# Should I quit my job? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 10, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-quit-my-job/218046 "2003-12-10T00:39:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-quit-my-job/218046/21 "2003-12-11T21:49:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by overlyverbose \* > First of all, msmith, do you think this decision was easy for me? At all? I don’t quit my job every time I decide I don’t like it or someone loses their temper. I typically have a very thick skin; however, I am not a doormat. I didn’t mean to imply that you were. I was simply responding to TVeblen’s jackass statement that my post was “obnoxious” because I did not jump on the pity bandwagon. You asked for advice and I am simply giving an alternative viewpoint. You can take or leave it as you see fit. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by overlyverbose \* > I don’t feel that I should have to sit here at my job, calmly nodding and smiling while getting screamed at by a variety of assholes who really don’t give a shit about anyone else but themselves. Unfortunately, you are working in a role supporting high stress, highly competitive jobs. While it sucks, people under stress occassionally lose their temper at the help desk guy, the admin or the copy guy. If your bonus or even your job is dependent on finishing a project and you can’t because your PC is down, your web site is screwed up, or a fax is misplaced you’d be upset as well, especially when that project could cost millions or result in prison. a clear idea of what you are looking for in your next job You may not be the type of person who should support a law firm or investment bank or other high stress company. Some people can just blow off a guy yelling at them. Other people will fume about it for weeks. That’s ok. There are plenty of jobs that do not carry such a high level of stress. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-quit-my-job/218046/22 "2003-12-11T23:42:11Z")
**msmith** , you’re correct - some people are not meant to work in high-stress companies. However, I have historically dealt with high-stress people well, and typically I do not lose it when someone yells at me. That said, I am not accustomed to people throwing tantrums over the small stuff - “x attorney was mentioned before me in that story!” or “why is his photo over mine?? his fucking photo should be _below_ mine!!” My position does involve handling sensitive information; however, I am luckily not responsible for administrative support. I think perhaps I am just not a good fit for this firm. Anyway, I recently came to the conclusion that, while it is financially more stable to stay at a job I do not like rather than quit and have nothing, I am not trapped there, and leaving before things get really ugly seems to me to be the best decision. This way I have an excellent reference from my manager, plus references from many of the attorneys I have worked with. It sure beats sticking around until my manager and I can’t stand each other. However, I do see your point, and I think it is valid because it’s realistic and it’s also helpful to see both sides of a situation before acting. Still, I think I have made the best decision for myself. And believe it or not, I do appreciate your taking time to give me advice, even if it wasn’t advice that I necessarily wanted to hear. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-quit-my-job/218046/23 "2003-12-12T02:58:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > \*\*Sorry if I don’t share your love-fest here, Princess. What’s she going to do? Quit her job every time things get too tough or some jerk looses his temper? \*\* Love fest? Princess? My, you are determined to be obnoxious, aren’t you? It wasn’t a pity party, which you could have easily determined if you’d bothered to actually read the thread. Other people had already courteously made some of the points you mentioned. Somehow no one else felt obligated to get up in **overlyverbose’s** face doing it. Occassional outbursts of temper are one thing in a workplace. Unpleasant, but it happens. Chronic overloading, indifferent management and constant screaming are quite another. They are symptoms of a workplace that’s out of control, creating unneeded stress and pressure by not offering reasonable means to actually get the work done. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-quit-my-job/218046/24 "2003-12-12T05:44:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > \*\*Sorry if I don’t share your love-fest here, Princess. What’s she going to do? Quit her job every time things get too tough or some jerk looses his temper? \*\* Geez, who pissed in your cornflakes today? And where do you get off insinuating the OP would quit **every** time things got tough or **every** time someone got mad? Seems to me if you would read and comprehend her posts, it would be obvious that those snotty accusations are way off base. Dose of reality – fine. Alternative perspective – fine. Condescension, belittlement, and catty criticism (poorly correlated to the information provided, no less) – asinine. ---
**Author:** ![wendyrules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85e7bf/32.png) [@wendyrules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wendyrules)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-quit-my-job/218046/25 "2003-12-12T05:53:23Z")
\*\* overlyverbose \*\*, I truly do feel sorry for you and I understand your plight. There’s nothing worse than being employed in a job that gives you no pleasure, self-satisfaction or recognition. IMHO, though, before you just up and quitt your job, make a concerted effort to find another job to move into first. Once you’ve got a new job offered to you, then you can go tell that place where they can shove their job! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-quit-my-job/218046/26 "2003-12-12T14:49:08Z")
Just a thought for the next time someone’s in this situation: just say no. Decline the extra work. Tell them you don’t have time to do it. Or say that if you do this task, you’ll need someone else to take care of another task. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-quit-my-job/218046/27 "2003-12-12T16:18:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TVeblen \* > It wasn’t a pity party, which you could have easily determined if you’d bothered to actually read the thread. Other people had already courteously made some of the points you mentioned. Somehow no one else felt obligated to get up in **overlyverbose’s** face doing it. > \*\* Hey, whatever. I did read the thread and the general tone of the messages is “you are overworked, you deserve more money, etc.” I don’t see anything in my post that is a direct attack against overlyverbose. I only suggested two things - 1) she/he should look at herself and see if she might be responsible for some of the problems (ie OP should know that a partner should appear more prominanatly than a 2nd year associate in an article) and 2) I’ve seen a lot of people leave jobs that “suck” only to take a similar job in the same industry, only to encounter the same problems over and over again - bankers who leave one bank and go join another identical bank, consultants and accountants who jump from one Big-4 firm to another. Who was it who said insanity was doing the same thing over again and expecting diferent results? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wendyrules > \*overlyverbose , I truly do feel sorry for you and I understand your plight. There’s nothing worse than being employed in a job that gives you no pleasure, self-satisfaction or recognition. \*\* Well…except maybe being unemployed and not being able to find a job. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Gary T_ > Geez, who pissed in your cornflakes today? And where do you get off insinuating the OP would quit every time things got tough or every time someone got mad? I don’t know what the OP would do. All I’m saying is that it is not a good practice to quit jobs every time work gets miserable. It’s especially not a good idea to quit work without another job lined up. This I can’t stress enough. The last thing you want is to be forced into taking a position you absolutely hate because bills need to be paid. And think carefully what you are looking for un your next job. You already know that you don’t like working with the big egos of high stressed lawyers. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-quit-my-job/218046/28 "2003-12-12T17:09:44Z")
First of all, yes, I do realize that the politics going on at work are almost as important as the quality of work itself. So, I obviously realize that a second-year associate is going to be listed last if I’m doing an article about him/her and a senior partner. I wouldn’t have been promoted into this position within five months of starting here if I didn’t have the brains to realize something like that. But when the attorneys throw a tantrum and I have to begin mediating their fights, I draw the line. Have a senior partner storm into your office and tell you to move his photo over that of someone of the same rank. Then try explaining to that attorney what happened. I’m not here to mediate their arguments. I’m here to manage information. They’re grown-ups, then can fight it out themselves. Also, I feel I have stressed pretty heavily that, while I may be unemployed for a while, I have set aside a more than generous amount of money for myself to live on for six months to a year. If I feel it’s not enough or do not wish to use it, there are temporary jobs out there that, while not as glamorous as I’d like or high-paying, would keep me employed and bringing in money. Additionally, if I choose not to use the money I have set aside for this, but instead live off of a temporary job, I may have enough money that I could take some useful courses to expand and enhance my skills and make me more marketable. I am not independently wealthy, but I’m not stupid, either. When I saw the writing on the wall, I began building my existing savings in the event that this should happen. And, no, I’m not expecting different results should I go into the same job in the same industry. The positions I’m currently interviewing for (and my interview last night went quite well, thank you), while still managing the Web, are for different types of people in different industries than the one I am working in now. I know that I probably haven’t thought of everything, and being unemployed might last longer and be more difficult than I thought. However, I did plan as carefully as possible, and I did consider all the options I could think of. Additionally, I tried to work with my boss on several occaisions to fix this, it didn’t work, so I need to move on. That’s it. I would have liked to have something set up for myself before moving on, but things happened as they did, it’s done, and now I’ll deal with what is and not what I could have, should have, or shouldn’t have done. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-quit-my-job/218046.md?page=1)