OT: OT: OT: my lifestyle change

Whistle
1

Okay, for those of you who know me well, I’m finally doing something about it. For those of you who don’t know me at all but are curious, I’ve been supremely miserable at my job recently, and it shows no sign of improving. Of course the job market is less than stellar, and I don’t anticipate employees knocking down my door.

But I’m leaping.

We’ve cleared up virtually all debt, including credit cards, loans and such, and there is still a cushion there to live on. Tyghre, though a part time worker himself, earns enough to keep us in necessities.

I’m bouncing wildly from terror of the unknown to elation at being free. I haven’t actually given notice (I’ll give them three weeks, but won’t do that for another two or so) but I’m excited about the opportunity to get grounded in some computer packages that I think will make me marketable, and will be willing to do as much temp work as I can pick up, without tying myself to something that would become a drudgery.

So, any advice. . .words of warning. . .or encouragement. . .

2

The same thing I said on another thread. Do what you love and love what you do. Go for it. I changed jobs ( not fields) several times. Very scary but always turned out the way I expected. Retired Happy.

Ron

3

I have a position open in the field of mobile home renovation. PM me if you’re interested.

Best wishes,
Jerry

4

Only give your 3 week notice when you can afford (financially and emotionally) to leave that day: The majority of employers will waive the three weeks and ask you to pack up and leave the same day.

Other than that, good luck :slight_smile: I know how difficult it can be to leave a secure but decent paying job. Things haven’t worked out well for me since I made a move similar to the one you’re considering, but then my situation is different, so hopefully you’ll fare much better.

Loren

5

Don’t do it. Timings bad, and you should NEVER leave one job without having another. find the courage of a wild spirit that you are and have a heart to heart with someone who can improve your work situation. Not someone you normally interact with, someone else, 2 levels up department director or H/R. Tip - buy several new suits and have a serious make-over hair style and coloring one week before you request the meeting. They will notice the new you and your stock will increase dramatically. Not what you wanted to hear but I’m telling you what your “friends”, won’t because, duh, I don’t know you.

6

Dude, you’ve been reading too many employment articles… doesn’t work that way in the real world.

7

Good advice: Have your next job lined up before you ditch this one unless you know you could live without that extra income on a long-term basis. You never know how things will go, especially in the crap economy we’re in.

8

Yikes!!!

No offense, but not everyone wants to be a corporate suit. Some of us are more “down to earth”. In my little world, anyone besides my wife who cares what I look like isn’t worthy of my time. My accomplishments and skills should be the only thing on the table. Yes, I know that won’t work with many employers, but frankly, I’d never last more than a week in those places anyway.

Heck, I don’t even own a suit. 'course, this is Arizona, where casual day is every day. :slight_smile:

My advice, have a plan, be willing to modify it on the fly if need be, and scrap it entirely if you must. Be willing to work hard. I’ve left several jobs without a pre-arranged landing place and always landed on my feet, and was always better off in the long run for it.

9

I’m straddling the fence on this one. It seems that you’ve got a decent safety net going, so I can’t say anything but go for it, especially if you have something particular in mind.

I recall the saying, “So, how’re you doing with Plan B?” That little nugget spoke volumes to me and I never forgot it.

Another saying: “Kick the world before you as you go.”

All the best to you, Tyghress, whatever you do.

10

No advice, just good luck wishes.

11

Congrats on kicking the “Velvet Glove.” I left a 20 year teaching career and the security of a weekly paycheck three years ago to go back to grad school. At the time, the insecurity scared the crap out of me, but upon reflection, things could not have worked out better. It’s the best thing that I’ve ever done for myself.

So good luck and enjoy finding what it is that you were meant to do.

12

This is exactly what I need to hear and think about. . .let me address a few items that have been brought up.

Ron, every time I think of it I know that in general I’m doing exactly what I enjoy as a career. I like numbers and data, displaying information and serving up well filtered, intelligently arranged figures. I like my internal and external clients, and I’m superb at technical support. Some of my technical skills are dated though. This is a big issue.

Loren, good advice. My company seems to be of the sort that says ‘Don’t let the door hit you in the butt as you leave’ regardless of how desperately they need the departing knowledge base. This is a big big issue. The CIO of the company (whom I didn’t like for many reasons, but incompetence wasn’t one of them) left about 2 months ago, and there is no intention of replacing him. His functions have been taken over by someone who has zero technical expertise, and NO concept of what it takes to merge two or more computer systems. There were three managers underneath him. The one with the most experience left a year ago; the one I work for has given her notice as of the end of the current fiasco; the remaining one. . .. . .called in to check up on me yesterday. He wanted to know the status on that OBDC (sic) project I was working on. This was only an annoyance. Usually he’s much worse.

Parcour, thanks for your input. It is logical, four-square and reasonable. But this company is sucking my soul dry, and there have been physical problems because of my anxiety level. Suit, makeover and such will probably be very appropriate if I secure an interview for another position.
But you lead off with

Don’t do it. Timings bad, and you should NEVER leave one job without having another.

How unhappy do you let your life become before you change the ‘never’ to ‘rarely’? And what sort of cushion would you recommend, or backup (would you like to supersize that?)

Sam, I hear you too. But a crap economy is the perfect time to prepare for the upswing…and the only guarantee is that there WILL be an upswing. Its just a matter of when and whether you’re well positioned when it happens. Great time to be in school. I can’t afford a whole new education, but a course here or there…we can swing that.

MSheldon, I go from proper corporate suit when dealing with vendors and clients, to my day to day blouse and trousers or casual dress, to ain’t it grand jeans and tee. I’m actually happiest in the middle, but I get a kick at dress up and put on a face. But you suggest to have a plan. Maybe I’d best get something a little firmer in my head or on paper. More than ‘I quit and I’m sure I’ll figure out the next step’.

Nano. . .Plan B, huh? something more than ‘would you like fries with that?’ Okay. Plan B. Think of a fall back if a fall back doesn’t appear.

Jerry. . .interesting. I’ll write!

I sincerely appreciate the input. I still can’t help but feel as if the decision itself, if not the application of the decision, has caused the sun to shine.

13

Tyghress, go for it. Sure, this isn’t the best time to choose to be out of a job, but it’s not nearly as bad as the media might have you believe. I was just discussing with my wife today the merits of switching fields and giving up salary to be less miserable.

Really, if you don’t have a great need for more money, why shorten your lifespan through needless stress (and the likely consequent higher blood pressure) for extra money?

14

That says it all to me. Go for it, enjoy your life, and let us know how it’s going!

15

Love for the Tyghress… but,sorry, no advice other than to say that if risk is eliminated, nothing gets better. There are so many people out there who have taken huge chances without a Tygrhe nearby and done well. And so many others who are unhappy because they fear challenging the status quo.

Good luck! To me, you sound like you know what yer doin’.

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16

If you are in a job that makes you miserable and can have a “cushion” then I side with the others who say go for it. There is nothing worse than going to a job day in and day out that is killing you inside.

My husband use to be a coal miner and would sometimes consider leaving (whichat that time would mean a dramatic decrease in income with no hope of finding something else that would pay as good) everytime he asked my opinion I’d tell him what I’m now telling you-

You are the one who has to do the job, so ultimately it’s up to you.

He eventually did leave and we made the financial adjustment and neither of us has regretted it.

I wish you well, whatever your decision.

17

Tygress,

Isn’t it exciting to face new challenges? It sounds like you’ve made a commitment to tackle a whole set of new challenges.

From what I’ve gleaned from you comments about your employer, it’s seems time to move on. It sounds like you have management that doesn’t appreciate its own product or those that produce it. Technically proficient managers have moved to situations where they will be able to produce and facilitate others in improving the product. The fact that your first associated activity (taking courses) is focused on improving your productivity. It’s a good step and a further indicator, that you’re not getting those opportunities where you are.

I’ve left companies under simular circumstances and also tried to “hang in there” under simular circumstances. The moves have always been for the better. The time’s I’ve hung in there has also worked, most recently with my current employer. I was in a declining spiral with a particular manager and ended up taking the first available transfer from a bad situation. The transfer worked out and resulted in an offer at my current site, an assignment where I’ve continued to grow professionally. In your case, it doesn’t sound like the transfer option is available.

One thing that has helped me is to identify what I need in a job, other than money. I once was told by a manager I respected that there were 4 dimensions that lead to job satisfaction, money wasn’t one of them. Money was a dis-satisfier if it wasn’t enough; but, it didn’t really contribute to job satisfaction. The four dimensions or motivations varied in degree from one individual to another. They were:

  • Social - the opportunity to interact with others on a regular basis
  • Achievement - the need to see that thing were accomplished, the need to produce or complete tasks.
  • Recognition - the need to see that others know and value what you do.
  • Power or Control - the need to make decisions that effect others, the need to be in control.

So in your search for your next situation, first evaluate how important each of the motivational aspects are to your overall job satisfaction. Then look for that position that will be the most satisfying.

I tend to take “dream” job offers, which is okay, but I’ve also learned that real jobs are never the dream I envision. To help with this, I try to evaluate potential jobs by determining their job satisfaction potential. It reduces the honey-moon effect, if I evaluate potential jobs and supervisors based on their abilities to promote my job satisfaction before I take the offer. For me Recognition, Achievement, and Socialization are the primary motivatiors so I try to find out how the job, my boss, and, management are going to facilitate those. It may be my responsibility to keep myself motivated, but they need to provide a structure that doesn’t frustrate my gaining the motivational queues from what I do each day. It also lets me form realistic expections and reduce the fantasy of each new job being the ‘perfect job’.

You may have heard all of the above before, in one form or another, or you may find it just doesn’t seem to apply; but for me, I’ve found this stuff helpfull.

My final encouragement is to enjoy the journey, the search, the adventure, and when you finally arrive at the destination, you’ll enjoy the new job.

As always, I’m assuming, if you enjoy your vocation, you’ll do the same for your avocation and …

18

Having faced the same decision, I’m in the go-for-it camp. I left a job that was making me miserable when I realized I was 30 years old and just waiting to retire. I made a complete career change and will never make as much money as I did working as a computer technical specialist. In my case, it took a lot of years of schooling to change to my new career – but now I have a job I love and intend to retire from – as late as I possibly can!

When I left, I wasn’t sure where I was heading, but it was one of the two or three best things I ever did for myself! Good luck, and I hope you love what you do from now on!

Tery

19

I’ll try to expand on what this means to me.

To me, that saying implies, yes, a possible but always temporary stint at Burger Thing or the like if absolutely necessary, but that’s a last resort while other pots are cooking; Plan B may also imply school, or my initial choice taking me in a direction over time that I’d never envisioned (which is not at all unusual in many cases). Yes, it means an actual, concrete, alternative plan if you have the talent for that. Any plan (whether A or B, ad infinitum) is apt to, as Robbie Burns put it, “gang aft agley”. I guess the point of my ramblings is adaptibility and a level gaze for any open doors that we might not otherwise have considered. Please note that, for the record, I exclude entrepreneurship in recreational contraband from this rant. :wink:

Grab yer prey and give it a good shake.

Best,
N

20

Nano, I believe you’ve posted this in the wrong thread.

Best wishes,
Jerry