If you wanted to quit your job tomorrow, could you do it?
My friend David is in a job that he absolutely loathes. David is a smart, young guy who landed a pretty lucrative first job, yet now that he’s been working there for a year, he’s realized that he’s made some poor choices when it comes to his career and his finances, and he’s miserable.
At work, he’s bored by what he’s doing, and he gets chastised by his peers for “leaving early” because he doesn’t eat all three meals at the office. He’s realized that the work-life balance that he wants to strike is incompatible with what’s expected in his department, and he’s decided that he’s no longer willing to sacrifice certain leisures and freedoms for the benefit of more money.
So, like many people, he’d love to be able to leave his miserable, high-paying job to take a more personally rewarding job with a lower salary. I talk to him about it almost every day, and constantly, I remind him that he’s not alone. In fact, according to a report published by the Conference Board in February of this year, over 60% of American workers under the age of 25 are dissatisfied with their current jobs.
He wants to make a change, but you’ll recall above where I mentioned that David had become aware of some mistakes that he’s made. For one thing, when trying to pick out a job for himself, he had his eyes on the $$$ and not much else. He didn’t care that he didn’t find insurance all that interesting, and didn’t take the time to process what a 60 hour workweek would feel like.
He made some questionable budgeting decisions as well. David drives a relatively new Lexus and lives in an apartment in one of the nicest parts of Chicago. He also is without a rainy-day fund and has moths in his 401k. He’s driven his monthly expenses up too high for the next couple of years and has no savings. So now, though he wants to work in marketing, he’s obligated to maintain his income by something that makes him miserable.
There are ways for him to get out of this mess, and he’s working to that end. But that’s not the point. The point is, he has to face an uphill battle because he’s dug himself into a ditch, and he is just one example of countless people who are tied to jobs because of finances.
Especially if you’re just about to enter the workforce or start a new job, it just makes sense to keep your expenses in check and your savings in high-gear. That way, if you wake up one day so miserable about your job you want to jump off a cliff, you can just quit instead!
I mean, honestly, there comes a point where being able to walk away from a soul-sucking job to focus on a job search is the wise, healthy thing to do, and if can take steps to give yourself that option, why not don’t you?!
Of course, in the vast majority of cases, you should try to maintain your employment until you find something better and get the offer, but what if you’re fired? What if you reach a point where you’re just too miserable in your job to successfully conduct a job search?! What if you want to start your own business?
By keeping expenses under control and continually adding to your various types of savings, you are investing in your ability to survive a career change–voluntary or otherwise. And if you’ve ever known someone who wound up stuck in a truly heinous job, you understand the value of being able to get out of that situation on your own terms.
If you enjoy reading this blog, why not tip the author?
34 responses so far ↓
1 Rick // Dec 4, 2007 at 5:44 pm
The big lesson here is that it’s far better when you’re dealing from a position of strength. If you’re miserable at work, haven’t built up adequate savings, and are pinned beneath some heavy debts, you’re forced to choose between moving closer to personal bankruptcy or prolonging your misery by staying in a miserable job. Anyone in a similar situation needs to maintain some sense of discipline while formulating a plan to break away from the miserable job and preparing a resume. It may take time but if you commit yourself to change and stay positive, it will happen. Nice post!
2 Carlos Castellon // Dec 4, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Worth remembering. I made this mistake 4 years ago when I accepted an offer just for the money. Never again.
3 Shawn // Dec 4, 2007 at 8:29 pm
True. I was unexpectedly downsized early in my career. Luckily for me, I was still near family and was able to keep my expenses low because I didn’t see it coming at all. Not only that, but I had to completely rethink my next career move; something I hadn’t even begin to think about because I was mindlessly moving along in the day-to-day that was my job without thinking about the big picture.
4 dawn // Dec 5, 2007 at 9:01 am
I left my last job without having a new one lined up OR any savings, I was that miserable. My job now only takes 60 hours a week (lunch hour? What’s that?) and I’d love to leave it, too, but I now have to support my mother and I don’t even have money anymore to do fun stuff to take my mind off of how exhausting/frustrating my job is.
That’s my long-winded way of saying circumstances change and you get stuck, so move on while you still have wings.
5 Brad Shorr // Dec 5, 2007 at 10:53 am
Yep, it’s imperative to build a war chest. You don’t realize how fast the money goes out until it’s not steadily coming in. Two other things I’ve learned - have a clear idea of what you want to do before you make the leap, and do some real soul searching about what standard of living you and your family are truly prepared to accept.
6 Tiffany // Dec 5, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Great post, Chuck. I consistently marvel at how our generation thinks we have a inalienable right to start our lives, our finances, our spending habits, like most of our parents are now able to spend. Same or better car as parents. As large or larger house, apartment, etc. Nicer clothes. More stuff for our kids.
I think it’s crazy that we want to spend as though we’ve been working for 30 years and that we live in a fantasy land that it will be ok. Sure, if some of us screw up, our parents could bail us out, but that’s not what they have been saving for your whole life. Let them enjoy their retirement - if and when they ever get there!
This is one leftover of the helicopter parenting that is pretty dangerous, I think. I sure don’t want to have to support my kids until they’re 30 one day!
7 Heather // Dec 5, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Sure, this is very ideal and wouldn’t we al benefit from disciplining ourselves to save and not squander.
But what are you to do when you are a single parent and make just enough to pay the bills and put food on the table? It’s not like I’m on welfare or anything, but I’m paying more for day care than I am for rent! So, in the meantime, I’m just praying that another disaster doesn’t come my way.
Like Dawn said, move along while you have wings.
8 Michael Celender // Dec 5, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Excellent post Chuck! I have been reading your blog for a pretty good while now but this one really hit home. It is the beginning of my story. I have written a book just recently that tells my whole story and let’s just say it is not exactly favorable of corporate America.
Your friend David and some of the other posters to this site are so not alone! There is another statistic that states that 50% of the workforce overall is dissatisfied with their jobs and at least one third of them feel trapped in it as well.
I have been there several times in my career. I was an organization development consultant for over 10 years and I worked for six (yes six) different companies in that decade. I thought (just like each of you) that finding a “better” job was the answer. For me, however, it wasn’t. Every single company I went to was basically the same.
They want you to sell your soul to the company store. Especially when you’re young it seems like a logical trade because you can impress all those around you with all of the great “stuff” you can now buy. That stuff now becomes your chains or jail cell and your company is your jailer. Here is the critical point - they wouldn’t have it any other way! How do you think it is that they can ask so much of people just for a paycheck? And the “stuff” that you thought you had to have is just the grand illusion. How can you ever enjoy it without the time to do so?
So you keep existing day by day until the next thing you know, your 40 with a family and more “stuck” than ever before. Yet there really is a way out. I am one of a small percentage who have found it. It is exclusively what the book I have written is all about. It is called Awaken: Walking the Hidden Path.
The real truth is that you are only as trapped as you believe you are. I am 41 years old with a wife and two very young boys, yet I left my job with no money in savings, retirement, or any fallback of any kind…because I woke up from life on the surface! There is something more real, deeper within but it does take great courage and faith to seek it out and find it. The reward is absolutely worth the price but very few will ever take the journey.
How about you? Don’t make my mistake and wait until you are 40 when it becomes a thousand times harder. I have a master’s degree and over 16 years of corporate experience but I have never been happier than what I do now. I show others that path to their authentic power. I’m sorry, but if you are miserable in your job and/or life, then you haven’t found it (or you’ve lost it). I guarantee I can wake you up to it! Check out over 20 free sample pages of my book at www.michaelcelender.com.
9 Hannah // Dec 5, 2007 at 6:09 pm
ug. and I really wanted to renovate the kitchen this year. But you’re right. I need to be patient. A little savings = “walk away” power.
Thanks Chuck!
10 Bush Mackel // Dec 5, 2007 at 7:28 pm
FANtastic post Chucky - And a lot of people left some great comments.
@Dawn - I think you bring up something interesting in the whole “move while you can thing”. My current situation is married with kid, and I know if things were different in that regard, I’d probably be out of my 9-5 by now.
So I guess in that sense, I’m a bit “stuck”, but I’m working feverishly to get unstuck too… So remember - It’s not hopeless!
@Tiffany - I agree with you. *nod* I always remember what I heard a poker player say once… It went something like “I was always happiest when I was broke.”
I always took that to mean you don’t need money to be happy.
@Chuck - BTW, this has been stumbled and I hope you’re doing well! Great great great post!
11 Saturday Speedlinkin IX | Bush Mackel // Dec 8, 2007 at 1:26 pm
[…] Don’t Let Finances Pin You to a Miserable Job by Chuck - A very well written post whose title basically says it all. Make sure you read the comments too as a lot of people had some very interesting things to say. […]
12 Personal Finance and Career Change | Making The Jump // Dec 10, 2007 at 1:13 am
[…] Westbrook of I Hate Your Job writes about his friend’s desire to change jobs, and the financial circumstances that stand in the way: My friend David is in a job that he […]
13 Mr. Disgruntled // Dec 12, 2007 at 10:40 am
Finances have kept me at a miserable job for way longer than I ever wanted …
14 Joe Drinker // Dec 12, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Excellent food for thought Chuck.
I second that - never underestimate the need for an emergency savings fund. Not that I have a great one, but it’s in the works. Always knowing that if the job gets too bad you can walk away does wonders for the job experience…the knowledge that there’s a cushion if the time comes to bail out also makes the work itself easier to handle too. It’s like a mental two-fer!
15 -PP // Dec 14, 2007 at 2:07 pm
I wouldn’t say that my last job was “soul- sucking,” but my desire to find a new job was so consuming that I didn’t have much energy to make it happen. I was too drained at the end of the day to go out and network, which might have been enough to get me into a job I enjoyed.
I eventually had to just quit (although I did temp a bit) in order to figure out what I really wanted to do and then go do it. Looking back, it’s worked out out pretty well , but it would have been much easier with a better cushion. On the other hand, running through my meager savings was a great motivator.
16 Vladimir Tess // Dec 16, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Even though most of us hate our jobs, we must persist because they are our major sources of income. I’ve read the book called “The Power of Positive Thinking” quite some time ago and the main point of it is that if you think that you hate or don’t like something you won’t like it and you will hate it. On contrary, if you program your mind to like things, like your job, you will love it.
I’m not saying that you have to accept the adverse conditions and work your butt off but what what you should do is become an influence on your organization and make the changes that you would appreciate.
I once worked for a small business where I was a cook part time and the stove that I used was very old and was positioned very uncomfortably that made me sick! It was one of those things that you can’t stand. I decided to research benefits of other stoves and decided to present them to my boss who quickly decided to alter the stove.
You have a high paying job, you can amend your conditions, and by doing so, you will become an active member of the organization which means, sooner or later, a raise.
Of course the situation isn’t that simple always, but you should think of alternatives before you quit your job. Think of things you will lose.
In fact, I may sooner or later write an article about “How to Love the Job you Hate” on money-lessons.com
17 Three Secrets to Starting Anything (Life Lessons from Launching a New Blog) at Personal PR // Dec 18, 2007 at 8:27 pm
[…] way, too. It’s flexible, moldable. That’s what innovation means. Sure, you may have to take bigger risks sometimes to get the changes you want to see, but it’s usually an option. That doesn’t […]
18 Vladimir Tess // Dec 18, 2007 at 11:56 pm
I’ve just written an article about hating your job and thought that it may be useful to friends like David: Money-Lessons.com
19 Victor // Dec 26, 2007 at 3:19 am
It’s very easy to understand this when you have been there, thanks for sharing . . .
20 Paul // Dec 30, 2007 at 8:47 am
Your scenario is similar to that of most individuals I meet. Handcuffed to their jobs due to huge mortgages and bills and a desire to maintain lifestyle. Enduring 50-60 miserable hours a week and horrible commutes. Poor worklife balance and their kids growing up wondering if they actually have parents from mon-fri.
It is harsh but reality is that we all have choices. Lexus and nice apartment versus job satisfaction and worklife balance.
Your mate is complaining (possibly blaming)about his situation daily but probably not doing much about it. People will use financial reasons as a barrier. He may be able to secure suitable work without a drop in standard of living, or a small drop which will be addressed by more effective financial management. There are situations were a large drop is unavoidable - no pain no gain.
Nice post - and great blog
21 Rosie // Jan 2, 2008 at 12:13 am
I hated my job for years. The day I finally quit was the day I saw this website officemisery.com
If this is what people resort to, then I don’t need the headache of fighting coworkers
22 Erik // Jan 12, 2008 at 1:36 am
I’m in the odd situation that I don’t make much money, but I like the job. However, the paycheck I get doesn’t really allow me to build up much of a war chest. At this rate, I hope I don’t run into a rainy day in the next 15 years! Yipes!
23 Will // Jan 15, 2008 at 12:51 am
This is so sad and true, having been a corporate goon myself for years, I longed for the day that I would break away from the evil clutches of Corporate America!
Unfortunately for your buddy, those are some bad choices he made, I think they call those types “$30, ooo dollar millionaires” back home in Texas.
http://www.30kmillionaires.com/
24 How to make your job bearable. « Exit Plan // Feb 2, 2008 at 11:55 pm
[…] employed by large, multinational corporation with a lot of perks. Sometimes people take jobs only because of the money but later realize that it’s a bad fit. This person might even be […]
25 Liz // Feb 4, 2008 at 3:19 am
Just to put this out there, some of us who ADORE our jobs are really sick of having to work an extra one to keep up with friends with higher-pay, awful jobs.
I work in radio. I love it. I get people asking me about it all the time, meet celebrities, go amazing places and just generally get to do awesome stuff most people would never even dream of… but guess what? I’m getting worried about what happens when I want to have kids and can’t support them and what happens when I want to retire and have NO savings because I live paycheck to paycheck.
I think hating my high-paying job would be wonderful sometimes if it meant I could eliminate the stress caused by my awesome one that I really would cry if I had to leave.
26 Ian Sanders // Feb 4, 2008 at 8:41 am
As others have observed, this is a common dilemma. We feel trapped in jobs we don’t like, but feel we can’t take the leap because of our financial commitments. But sometimes the Leap itself is a catalyst for change: once you make the decision to quit your job, then you can start to address your lifestyle. It’s remarkable how you can change your financial fortunes with simple yet effective prudence, being resourceful and having a leaner lifestyle!
Quitting your job to do your own thing is never easy but takes a lot of courage.
My new book ‘Leap! Ditch Your Job, Start Your Own Business & Set Yourself Free’ helps readers quit the mediocrity of their day jobs and enjoy the benefits of working for yourself.
Check out the website at http://www.iansanders.com/
27 Pallas // Feb 22, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Unlike the subject of this post, my recent experience has been that wonderful jobs pay well while horrible jobs pay poorly!
I’m a technical writer who worked for years and years at permanent positions. More recently, I’ve had a series of 6-month positions.
I still have to make a buck wherever I toil, so I stayed with the poorly paid positions, while receiving next to no appreciation for the piles of quality work I would achieve for my employers. When those contracts came to an end, however, you know there were relieved sighs.
Invariably, subsequent jobs would be with companies where the employees were part of a team that was like a (functional) family and also where I was paid more appropriately.
If this pattern holds true, my next position should be at a wonderful organization where my work will be prized (and well recompensed) and I will feel at home. I’m just hoping it will be a fairly long contract, so I don’t have to stub my toe any time soon at the job that follows.
This blog has an interesting name…
28 Tony // Mar 1, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Wow, this post hits close to home for me.
A few months ago, I did exactly what you mentioned here. I was absolutely unhappy in a job and wildly depressed. I was lucky enough to be able to leave it behind and unscramble my frazzled brain. I really felt like the whole experience crushed my soul, and I know I made the right move by walking away.
29 Work's a pain // Mar 3, 2008 at 8:32 pm
I know quite a few people in that same situation. Tough call, go with the money and hope it buys some happiness or take the pay cut for some work satisfaction… I found this site cogsinthemachine.com, it’s a great place to complain with other disgruntled workers until you can get a new job!
30 Barbara Saunders // Mar 4, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I agree with the general ideas expressed in the post; however, I see in your post the same basic flaw I see in most writings on the topic. Nobody talks about the real nitty gritty. Maybe Lexus-and-60-hour week is one extreme and top-ramen-and-minimum-wage is another, but where the heck is the “middle”? Where more people get stuck is between the job that pays enough to survive but not enough to save vs. a more secure job that is unsatisfying. And people rarely talk about the self-esteem issues that lead people to accept unreasonably low pay in nonprofits, the entertainment business, and other glamour jobs or to fail to negotiate things like flexible schedules and freelance/consulting work to supplement their income.
31 Jason // Mar 13, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Chuck, buddy, where are you?
I’m the LAST person who should be saying anything about not updating, but…wha happen?
Are you still out there? This disappearing act is a little off-putting, hope you’re doing alright out there.
32 Gertrude // Mar 17, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I was thinking of exactly the same thing!! This article reminded me that I should really start saving up so that I can quit my job if I start to become bored.
You really can get tied to a job that doesn’t give us personal satisfaction if you don’t have savings to back you up
33 jobsinireland.ORG // Mar 18, 2008 at 9:48 am
Great article, I also think that people tend to box themselves in jobs that, if they thought about twice wouldn’t do. Like the guy david you can get really depressed in a job if you have all the other pressures on you.
Work to Live, not the other way around. Too often people see work as the most important thing in their lives. They think it’s something that defines them. Sadly this is not the case, think about the other important things in your life, like your friends and family. Remember that these and your health are worth alot more
Paul
34 Niall Devitt // May 12, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Great article and advice. I had wanted to start my own business but the fear of the unknown and lack of a steady income made me procasternate for far too long. I eventually made the jump a few years back and its proved to be one of the best moves I ever made.
Leave a Comment