How to Quit a Job You Hate

I spent 6 months trying to quit my job

Yes, you read that correctly.

It took me 6 months to muster up the courage to quit a job that wasn’t the right fit.

I kept telling myself there were a ton of great reasons (aka excuses) to stay. I hadn’t been there long enough; I had a specific amount I wanted to have in savings; I loved my team, the benefits were great, and the list goes on.

The truth is, those were all excuses. I hated the job; the work was boring, I hated being the only Black woman at a 100+ person company, and let’s not even talk about my manager 😶…

So why didn’t I quit?

I was SCARED. Yes, me, the girl who constantly has recruiters in her DMs. The girl who can effortlessly get interviews and land jobs was TERRIFIED of admitting that she chose the wrong job.

I quickly realized I had made a mistake. That job really sucked. The tasks were so incredibly boring. I had zero interest in this job. But I was holding on to the hope that things would get better. They didn’t. I also started to realize things about the company that didn’t align with my values. But my ego kicked in, and I didn’t want to admit I had made a mistake. So I tried to make things work. Every week, I would fight the urge to give my notice.

How I Finally Mustered Up the Courage to Quit

One day, I had enough. Midway through a Slack conversation with my manager, I blurted out: “this job is no longer the right fit for me.”

I’m not even sure what possessed me to type that, but I had said it; there was no turning back. I felt such FREEDOM, immediately followed by “Oh shit! I don’t actually have a plan”.

How I Found a New Job I Loved

There’s one thing about me though; I NEVER stop working on my personal brand. Even though I was scared, even though I was trying to make things work at that job, I never stopped nurturing my network. Yes, I posted less. Yes, I didn’t create new videos. But I didn’t go totally silent. I posted about once a month and re-shared old videos; that was enough to remain visible to some people.

So after I had left that job, I took 2 months off and didn’t search for a job. All I did was work on content and worked full time on my coaching business. Once I had rested and was able to go back to part-time coaching, I decided it was time to jump back into corporate. So I applied to 2 jobs and replied to 3 separate recruiters who had DM’d about jobs that I thought were interesting. I interviewed at all 5 places. I was rejected by 2, took myself out of the interview process at 1, and got offers from 2.

This time, I did an extensive pro & con list, chose the best job for me, and negotiated the crap out of that offer. I ended up making $50k more at this job!

💎 Staying at a job I hated was blocking me from the biggest level up in my career.

There was no reason for me to be scared. Yes, I had made a mistake. But I should have remembered that the entire reason I work so hard on my personal brand is to have options and so that I don’t have to stay stuck.

Reminds me of a tweet I saw a while back:

Staying stuck is a choice. I’m not saying everyone has to quit their job without a backup (⚠️ I DON’T recommend this).

What I’m saying is, know that you deserve better than to work a crappy job. Take the steps (however small) that you need to take to get out of there.

Tips for Quitting Your Job

If you’re thinking about quitting your job, here are a few tips:

• Make a plan. Don’t just quit your job without having a plan for what you’re going to do next. Do you want to find a new job? Start your own business? Go back to school? Take some time off? Once you know what you want to do, you can start making a plan to make it happen.
• Save up money. If possible, save up at least 3-6 months of living expenses before you quit your job. This will give you a financial cushion while you’re looking for a new job or starting your own business.
• Leverage your Personal Brand. One of the best things you can do for your career is start building your personal brand. This will help you stay visible to people in your field. It will also give you a platform to share your work and expertise.
• Network. Talk to people in your field and let them know that you’re looking for a new job. You can also attend industry events and connect with people on LinkedIn.

Here are some additional tips for quitting a job you hate:

• Don’t rush into your next job. Take some time to figure out what you want to do next. This will help you to make a better decision about your next job.
• Don’t be afraid to negotiate. Once you’ve found a job that you’re interested in, don’t be afraid to negotiate your salary and benefits. You deserve to be paid what you’re worth.

Conclusion

Quitting your job can be scary, but it’s often the best decision for your career and your overall well-being. If you’re stuck in a job you hate, know that you’re not alone. There are many people who have been in your shoes and have come out on the other side.

If you’re thinking about quitting your job, I encourage you to start building your personal brand today. You can do this by creating a blog, writing articles for industry publications, or becoming active on social media.