Jenny, a reader from Brighton, has been unhappy in her job for a while. She dreads Monday mornings and spends most of Sunday thinking about the week ahead, a feeling she calls the Sunday Scaries. She knows the obvious answer is to leave, but with the job market uncertain, walking away feels reckless. She asks: how do you know when leaving a job is the right decision rather than just a panic attack?
Separate Leaving from Resigning
James Innes, the Jobs Guru, advises Jenny not to resign impulsively. He recalls seeing someone fling their pass at a receptionist and announce they were leaving, which may be satisfying for ten minutes but less enjoyable when the mortgage payment arrives. However, he also warns against dismissing her feelings simply because the salary turns up each month. Dreading work is a clear indicator that something is very wrong.
Innes suggests separating leaving from resigning. They are not the same thing. Jenny can decide the job has run its course without immediately handing in her notice. She should start looking properly: find out what jobs are available, what they pay, and whether her experience matches. She should update her CV, speak to recruiters, and apply for a few roles.
Take an Honest Look at Your Job
He also advises taking an honest look at the current job. Is the whole place rotten, or is it just one manager, one change, or an impossible workload causing most of the trouble? Some of these problems can potentially be tackled.
Innes concludes that Jenny should not stay indefinitely because leaving frightens her, but if she is going to leave, she should do so with a plan, not as a reflex. His top tip: never resign without a plan in place. Begin the search whilst still employed, test the job market, and leave when you have somewhere sensible to go.
Security vs. Feeling Trapped
The column also highlights the peculiar misery of being well paid to do a job you can no longer stand. Others see the salary, pension, and apparent security, and tell you not to be foolish. But security isn't the same as being trapped. Work out what you actually need each month, what savings you have, and how long you could manage if a move went wrong.
The figures may tell you to wait, which is fair enough. But at least then you are staying because you have made a considered calculation, rather than because you were just too frightened to do anything else.
