Author Topic: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job  (Read 12021 times)

Michael in ABQ

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Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« on: January 30, 2018, 05:41:31 PM »
I've decided that I need to find a new job. My current career path is no longer a good fit and despite the time and money I've invested into professional development I just can't seem to get anywhere close to the production that's expected of me. I work on 100% commission, though it's structured as a salary of about $45k with commissions for my monthly billings paid out the following month. I should be making about $100k if I were meeting my monthly billings goals but I'm closer to about $60k on an annualized basis (less in 2017 since I spent 6-7 weeks on active duty with the National Guard where I made an equivalent amount). I'm probably not in danger of being fired since there are only three of us in my department and we have more work than we can handle already. Because of the licensing requirements and being in a relatively small market (Albuquerque, NM) my company has tried numerous times to hire people but no one is willing to relocate from outside the market or move from being self-employed to working for a large corporation.

This morning I woke up at 4:15 to try and get to work early to finish a report that is now about a week late (which was originally due almost two weeks ago). Best case scenario is I keep working on it tonight after we get the kids to bed and I might finish it well after midnight. Realistically I'll still be working on it tomorrow and emailing the client to let them know for the 3rd or 4th time that it's going to be just one more day late. Then sometime tomorrow I can start on the next report which will probably take about 20+ hours. But, I need to have it finished by Thursday morning because I have a 3-day drill with the National Guard starting Friday morning and I need to drive to the armory (which is 200 miles away) and get there before 4:00 to inspect the equipment I'll be signing out in the morning. Because I've been so busy with work I haven't been able to do all the paperwork and online classes that I need to be completing during the month between drills.

On top of the stress of two careers that I feel like I'm not performing in, I have some stomach problems that have been causing me pain and discomfort for about a year now (with no diagnosis despite multiple procedures, tests, and doctor's visits) and I have a family with five young children that I'm the sole source of income for.


On the plus side I've been applying to several jobs in different but related industries and I had a very positive meeting last week with someone who has a job opening coming up that I would be a perfect fit for. It would almost certainly be less stress and more regular hours and the pay would be at least equivalent if not about 10% better. Since it was through a referral and someone who works for him also spoke highly of me I think I have an excellent chance of getting this job as soon as it gets posted. That might not be for a week or two and then the whole process could still take a couple of weeks even if I'm the presumptive candidate.

We have about $15k total in cash and savings right now and our monthly household expenses are about $4k a month but we could certainly cut that down a bit if I quit right now. I'd still have my income from the National Guard which is going to be about $1,000 a month for the next few months then a few thousand dollars in April when I have a 2-week course I have to attend. So even with no other income we could probably go until May or June by which point I would either have found a new job or at least started doing some hourly work just to bring in a bit of income. Our health insurance is through the National Guard and it's an excellent deal so no worries about losing that by quitting. We're nowhere close to FIRE with total retirement investments of about $60k plus two older paid off cars.

Obviously it wouldn't look good to potential employers that I quit my current job (which I've been at for almost a decade). I'd need to turn over my work laptop and get a new one since the only other computer we have is about a decade old and pretty much non-functional at this point. It feels very irresponsible to leave a decent-paying job before I have a new one lined up but I feel like I'm drowning with all of the stress of two careers, family responsibilities, and health problems. I have 75 hours of online training I need to finish before April for my military course and I have zero time to work on it now. A couple of months ago I finally got my wife to agree to start a side business that I've had no time to work on but I feel far more passionate about than my current job. I don't think it would actually start producing a profit for a few months even if I were able to devote a lot more time to it but I'd much rather do that than my current job at this point.


Feels a little better to get all of that out but I still feel torn between just walking away or doing the responsible thing and just grinding away until I can get another job lined up.

Mustache ride

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2018, 05:57:15 PM »
I wouldn't leave my job unless I had an offer in hand. Just because you think you're a front runner doesn't mean you will get the job.

BrightFIRE

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2018, 06:55:01 PM »
"I still feel torn between just walking away or doing the responsible thing and just grinding away until I can get another job lined up."

Responsible to whom? It seems to me that you're in a good position to quit. You have healthcare and some money saved. Maybe you'll be able to find the source of your health issues with more free time - could be it's stress combined with lack of sleep.

I seriously doubt any employer will look down on you taking a few months off after 10 years in 1 position. Additionally, you've still got Guard duty, so you have something to put on your resume during that time. Maybe if you can give it your full attention, you'd give that side gig a chance to make some money - which can also go on your resume.

Read through the FU money thread for inspiration: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/epic-fu-money-stories/

SC93

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2018, 06:55:30 PM »
I agree, do not leave your job. But since you want to quit anyway.... why stress over it? Do what you want, get your National Guard hours done, back off of work, don't let it get to you. You want to quit anyway so if worse came to worse and they fired you.... go get ice cream and celebrate!! I mean, don't try to get fired but don't stress out about it. Here is the difference between a J O B and running your own business. If you have a job and work doesn't get done.... guess what??? It will still be there tomorrow, just like the papers you have over-due now. Has anyone died yet because you don't have those papers in? I doubt it..... Now if you have your own business and you don't get stuff done today that needs to be done then you would need a better plan for next time because it must get done. But stress over a job.... ehhh.....

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2018, 08:24:53 PM »
That sound really stressful!

Could you ask your current employer for a leave of absence to focus on your national guard duties?

Fingers crossed for you on the new job coming through. Sounds like it would be a big life improvement.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2018, 03:47:30 AM »
I think you should consider to contact the company that will have the position your are interested in. Maybe you can offer them your resume now, saving them the hassle of getting out an advertisement and a long interview process with many candidates.

Is sick leave an option for you for a couple of weeks? That frees up some time for you to do your national guard internet course, without leaving your job. If you have sick leave for a longer period, your boss will have to find a solution for the resource problem.

I have a thread about my husband's job. He has also been coping with way too much work for this group of three people. And they have been managing by working a lot of overtime. But he feels he is not being able to do a good enough job anymore. His boss hasn't done anything to solve the problem. One of the group has gotten a baby and is gone for some time with paternal leave. Now DH has sick leave (because he has heart issues, perhaps made worse by the stress). Finally his employer is taking action in finding resources, either by hiring a consultant from the competition or by hiring someone from their other location (in Sweden). Without the sick leave they would just have expected DH to work harder to do the work of the person who is with parental leave.

Another Reader

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2018, 04:44:31 AM »
IIRC, you are a commercial real estate appraiser.  Commercial real estate appraisal is all about grinding out the reports quickly.    If you can't do that, you are in the wrong field.  The only reason you are still working there is that the firm's owner can't find anyone to replace you.  You either need to find a way to increase your production or you need to find another field where you can apply your skills.

A secondary issue is your location.  ABQ is not exactly a booming city with lots of high paying jobs, especially in real estate.  Have you considered relocating for better opportunities?

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2018, 05:41:03 AM »
Quitting today is not the answer, because you will be leaving behind unfinished work and trashing any reference you could get from your current place of work.  You need to hang on until next week at least.  That doesn't make the case helpless.  The immediate answer is to put less time into the reports.

I had a very wise boss once who said "If you turn the work around immediately you can get away with putting less work into it.  It's only when something is late that it needs to cover every possible little thing."

So my advice is -

1.  Get the report which is due tomorrow (today?) as done as you can and send it out today.  It might not met your standards, but I bet the client would prefer less than perfect today over your version of perfect later.  Who knows: your "less than perfect" may be exactly what they need.

2.  Get the second report out on Thursday morning.  That means that it won't take 20 hours, it will take just as many hours as you have before you send it out.  You can't change the hours you have available, so you have no option but to change what goes in the report.

It's possible you will get questions on these two reports.  You can deal with those when you are back from your National Guard weekend.

Michael in ABQ

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2018, 09:23:17 AM »
Thanks for everyone who has posted so far. It has helped to get some outside perspective beyond my wife who would be perfectly happy if I quit today. I'm going to try and stop worrying so much about getting everything done and just do what I can do without working crazy hours. If I did get fired then so be it. I'll get some unemployment and hopefully land a better job in a month or two and we can easily make it for that long without depleting our savings too much.

IIRC, you are a commercial real estate appraiser.  Commercial real estate appraisal is all about grinding out the reports quickly.    If you can't do that, you are in the wrong field.  The only reason you are still working there is that the firm's owner can't find anyone to replace you.  You either need to find a way to increase your production or you need to find another field where you can apply your skills.

A secondary issue is your location.  ABQ is not exactly a booming city with lots of high paying jobs, especially in real estate.  Have you considered relocating for better opportunities?

Exactly. I can't grind out reports quickly and that's basically all that matters. I've received praise from property owners who thought I did a great job and in once case saved a guy from making a $2 million mistake. However, that doesn't pay the bills. 7-8 B/B- quality reports pays twice as much as 3-4 A+ quality reports. At least with the vast majority of clients who just need a number that's reasonably well supported so they can make any bank regulators happy that look over the loan file.


I've considered relocating but my wife's family is here and that's a big help with the kids. It's not completely out of the question but for now I'm trying to find something in this market.

Now that I've started seriously looking for another job I've found that my professional network is pretty decent. Albuquerque is a pretty small market so I know many of the people in my industry and related industries or we at least have connections in common that can provide an introduction. In fact while I was in the middle of typing this post I got a call from a recruiter with a regional bank. I connected with the head of their commercial lending group locally last week and he said although they didn't have any openings at the moment he was going to have a recruiter contact me just in case something did come available (or if I was willing to relocate out of state). I'm going to send her my resume and we've got a phone call setup for next week. I have an application in for a full time job with the National Guard which would actually pay considerably more, though it would require a commute of about 40 miles (virtually all highway). 14 Applicants though so it's a long shot. I had applied for a couple of government jobs which are the main industry here between Kirtland Air Force Base and Sandia National Labs. Made it to the top two on the first one and the second one got closed due to the government shut down so may be reposted soon.

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2018, 02:12:47 PM »
A compromise you might consider is doing B grade reports for the people that have to make the bank regulators happy and A grade reports for the people that need the detailed research for expensive decisions.

Long run, you are better off getting out of the fee business and finding something that is not so frustrating. 

Wayward

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2018, 02:28:00 PM »
On top of the stress of two careers that I feel like I'm not performing in, I have some stomach problems that have been causing me pain and discomfort for about a year now (with no diagnosis despite multiple procedures, tests, and doctor's visits) and I have a family with five young children that I'm the sole source of income for.
Have you been tested for Celiac disease/gluten intolerance?  I've had issues with my stomach for years and only just recently got diagnosed, which came as a big surprise.  Or perhaps it could be some other food, have you tried an elimination diet?

Really hope you figure out what is causing the issues, it could just be stress too. Good luck on the job hunt!  Have you checked out Santa Fe?

Michael in ABQ

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2018, 02:56:56 PM »
On top of the stress of two careers that I feel like I'm not performing in, I have some stomach problems that have been causing me pain and discomfort for about a year now (with no diagnosis despite multiple procedures, tests, and doctor's visits) and I have a family with five young children that I'm the sole source of income for.
Have you been tested for Celiac disease/gluten intolerance?  I've had issues with my stomach for years and only just recently got diagnosed, which came as a big surprise.  Or perhaps it could be some other food, have you tried an elimination diet?

Really hope you figure out what is causing the issues, it could just be stress too. Good luck on the job hunt!  Have you checked out Santa Fe?

Yes. My wife has celiac and I've had an endoscopy and all my biopsies came back normal. I've tried elimination diets but I'm going to see a nutritionist soon to help me do a more thorough one. I know I have fructose malabsorption but even after cutting out fructose I've just lost about 10-15 pounds (and I was at a pretty healthy weight to begin with) and still have issues that I can't pin down to specific foods. For a few weeks last year I had a cancer scare when they found a lump in my stomach during the endoscopy but it turned out to be a benign tumor and very unlikely to be the cause of my issues.

I think stress is definitely a component of it but it could also be my body just decided to stop making as much of some enzyme and now that's causing issues with a bunch of foods.

Financial Ascensionist

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #12 on: January 31, 2018, 05:36:56 PM »
Finding a great job is a full time job.  It takes time to write a killer resume and to prep enough to really ace the interview.  I think that if you want a new job, quitting before you have the next one lined up is really smart because it will allow you to get a better job than the one you would get if you are only searching part time.  Your runway is a bit short, however, so I would not quit exactly right now, but make a point of saving for six months of living expenses first (or reliably reduce expenses).

Also, the manager in me would never hold it against you that you left a job that was not a good fit for you.  This is not going to be a stain on your resume at all.

Do not despair, you seem to have all it takes to get out gracefully from this very stressful situation that you are in right now.


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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #13 on: February 01, 2018, 09:53:50 AM »
It might be time to talk to your wife about helping out w income. If you have family to help w the kids and you are stressed out to the point of being ill, something's gotta give. You have a ton of responsibility for not a lot of reward.

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Wayward

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #14 on: February 01, 2018, 11:15:32 AM »
On top of the stress of two careers that I feel like I'm not performing in, I have some stomach problems that have been causing me pain and discomfort for about a year now (with no diagnosis despite multiple procedures, tests, and doctor's visits) and I have a family with five young children that I'm the sole source of income for.
Have you been tested for Celiac disease/gluten intolerance?  I've had issues with my stomach for years and only just recently got diagnosed, which came as a big surprise.  Or perhaps it could be some other food, have you tried an elimination diet?

Really hope you figure out what is causing the issues, it could just be stress too. Good luck on the job hunt!  Have you checked out Santa Fe?

Yes. My wife has celiac and I've had an endoscopy and all my biopsies came back normal. I've tried elimination diets but I'm going to see a nutritionist soon to help me do a more thorough one. I know I have fructose malabsorption but even after cutting out fructose I've just lost about 10-15 pounds (and I was at a pretty healthy weight to begin with) and still have issues that I can't pin down to specific foods. For a few weeks last year I had a cancer scare when they found a lump in my stomach during the endoscopy but it turned out to be a benign tumor and very unlikely to be the cause of my issues.

I think stress is definitely a component of it but it could also be my body just decided to stop making as much of some enzyme and now that's causing issues with a bunch of foods.
I believe I have issues with enzymes too, my body decides it doesn't want to digest something anymore; raw apples and pears (cooked or canned is fine), lactose, peanuts, and now gluten.  I have been looking into taking digestive enzyme supplements, might be of help to you also. 

Michael in ABQ

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #15 on: February 01, 2018, 12:37:42 PM »
It might be time to talk to your wife about helping out w income. If you have family to help w the kids and you are stressed out to the point of being ill, something's gotta give. You have a ton of responsibility for not a lot of reward.

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Her job is a lot harder than mine already. Raising five kids ages 2 - 9 while homeschooling the oldest three. We made the decision before we even got married that having her home full-time and homeschooling was one of our top priorities. A bachelor's degree in English and only a few years of job experience in college and high school probably aren't going to make for a career that would do more than pay for daycare.

MrMoneyMullet

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #16 on: February 01, 2018, 03:13:55 PM »
Michael, sounds like you've got your hands full.

Nice that you have Tricare (I used to be NG and now am in the USAR). Tricare rocks! That takes a TON of the pressure off the financial risk of losing (or quitting) your full time job.

I'd echo what some others have said - scale back your regular job. It's not worth your health. Set a deadline and get a report done, then move on.

You'll have to decide where to draw the line between "slog it out" and "say screw it and quit." Either way, I believe that you won't give up. Quitting a job has nothing to do with giving up, contrary to what society at large would have us believe.

Good luck!

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #17 on: February 01, 2018, 04:31:01 PM »
Given all the negatives on the medical investigations (which is good news) might you consider whether your stomach problems are caused by the great stress you are under?

As to your wife staying home and homeschooling the kids, that is a plan that you made 5 kids ago.  Things change, priorities change, life changes.  Your physical and mental health are under a lot of strain.  The best outcome available might be that the kids go to school, your wife gets a job and you stay healthy and employed.  If your health or employment status break down then the kids are going to have to go to school and your wife get a job in any case, the only difference is that you have become a casualty on the way.  (I hope that doesn't happen.  But setting a plan in stone and not reconsidering when the circumstances change is not a good idea.)

Linea_Norway

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #18 on: February 02, 2018, 12:56:59 AM »
About your stomach problems:

Have a look at "FODMAP" on the internet and try elimination of the high FODMAPs for some weeks and then gradually introducing each group back into your meals.

I have noticed that I get stomach pain from:
- unions!!!
- large quantities of other high FODMAP vegetables, which are most root vegetables
- large quantities of products made of fine wheat, but don't have a problem with wholegrain wheat products
- concentrated fructose
- sorbitol and other sugar-replacements ending on -ol

If I avoid all these things, I have no problems at all.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2018, 11:01:24 AM by Linda_Norway »

dsw

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #19 on: February 03, 2018, 10:57:36 AM »
Wow, that's really tough Michael. I've been in a similar situation where I had a job that I strongly disliked going into each day and I considered on several occasions just stopping. I didn't have children to support, so it actually was somewhat of an option, even if it may not have been the best course. The job paid really well for the area though (and for my education level) so I was reluctant to let it go. In my case, I was able to go to the manager of my division and propose a new position that I actually would enjoy. That's a fairly rare situation to have though, and it sounds like that may not be an option for you. If you're looking for advice, there are two things I'd recommend.

First, the easiest time to find a job is when you already have one. There's so much power in going into a job interview when you already have a job. You don't like the way things look? You don't like the interviewers? Salary too low? No problem. Thank them for your time and go get lunch with your wife. I don't say this to mean that you should stick with this job that you hate, but instead that if you go ahead and start making your plan for getting out while you can still (barely) tolerate the job, you are going to have more and better options available to you.

Second, you mentioned that you could cut expenses a bit if you were jobless. Now may be a good time to start examining places to cut expenses while you still have a job. This won't help your situation immediately, but a couple of years down the road if you are still at this job you hate or even further down the road if you come to hate your new job, you will have a lot more choices in life if you have cut your expenses and saved/invested that money. Cutting your spending by even 10% and socking those savings away can make a huge difference.

As I've saved and invested more and more, my job stress/angst has consistently decreased. I'm not a point where I can just walk away from work entirely, but I am at a place where I could confidently walk away from a terrible job and know that everything is ok. It's a good feeling to have, and it makes me worry a lot less about almost everything.

Anyhow, I hope that you are able to find something that works better for you. Good luck!

Michael in ABQ

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #20 on: February 05, 2018, 11:57:17 AM »
About your stomach problems:

Have a look at "FODMAP" on the internet and try elimination of the high FODMAPs for some weeks and then gradually introducing each group back into your meals.

I have noticed that I get stomach pain from:
- unions!!!
- large quantities of other high FODMAP vegetables, which are most root vegetables
- large quantities of products made of fine wheat, but don't have a problem with wholegrain wheat products
- concentrated fructose
- sorbitol and other sugar-replacements ending on -ol

If I avoid all these things, I have no problems at all.

I tried that but even foods that had no FODMAPs still gave me trouble because they had fructose which is the only thing I've been able to confirm I have trouble with. I've got an appointment with a nutritionist soon and hope to be able to start figuring out at lease which foods definitely don't cause problems. Right now I feel like everything other than meat is suspect.

Michael in ABQ

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #21 on: February 09, 2018, 08:48:16 AM »
Unexpected good news. I had applied for a federal job back in October, had a good phone interview, and was later told I was one of the top two candidates. I submitted my references then complete silence for a month or two until an automated email in January from USAJOBS.gov told me I had not got the job. Out of the blue this morning the person I interviewed with said they were just now contacting my references and apologized for the lengthy process. This isn't my dream job but it would be better pay and better hours for sure.

The position with a local bank I had an informal interview with also just got posted and I have an interview on Monday for a full-time job with the National Guard. Hopefully between these three I get at least one offer. Two would be nice so I can use that as leverage to negotiate a higher salary.


Now that I've gotten past the work that had piled up it's not so bad and I'm glad I didn't make the rash decision to just quit before I line up another job. If I do get an offer (or two) having a current job and possibly another offer in hand will put me in a much stronger negotiating position.

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #22 on: February 09, 2018, 09:55:38 AM »
Congratulations: that's the result of a series of pro-active decisions by you that are now putting you in a much better place in your working life.  I hope one of the good options works out.

Michael in ABQ

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #23 on: February 09, 2018, 10:07:37 AM »
I think I actually got this federal job. I sent a quick response back to the email I received this morning asking about the next steps and timing and the person who interviewed me responded with "congratulations". She indicated I should receive a tentative offer through the USAJOBS.gov website which I would have 2 days to accept.

Now hopefully I can negotiate a higher step in the grade. Each increase is about $2,000 so even getting an increase up one or two steps would be a nice little bump. Having actual paid time off would also be a nice difference.

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #24 on: February 09, 2018, 10:29:45 AM »
In your shoes, unless you have a career path that involves getting the MAI and opening your own shop, I would get out of the fee business and look for something that pays better than what you are getting at the current job.  Federal job?  The TSP beats Vanguard.  You will likely have reasonable, predictable hours and less pressure.  What's not to like?

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #25 on: February 09, 2018, 10:33:48 AM »
I think I actually got this federal job. I sent a quick response back to the email I received this morning asking about the next steps and timing and the person who interviewed me responded with "congratulations". She indicated I should receive a tentative offer through the USAJOBS.gov website which I would have 2 days to accept.

Now hopefully I can negotiate a higher step in the grade. Each increase is about $2,000 so even getting an increase up one or two steps would be a nice little bump. Having actual paid time off would also be a nice difference.
This sounds great.  Good luck!  Stress can really do a number on your gut, I know this.  I've identified wheat as a no-no for me and I know there's at least something else.  Not sure what.  Going through life with stomach issues is NO FUN.

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #26 on: February 09, 2018, 05:15:12 PM »
Congrats, Michael!  This sounds like a very nice turn of events.

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Jobi
« Reply #27 on: February 10, 2018, 12:56:17 PM »
Congrats. I hope this will indeed be a job with better working conditions for you. Well done keeping your head cool.

Michael in ABQ

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #28 on: March 23, 2018, 12:00:34 AM »
Tomorrow is my last day with my current job. Almost 10 years with the same company. This is the only place I've ever worked at since graduating college (except for the National Guard).

I'm trying to finish up one last report in the morning and then I need to pack up my stuff quickly because I have a group interview at 4:00 for my backup job with a local bank. Still waiting on the "official" offer from the federal government but I decided to put my notice in last week even though I don't technically have firm offers in hand from either job. The week after next I start a two-week class for the National Guard and I still have 70ish hours of online classes I have to finish before then. So that's going to be my job next week. Hopefully I can get paid to go into the armory to work on them but either way I'll be doing it, too hard to get work done at home with five young kids running around.

The federal government rejected my request for a higher salary but I definitely plan to leverage that offer for this bank job. $62k from a federal job, if I can get the bank job to the high 60s it might be worth it. Both offer quite a bit of PTO which is something I haven't had in 8 years since I went on commission. The bank job has a year-end bonus of up to 10% of base salary but it could end up being more of the same grind that I've finally gotten away from at my current job. Also, another federal job could be tough to come by whereas I've got a decent network locally and in a few years I could probably land a job with one of the local banks if I really wanted to do that. My salary research so far indicates the 60s is probably already towards the high end but the HR rep I met with for a brief interview a few days ago seemed fine when I indicated my salary requirements were going to be at least in the 60s. No reason not to ask for something at the high end, especially since they know I've already got a job and another offer.

Gone_Hiking

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #29 on: March 23, 2018, 06:46:17 AM »
Congratulations!  Really happy for you, OP!

MrMoneyMullet

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #30 on: March 23, 2018, 09:19:04 AM »
Congrats!! You waded through the crap and didn't get sucked down into it.

Here's hoping that whichever new job you land in is much better for your health.

EconDiva

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #31 on: March 25, 2018, 12:06:34 PM »
Congratulations OP!  When I hear stories like yours it's always nice to see when the person actually takes steps towards changing the situation they are in.  Here's to hoping you love your new job (or at least like it a lot better than the last one).  I hope you will continue to update us on how the new job is going.

Michael in ABQ

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #32 on: March 26, 2018, 06:59:12 AM »
I was rushing to finish everything up the last day and ended up being about 15 minutes late for the interview for my backup job. Managed to let the interviewer I was running late and it wasn't a big deal. It seemed to go well. The head of the department is going to be out this week on vacation and said they have one more candidate who will presumably be interviewing next week. After that I should hear something. The job definitely sounds a lot like more old job, though less stressful since it would be internal-facing clients rather than external-facing ones. Still, unless they're willing to offer at least 10-15% more than the base salary for the federal job I don't think I'll take it.

pantherchams

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #33 on: March 27, 2018, 09:51:17 PM »
In your shoes, unless you have a career path that involves getting the MAI and opening your own shop, I would get out of the fee business and look for something that pays better than what you are getting at the current job.  Federal job?  The TSP beats Vanguard.  You will likely have reasonable, predictable hours and less pressure.  What's not to like?

A little off topic but this brought back a flood of terrible memories of the drivel, boredom, and waste I experienced with a few federal agencies at the beginning of my career.  I hope it is a better fit for the OP!  Sounds like you needed to make a move - good luck!

Michael in ABQ

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #34 on: March 28, 2018, 06:20:34 AM »
In your shoes, unless you have a career path that involves getting the MAI and opening your own shop, I would get out of the fee business and look for something that pays better than what you are getting at the current job.  Federal job?  The TSP beats Vanguard.  You will likely have reasonable, predictable hours and less pressure.  What's not to like?

A little off topic but this brought back a flood of terrible memories of the drivel, boredom, and waste I experienced with a few federal agencies at the beginning of my career.  I hope it is a better fit for the OP!  Sounds like you needed to make a move - good luck!

I'm a pretty driven person so I think long-term any federal job won't be a good fit. While the corporate world can be slow in some ways it rarely took more than a few hours or a few days at most to get a response or whatever information I requested from anyone else in the company. In contrast it's going to take six months just for me to get hired for this federal job. However, the position I'm going into has a few years of solid work necessary to clean up many years of neglect. So although I expect to be constantly bothered by the slow pace of things, I think I will have plenty of work to keep me occupied for at least those few years. By then I can go back into the private sector or maybe land a full-time job with the National Guard that would pay much better (with the downside of probably having to commute further and possibly relocating every few years).
« Last Edit: March 28, 2018, 04:34:00 PM by Michael in ABQ »

thriftyc

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #35 on: March 28, 2018, 12:29:21 PM »
Tomorrow is my last day with my current job. Almost 10 years with the same company. This is the only place I've ever worked at since graduating college (except for the National Guard).

I'm trying to finish up one last report in the morning and then I need to pack up my stuff quickly because I have a group interview at 4:00 for my backup job with a local bank. Still waiting on the "official" offer from the federal government but I decided to put my notice in last week even though I don't technically have firm offers in hand from either job. The week after next I start a two-week class for the National Guard and I still have 70ish hours of online classes I have to finish before then. So that's going to be my job next week. Hopefully I can get paid to go into the armory to work on them but either way I'll be doing it, too hard to get work done at home with five young kids running around.

The federal government rejected my request for a higher salary but I definitely plan to leverage that offer for this bank job. $62k from a federal job, if I can get the bank job to the high 60s it might be worth it. Both offer quite a bit of PTO which is something I haven't had in 8 years since I went on commission. The bank job has a year-end bonus of up to 10% of base salary but it could end up being more of the same grind that I've finally gotten away from at my current job. Also, another federal job could be tough to come by whereas I've got a decent network locally and in a few years I could probably land a job with one of the local banks if I really wanted to do that. My salary research so far indicates the 60s is probably already towards the high end but the HR rep I met with for a brief interview a few days ago seemed fine when I indicated my salary requirements were going to be at least in the 60s. No reason not to ask for something at the high end, especially since they know I've already got a job and another offer.

My suggestion is to not stay as long with one organization in the future. The more companies you work for, the more marketable you are, the easier it is to leave and work somewhere else.   = LESS STRESS

Lance Burkhart

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #36 on: March 28, 2018, 02:49:29 PM »
In your shoes, unless you have a career path that involves getting the MAI and opening your own shop, I would get out of the fee business and look for something that pays better than what you are getting at the current job.  Federal job?  The TSP beats Vanguard.  You will likely have reasonable, predictable hours and less pressure.  What's not to like?

A little off topic but this brought back a flood of terrible memories of the drivel, boredom, and waste I experienced with a few federal agencies at the beginning of my career.  I hope it is a better fit for the OP!  Sounds like you needed to make a move - good luck!

I'm a pretty driven person so I think long-term any federal job won't be a good fit. While the corporate world can be slow in some ways it rarely took more than a few hours or a few days at most to get a response or whatever information I requested from anyone else in the company. In contrast it's going t take six months just for me to get hired for this federal job. However, the position I'm going into has a few years of solid work necessary to clean up many years of neglect. So although I expect to be constantly bothered by the slow pace of things, I think I will have plenty of work to keep me occupied for at least those few years. By then I can go back into the private sector or maybe land a full-time job with the National Guard that would pay much better (with the downside of probably having to commute further and possibly relocating every few years).

This is what I did.  It took six months to get an offer from the Federal government.  I found it to be a good place to look for another job.  I lasted about 2 years in the federal job.  The pace was very slow and the organization resisted doing things better.  When I was leaving for the private sector, a manager told me he didn't need about 80% of his people but that  I could come back any time haha. 


Simpleton

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #37 on: April 06, 2018, 09:31:58 PM »
Give your employer at least 1 month notice. You have been there a decade. They rely on you.

Try to get an offer in writing. Why quit without that in hand. Any stress you have now will pale in comparison to the stress of being jobless for a few more months than you think possible.

Being without income, and a quickly disappearing savings account will cause far more stress than simply working.

grantmeaname

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #38 on: April 07, 2018, 01:08:58 AM »
OP already quit two weeks ago.

Michael in ABQ

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #39 on: April 16, 2018, 11:00:59 PM »
Got the official offer a few days ago and accepted it. I start in two weeks but went to meet my new boss today. I brought my whole family since we were going to the base anyways to go grocery shopping. My wife had a good impression and she's a far better judge of character than I so that's a good sign. Around 5:00 I got a call with a job offer for my backup position with a local credit union. Slightly higher pay, but benefits aren't quite as good. I could probably get a higher salary but frankly the stress isn't worth it. I know with the federal job it will be 40 hours per week while the other job will probably be more like 50. 25% more hours for 5-10% more pay isn't really worth it. Plus, the job with the credit union I could probably land it or something similar in a few years while this federal job might not come around again for many years. Getting my foot in the door there is much harder.

former player

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #40 on: April 17, 2018, 12:55:52 AM »
Congratulations on your new job.

Also, congratulations on being offered the other job.  That should be a nice boost to your confidence, deservedly so.  You found yourself in a bad situation and proactively went out and made it a lot better: a definite Mustachian success story.

DirtDiva

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Re: Really Feel Like Quitting My Job
« Reply #41 on: April 17, 2018, 07:07:48 AM »
That's wonderful!  Thanks for keeping us updated as you moved through the process-  I was pulling for you!

 

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