How to Recuperate After Quitting a Hated Job Without Sabotaging Your Career
The pandemic here in the United States is weakening ( at least for now ), the labor market is slowly showing signs of recovery , and millions of workers have left their jobs in what many headlines have dubbed “The Great Retirement .” You may be one of those workers who calculate what you want out of your job, and while it can be easy to get lost in the romance of closing the door at the head of your professional life, especially if you hate your job, you should consider taking a little into consideration. the period between your old job and what comes next.
How to move from one job to another
While it is advisable to find another job before leaving, some people choose to live in a more dangerous way. If you left because of an oppressive boss or because of unrelenting demands that led to burnout, then you probably made the right decision, despite the fact that you did not have insurance. Chances are, you are jumping into the void to explore new opportunities and engage in personal growth. According to professional trainer Nancy Leighton , you should make this obvious to those you intend to interview in the future.
She told Lifehacker:
If you quit your job before moving on to another, you should have a really good explanation of why you made the choice. For example, it might not be because of your terrible boss, but it might be because you were interested in volunteering or attending classes to explore other interests and / or a possible career change.
Leighton notes, as in the previous Lifehacker report, never quit a job without a plan. Part of that plan, she says, could involve developing new skills and exploring areas of professional interest that have intrigued you for a long time but haven’t had a chance to delve into them yet. Remember that the longer you switch to another job, the less desirable you will be as a candidate, unless you are working to acquire new skills through additional training or volunteer work.
However, be prepared for longer sabbaticals than you expected, even if the job market is strong.
How long can you rest from work?
“Don’t take too much free time,” says Mark Cenedella , founder of Leet Resumes. “Although the current market is very strong, people who leave it for more than a few months may be at a disadvantage in the near future.”
These disadvantages are both traditional (easier to find a job when you have a job) and dependent on our moment in time. “While the job market is doing very well (unemployment is back to March 2020 levels),” says Layton, “there is also significant growth now, and the same rules always apply in areas where there is a lot of competition.”
To this end, Cenedella recommends that the ideal break should be around two to three months, but should never be longer than six months. Six months is the threshold of time, which still “does not require unnecessary explanation” to a potential employer.
But always plan and budget accordingly. If you’re planning on taking a three month reprieve from work, perhaps set aside a budget for about six months because, well, things happen. “Sometimes the smartest plans don’t go on schedule,” says Leighton. After all, if you quit a job that took away your joy in life, you will want to hold out for the one that you think you will at least enjoy.
The benefits you get from a job are also a huge factor, so it is not advisable to quit if the result means you are not going to get health insurance. If you can pay for out-of-pocket health care – which is notoriously expensive and can eat up your budget – that’s one thing, but getting out of health care can only be done for those who can sign up to the plan through their spouse after they leave.
How to recharge after leaving your job
Partly dismissal from work requires an understanding that the unemployed will not just sleep and go to matinees. You can, of course, and you might even have to, but the concept of “recharging” is best understood as a reorientation process. Think carefully about the direction in which you want to develop your career. If you quit your job and find yourself in a void, you certainly have to ponder this big, frightening and exciting question.
Learning something new, whether it is dedication to a cause through volunteering or pursuing classes that can introduce you to another profession, is definitely one way to achieve this. Hopefully this will help you feel not only recharged, but ready to tackle whatever lies ahead.