Every day people are being laid off from their jobs. Those who have been laid off are facing an awful situation. Fear, panic, homelessness, hunger, and helplessness are at the forefront of anyone’s mind if they have been laid off. However, there is a small group of people who have been forgotten and who remain as confused and helpless as ever—those who desperately want to quit their jobs.
In this economy, quitting your job seems insane. Thousands of people are struggling to keep their jobs, find new jobs, and just keep their families and lives together. However, think back to a few years ago, when the economy and job market were doing well. If a friend had come to you, describing a miserable job environment, chances are that you would have encouraged them to quit—to damn the man and put themselves back on the market for a job, just as you might encourage a friend in a bad relationship to break up with his or her significant other.
What should those people do now? Stay in their miserable jobs simply because they pay? Sometimes being at a miserable job can be even more depressing and emotionally damaging than being jobless. So what should you do if you desperately want to quit your job?
It depends on who you ask, really. This freelance writer recalls her Dad giving her the sound advice to not quit her job until she had a new one. However, she could simply not bring herself to be miserable at work any longer, and quit against his advice. She claims her financial worries and stresses are great, but that all in all she is happier. This advice columnist claims that any unhappy new employee should slowly begin a job hunt for a new place of employment, but make sure to give the job at least six months before making any decisions. This mom expresses confusion over whether to tell her teenage son to stick out his degrading entry-level labor job to teach him about life in the working world, or to encourage him to quit and enjoy his youth.
This US News and World Report article delivers some interesting statistics about those who have left their jobs. It claims that those who were laid off end up receiving less pay at their next job, but those who quit usually end up receiving just as much as they were before. This may be due to the fact that those who are laid off become a bit desperate, and will accept any job for which they are hired. Those who quit have a more discerning eye, and will only accept a job that was better than the one they originally quit.
Then of course there is the more radical view, as popularized by David Seaman. Seaman has gone public with his controversial idea that the recession is the perfect time to quit your job, as it makes you stand out in the unemployed crowd and can give you a strong sense of self-empowerment. One of his television interviews can be found here.
The bottom line is your happiness and survival. Quitting your job in this economy will, without a doubt, cause an immense deal of stress. The question is, is the financial stress more manageable for you than the stress of a miserable job? If you honestly do not believe you can support yourself or your family in any way without your job, quitting may not be in your future. However, if you think that can you survive financially and deal with the stress of being unemployed, quitting your job may be an option. Five Point Capital cannot encourage you to quit your job in a down economy, nor can we encourage you to stay at a job that is emotionally depressing. This decision must be yours and yours alone. If you are well-informed and knowledgeable of your own financial and mental-health situations, however, you should be able to make the decision that is best for you.
Tags: economy, five point capital, fivepointcapital, job, laid-off, money, quit, resume, success, unemployment
