Anyone ever quit a job without another lined up?

[Anonymous]

Health insurance alone would be a reason to stay. Have you priced out Cobra or individual policies? 10 years ago, left a job for health reasons. It was $450 a month for health insurance.

Dont do it!

[Anonymous]

I did, back in 2008 when I was preparing to move to DC without a job. I wouldn't do it again in the same circumstances.

[Anonymous]

I was 80% of the way through the interview process with a new job when I walked out of my job. Like, walked out walked out - gave them notice at 3 PM after the psychotic owner left that I wasn't coming back the next day, or ever. Burned that bridge right to the ground. very unlike me.

That was 9 years ago. Best decision I ever made. Very empowering. But... I was feeling pretty confident in the new job. It was about 2 more weeks before the offer was confirmed for sure, and then another 2 weeks until I started.

I'd try to get pretty far down the job-hunting path before quitting.

[Anonymous]

My husband did because mentally his job was runining him. Six months later he landed his dream job which he still has two years later. Being that you have no kids I would quit. I stayed in a job that I hated for years and developed anxiety issues. In hindsight I do not think staying was worth it and wish I had just quit.

[Anonymous]

I've done it, but I had a lot of savings and my husband's income to fall back on and have a fairly flexible and in-demand skill set (accounting). I was temping for a former boss within days and had another full time job lined up within a month. My only semi-regret is that I didn't goof off more instead of working temp hours. However, being able to say I had immediately picked up hours elsewhere probably helped me get hired, sooo....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Save more and more and more until you have a year. Look for and apply for jobs now. I really wouldn't quit with just 6 months. There is no way you'd get severance if you'd quit, just FYI. Unless you are being abused at work, I'd suck it up until you find something else, especially since you have a mortgage. And if you are being abused, document it and sue.

Thanks. People asking for and getting severance is not unheard of at my employer as we are unionized. Still, there is no guarantee I would get it. I am not being abused but it is poorly managed, no leadership and others have already fled or are in the process of fleeing the building. It is a bad scene and not likely to change in the short-term.

If the way they manage violates company policies you can try to call them on it. If they do nothing and then treat you poorly you could file with state or fed agency for retaliation and hostile work environment. In many cases hostile work environment is a workers comp issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did, back in 2008 when I was preparing to move to DC without a job. I wouldn't do it again in the same circumstances.

same thing, more recently. I wouldn't have done it that way if I hadn't had to - so stressful looking for a new job that I didn't enjoy the time off!

[Anonymous]

I am looking at resumes right now. Two things: It is a red flag if someone isn't working currently. I tend to put these resumes in a second tier because I'm uncertain why they are unemployed. Often i never have to look at the second tier pool, because I find good candidates to interview in my preferred pool.

Second, the longer someone is unemployed, the worse their resume looks to me. If you've gone more than a few months, you're in the reject. This means that you need a plan (and I don't mean a "I'll collect unemployment" plan) that keeps you from falling into the reject pool. Maybe you could line up office temping or have a volunteer post that you've already lined up with a project that is meaningful to your line of work?

In sum, I'd be very cautious to quit without another job lined up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am looking at resumes right now. Two things: It is a red flag if someone isn't working currently. I tend to put these resumes in a second tier because I'm uncertain why they are unemployed. Often i never have to look at the second tier pool, because I find good candidates to interview in my preferred pool.

Second, the longer someone is unemployed, the worse their resume looks to me. If you've gone more than a few months, you're in the reject. This means that you need a plan (and I don't mean a "I'll collect unemployment" plan) that keeps you from falling into the reject pool. Maybe you could line up office temping or have a volunteer post that you've already lined up with a project that is meaningful to your line of work?

In sum, I'd be very cautious to quit without another job lined up.

And the job of staying home to care for children I guess means people will fall into your reject pile?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am looking at resumes right now. Two things: It is a red flag if someone isn't working currently. I tend to put these resumes in a second tier because I'm uncertain why they are unemployed. Often i never have to look at the second tier pool, because I find good candidates to interview in my preferred pool.

Second, the longer someone is unemployed, the worse their resume looks to me. If you've gone more than a few months, you're in the reject. This means that you need a plan (and I don't mean a "I'll collect unemployment" plan) that keeps you from falling into the reject pool. Maybe you could line up office temping or have a volunteer post that you've already lined up with a project that is meaningful to your line of work?

In sum, I'd be very cautious to quit without another job lined up.

Do you ever consider that if every HR department does this, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy? For example, if you are laid off from a job and then one by one other employers refuse to hire you because you are not working, you will be unemployed for longer and longer? I appreciate that you would consider temping or volunteer work as some attempt to work that may get the person back in your first tier pool, but I would encourage people not to dismiss people just because they aren't working. They may have a good reason that you just don't know (moved across the country for a spouse's job, left to take care of a sick spouse, was laid off when the company downsized…)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am looking at resumes right now. Two things: It is a red flag if someone isn't working currently. I tend to put these resumes in a second tier because I'm uncertain why they are unemployed. Often i never have to look at the second tier pool, because I find good candidates to interview in my preferred pool.

Second, the longer someone is unemployed, the worse their resume looks to me. If you've gone more than a few months, you're in the reject. This means that you need a plan (and I don't mean a "I'll collect unemployment" plan) that keeps you from falling into the reject pool. Maybe you could line up office temping or have a volunteer post that you've already lined up with a project that is meaningful to your line of work?

In sum, I'd be very cautious to quit without another job lined up.

Honestly this sounds pretty lazy on your part. You're probably not very good at your job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am looking at resumes right now. Two things: It is a red flag if someone isn't working currently. I tend to put these resumes in a second tier because I'm uncertain why they are unemployed. Often i never have to look at the second tier pool, because I find good candidates to interview in my preferred pool.

Second, the longer someone is unemployed, the worse their resume looks to me. If you've gone more than a few months, you're in the reject. This means that you need a plan (and I don't mean a "I'll collect unemployment" plan) that keeps you from falling into the reject pool. Maybe you could line up office temping or have a volunteer post that you've already lined up with a project that is meaningful to your line of work?

In sum, I'd be very cautious to quit without another job lined up.

Do you ever consider that if every HR department does this, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy? For example, if you are laid off from a job and then one by one other employers refuse to hire you because you are not working, you will be unemployed for longer and longer? I appreciate that you would consider temping or volunteer work as some attempt to work that may get the person back in your first tier pool, but I would encourage people not to dismiss people just because they aren't working. They may have a good reason that you just don't know (moved across the country for a spouse's job, left to take care of a sick spouse, was laid off when the company downsized…)

Agree it is ridiculous to dismiss someone who may have the specific background you're after just because they had time out of employment for what may have been (and probably was) a very legitimate reason.

[Anonymous]

So is the best month to quit a job January because your resume can just say the year? Or darn, those electronic forms often ask the month, too, don't they?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am looking at resumes right now. Two things: It is a red flag if someone isn't working currently. I tend to put these resumes in a second tier because I'm uncertain why they are unemployed. Often i never have to look at the second tier pool, because I find good candidates to interview in my preferred pool.

Second, the longer someone is unemployed, the worse their resume looks to me. If you've gone more than a few months, you're in the reject. This means that you need a plan (and I don't mean a "I'll collect unemployment" plan) that keeps you from falling into the reject pool. Maybe you could line up office temping or have a volunteer post that you've already lined up with a project that is meaningful to your line of work?

In sum, I'd be very cautious to quit without another job lined up.

Do you ever consider that if every HR department does this, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy? For example, if you are laid off from a job and then one by one other employers refuse to hire you because you are not working, you will be unemployed for longer and longer? I appreciate that you would consider temping or volunteer work as some attempt to work that may get the person back in your first tier pool, but I would encourage people not to dismiss people just because they aren't working. They may have a good reason that you just don't know (moved across the country for a spouse's job, left to take care of a sick spouse, was laid off when the company downsized…)

They may as equally (if not more likely) have been fired for being incompentent.

Why risk it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am looking at resumes right now. Two things: It is a red flag if someone isn't working currently. I tend to put these resumes in a second tier because I'm uncertain why they are unemployed. Often i never have to look at the second tier pool, because I find good candidates to interview in my preferred pool.

Second, the longer someone is unemployed, the worse their resume looks to me. If you've gone more than a few months, you're in the reject. This means that you need a plan (and I don't mean a "I'll collect unemployment" plan) that keeps you from falling into the reject pool. Maybe you could line up office temping or have a volunteer post that you've already lined up with a project that is meaningful to your line of work?

In sum, I'd be very cautious to quit without another job lined up.

And the job of staying home to care for children I guess means people will fall into your reject pile?

If I'm hiring for an IT engineer, I fail to see how your SAH work provides you with any relevant experience. If you're applying to be a preschool teacher, by all means, list your SAH work experience.