Quitting your job without having anything lined up

[Billy Dean]

Have you ever done this? If so, how did it work out for you?

I'm thinking about doing it, and have been for a while. My job is sort of making me ill and sapping all my energy. I'm working on a career change and have signed up to do some distance learning qualifications. And I've got a little voluntary gig on the side. The problem is my job saps my energy so much that it's hard to do all that stuff on the side. I've got money saved up so could live for about a year without work in the worst case so on that side it might not be a disaster. But the job just feels a bit like an anchor, gives me some stability, and who knows where I'll end up if I lift it up, maybe somewhere good, maybe somewhere worse.

So if you've ever quit without having anything lined up, did you regret it or was it the best thing you ever did?

 

[john jako]

Have you ever done this? If so, how did it work out for you?

I'm thinking about doing it, and have been for a while. My job is sort of making me ill and sapping all my energy. I'm working on a career change and have signed up to do some distance learning qualifications. And I've got a little voluntary gig on the side. The problem is my job saps my energy so much that it's hard to do all that stuff on the side. I've got money saved up so could live for about a year without work in the worst case so on that side it might not be a disaster. But the job just feels a bit like an anchor, gives me some stability, and who knows where I'll end up if I lift it up, maybe somewhere good, maybe somewhere worse.

So if you've ever quit without having anything lined up, did you regret it or was it the best thing you ever did?

Good luck mate.

Am leaving my job in January after 13 years and won’t have anything lined up.

I’ve heard lots of success stories.

 

[Billy Dean]

Good luck mate.

Am leaving my job in January after 13 years and won’t have anything lined up.

I’ve heard lots of success stories.

Thanks mate

 

[McBain]

Working as a freelancer it would do my head in having to work at the same place year after year.

 

[EnglishRoundabout]

Depends on your circumstances and the risk of no income etc. Moreover, how does your job “sap your energy?” How do you know your next move won’t do the same?

 

[JimmyJeffers]

Have you ever done this? If so, how did it work out for you?

I'm thinking about doing it, and have been for a while. My job is sort of making me ill and sapping all my energy. I'm working on a career change and have signed up to do some distance learning qualifications. And I've got a little voluntary gig on the side. The problem is my job saps my energy so much that it's hard to do all that stuff on the side. I've got money saved up so could live for about a year without work in the worst case so on that side it might not be a disaster. But the job just feels a bit like an anchor, gives me some stability, and who knows where I'll end up if I lift it up, maybe somewhere good, maybe somewhere worse.

So if you've ever quit without having anything lined up, did you regret it or was it the best thing you ever did?

Guess it depends if you’ve got people depending on you. Doesn’t sound like you do. I’d quit tomorrow if I was you

 

[random]

I have done it, 2 years ago, left without anything lined up. It was a struggle for a few months, but I had been anticipating doing it so managed to save a couple of months mortgage payments (also as soon as I left the job I phoned the mortgage company and they let me have up to 6 months payment holiday if I needed it)

I was treating looking for a job as a job, mass applied for positions and now I have a job that pays very low wages but I am the happiest in a job I have ever been. When I look at my hourly take home compared to what I was earning and the stress levels its a no brainer.

 

[orly]

Have you ever done this? If so, how did it work out for you?

I'm thinking about doing it, and have been for a while. My job is sort of making me ill and sapping all my energy. I'm working on a career change and have signed up to do some distance learning qualifications. And I've got a little voluntary gig on the side. The problem is my job saps my energy so much that it's hard to do all that stuff on the side. I've got money saved up so could live for about a year without work in the worst case so on that side it might not be a disaster. But the job just feels a bit like an anchor, gives me some stability, and who knows where I'll end up if I lift it up, maybe somewhere good, maybe somewhere worse.

So if you've ever quit without having anything lined up, did you regret it or was it the best thing you ever did?

Yes mate I have. The problem is you can't truly have nothing "lined up", you still need to be aiming for something realistic within your own financial circumstances. I knew that by saving for set amount I could be comfortable for a roughly defined period of time and joined an industry that I knew would hire me at that stage. So I completed a contract at a company I loathed and moved on.

I will say on the fundamental point here that if you can afford to and you hate your job, or it is making you unwell, sack it off asap. Your new role will feel incredible and you'll wish you did it sooner.

If you need a hand with your CV / Covering Letter but clearly on FrandOldTeam.com we do not use our real names, anonymise it and send it to me by PM if you like.

 

[The binman chronicles]

Have you ever done this? If so, how did it work out for you?

I'm thinking about doing it, and have been for a while. My job is sort of making me ill and sapping all my energy. I'm working on a career change and have signed up to do some distance learning qualifications. And I've got a little voluntary gig on the side. The problem is my job saps my energy so much that it's hard to do all that stuff on the side. I've got money saved up so could live for about a year without work in the worst case so on that side it might not be a disaster. But the job just feels a bit like an anchor, gives me some stability, and who knows where I'll end up if I lift it up, maybe somewhere good, maybe somewhere worse.

So if you've ever quit without having anything lined up, did you regret it or was it the best thing you ever did?

Or if you know you want out and you don't care, why not act the fool at work? Treat it as a laugh seeing how little you can get away with and how long you can spend in the toilet every day. Hopefully your stress levels will go down, you still take home the same pay and you never know they may offer you redundancy or try to learn why you are now like this and can try to adapt the issues that were making the job unbearable.

 

[zebedee]

Have you ever done this? If so, how did it work out for you?

I'm thinking about doing it, and have been for a while. My job is sort of making me ill and sapping all my energy. I'm working on a career change and have signed up to do some distance learning qualifications. And I've got a little voluntary gig on the side. The problem is my job saps my energy so much that it's hard to do all that stuff on the side. I've got money saved up so could live for about a year without work in the worst case so on that side it might not be a disaster. But the job just feels a bit like an anchor, gives me some stability, and who knows where I'll end up if I lift it up, maybe somewhere good, maybe somewhere worse.

So if you've ever quit without having anything lined up, did you regret it or was it the best thing you ever did?

A year should be fine providing college stuff is covered. You can always pick up part time work. Skills are transferable

 

[random]

use the national careers service https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/get-a-job

If you are over 19 you can arrange a face-to-face with an adviser and they will help with CV and stuff. They are far better than the job centre and its free advice.

 

[Connor]

Also had this same thought recently but not taken the plunge

*watches on intently*

 

[Billy Dean]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Really helpful! My answers below:

Working as a freelancer it would do my head in having to work at the same place year after year.

That's something I would consider doing in future.

Depends on your circumstances and the risk of no income etc. Moreover, how does your job “sap your energy?” How do you know your next move won’t do the same?

Good point. The risk of no income would mean probably having to change my living situation - i.e. downsizing or a flat share etc (doable). I've got about a year's salary saved up. How it saps my energy: I've never really liked the work and just did it for the pay check. A couple of years ago there was a lot of turnover and the new people who have come in have made the atmosphere unpleasant. There's a lot of competitiveness, backstabbing, politics etc going on. It just feels unpleasant being there. I get physical niggles, gut problems, joint problems, fatigue, anxiety etc. But yeah that could happen somewhere else too so I should look for ways to deal with it. But I figure that kind of stuff would be easier to deal with if you actually like what you do, hence working on the career change.

Guess it depends if you’ve got people depending on you. Doesn’t sound like you do. I’d quit tomorrow if I was you

Nope. I rarely have the energy to work on that lol

I have done it, last time was 2 years ago, left without anything lined up. It was a struggle for a few months, but I had been anticipating doing it so managed to save a couple of months mortgage payments (also as soon as I left the job I phoned the mortgage company and they let me have up to 6 months payment holiday if I needed it)

I was treating looking for a job as a job, mass applied for positions and now I have a job that pays very low wages but I am the happiest in a job I have ever been. When I look at my hourly take home compared to what I was earning and the stress levels its a no brainer.

Encouraging to hear, especially the last paragraph. Thanks mate

Yes mate I have. The problem is you can't truly have nothing "lined up", you still need to be aiming for something realistic within your own financial circumstances. I knew that by saving for set amount I could be comfortable for a roughly defined period of time and joined an industry that I knew would hire me at that stage. So I completed a contract at a company I loathed and moved on.

I will say on the fundamental point here that if you can afford to and you hate your job, or it is making you unwell, sack it off asap. Your new role will feel incredible and you'll wish you did it sooner.

If you need a hand with your CV / Covering Letter but clearly on FrandOldTeam.com we do not use our real names, anonymise it and send it to me by PM if you like.

Thanks a lot mate, I might just do that!
Regarding your first paragraph I think that's the issue. There's a fair bit of uncertainty on what would happen. I don't feel certain that the sector I'm interested in would definitely hire me. It's not the most stable or secure sector.

 

[ijjysmith]

I think about doing this every single day at the minute.

 

[Disgruntledgoat]

Have you ever done this? If so, how did it work out for you?

I'm thinking about doing it, and have been for a while. My job is sort of making me ill and sapping all my energy. I'm working on a career change and have signed up to do some distance learning qualifications. And I've got a little voluntary gig on the side. The problem is my job saps my energy so much that it's hard to do all that stuff on the side. I've got money saved up so could live for about a year without work in the worst case so on that side it might not be a disaster. But the job just feels a bit like an anchor, gives me some stability, and who knows where I'll end up if I lift it up, maybe somewhere good, maybe somewhere worse.

So if you've ever quit without having anything lined up, did you regret it or was it the best thing you ever did?

Do it.

I had the same career for 15 years and hated every minute. I convinced myself it was all I could do until it made me so Ill I had to stop...

I'm back in the office now but its only for money. I'll be out in a year and doing what I love, on my own terms.

Lifes too short to waste doing something you hate. Make a plan and work towards it, if you do the same things you get the same results and removing the option of failure is a powerful thing

Most people are selling themselves short. We can all be more. Go do it