe her a few months rent, which she was OK with. But the girl I’d been seeing for a couple of months went ballistic and was furious that I didn’t consult her.

So – you may land on your feet, but check your partner isn’t going to stamp on your toes afterwards.

I’ve done it, a loooong time ago, I left an HGV in a distribution center in Leeds and got the train home after the transport manager decided to give out physical threats and racist abuse over the phone because I wouldn’t break the driving hours laws and carry on to another job when my hours run out..
**** em.. Life’s too short…

Interesting. Its the driving i hate, its like solitude, it hurts my back and i hate not being active, stretching my legs etc. I think its difficult to go from a sales job to anything else other than a sales job, so i think finding new work might be a bit slow.

I had 2 months off work earlier this year with a broken bone, it was the happiest time of recent years as I wasn’t at work! When i think of that, that id rather be injured, is the time to get a new job.

I’ve done it. Didn’t run out of money but I was worried I might.

Thing is, job hunting IS a full-time job. If you’re busy in your current role, you might not have time to do it.

Some places want 2-3 stage interviews, thats potentially 3 days off work. Plus you’ve got to prepare for them etc.. One place in London wanted me to write a computer program for the “Travelling Salesman” problem. With lots of places now only giving 20 days holiday, thats not many interviews you can attend before you run out of holiday.

I think about doing it every hour of every day.

Summed it up for me, being injured and really ill has been the most enjoyable part of my job. Time to move on and find something else or completely different.

Yup, ended up in a more-or-less “leave or be sacked” position, did the sensible thing for my future record, went straight to an agency I’d worked through in the past, was in a new job within a month.

Not something I’d like to do multiple times, there was a lot of bricking it going on, but it worked out. I did go into it with the mindset of “I am looking for something (anything!) that’ll pay the bills”, though. I jumped ship knowing full-well I just needed an income, and I could put my mind to anything in the short-term while I looked for something more permanent. As it is, I’m still in the same job, roughly, 3 years later, so I definitely fell on my feet.

I did it once when I made a mistake in taking a job I thought I’d like, instead of researching it a little more.

After 12+ yrs in a company I liked I went for an interview selling bikes (hence the draw), and got the job after one interview.

3 months later I told the boss to shove his bikes where the sun doesn’t shine as his expectations were frankly ridiculous.

Needless to say I was then invited to travel down to London (from Leeds) to hand my car back in and say goodbye !

I came back home on the train with no job, no car and a house to fund – but it was one of the happiest times of my life.

I was out looking for jobs the same day and found something in six weeks so the net outcome was I made money out of the situation.

Until I experienced the stress and downer that a truly hateful job puts one in – no matter if it is you or the job at fault, I would have always say one would be crazy to walk out of a job.

However, having been there I can see the reasons for doing so. And future employers can be gauged at interview by how they react to the blot on your CV.

My current employer said it showed courage and drive for me to do what I did, but the also said it was more down to the fact that I got myself sorted straight away. They did say that if it had appeared twice on the same CV their thoughts wouldn’t be the same.

My situation only really affected me as I lived alone and had no debts as such. I wouldn’t like to do it in todays job climate but health and well being are vitally important so maybe jump before your pushed.

I did this 25 years ago, walked out of the prison service, I had a 9month baby at home and wife to feed
I didn’t tell my wife I was quitting, turned up at home after driving 350 miles, knocked on door and said, “I’m home”
Wife said , “how long for”
Eeeerrmmmmmm….. Till I find a new job”

Went self employed for a bit, and have never looked back

I thought you was fed, innit?

It depends.

If you are single/childless and have money in the bank, maybe.

Anything else, it’s a far bigger risk.

I’ve been laid off 6 times and each time it’s been harder to get a job – caused mainly be seniority, but since 2008 it’s just been the general economy. Think very carefully.

Did it 18 months ago. Hated the job, manager & company finally had enough and quit. Thought the day i finally walked out was the best day ever that was actually the next day a Tuesday early March sun shining up a mountain near Fort William with a mate and our bikes.

I had quit knowing i had enough cash savings to not need to work for 6 months. Ended up not working for 5 while applying for jobs and was starting to get concerned. With hindsight 2-3 months off to re-asses decide what was important would have been better for me.

I would also look into how many opportunities there are in the area you work/want to work and see what you can afford before quiting. Maybe take a couple of days holiday and look at alternateive jobs speak to agencies etc before actually deciding to bin the current job.

As Twonks said most employers understand some jobs aren’t as expected/don’t fit but if it is a regular thing on the CV they will look elsewhere.

Yes, I’ve done it. Took a three month break before my head imploded at the beginning of May last year.

I had enough money to last me 6 months with s few cut-backs, and found another job after three months. Best thing I ever did for my own sanity.

As a few have said above, it depends on your financial situation (obligations, reserves etc). But it also depends on other things; I know that I am unable to leave my job as I am unemployable in anything else (I got too old in too specialist a cul-de-sac) and I clearly don’t want to sit back doing nothing for the remainder of my life – I also very much want to take my share of the burden and not dump it onto my wife, naturally.

Clearly, you may not be in that situation. But I know how utterly desperate the job market is at present – so many people I used to work with are now not, due to no fault of their own. Think carefully.

In any case, the implication behind your question is that you will find another job – why not find it first in that case?