Tell me if I'm crazy or not. (Quitting a job without having another lined up.)

In My Humble Opinion
1

Okay, so here’s the deal, and I’ll try to keep it short as possible. I’ve worked at my job for a little over two years. I applied to university near where I live and was accepted into their Computer Science program. For 15 weeks, I went to class every day after work.

Someone in one of my classes was a Bioinformatics & Computational Biology major. He passed out flyers for an Intro to Bioinformatics course.

I read the course description and researched the field a little, and was blown away. That, combined with reading some things I didn’t like about careers in software engineering (there was a thread here I started on it that really made me question the major), I decided to take the Intro to Bioinformatics course to see if I like it enough to switch majors.

However, the course is only offered once a year: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00-11:15am, Spring semester only. Thus, I’ll need to take time from work to go to class. Even without this course, I’m starting to get into upper-level classes which are usually only offered during the day.

The climate at my job has gotten very ugly lately. My boss, the Sr. Director, was fired for political reasons. A lot of people in my department are looking for new jobs. I asked my new boss (the acting Director) if I can have time off twice a week to attend class. I’m willing to use lunch breaks, vacation time, work extra hours, whatever to make up the time. She, unwilling to make decisions on her own, deferred to our asshole VP. He said no.

Now I’m screwed. I can either drop all my classes this semester (which, if I want to go with the new major, would put me a year behind on my degree and if not, a semester) or I have to take a leap of faith and quit my job in a terrible job market to go to school, hoping a new job with more flexibility will come my way. They won’t fire me, which would be great, so I could collect unemployment.

I’ve been applying to jobs like a madman but haven’t gotten any calls back. Classes start next Wednesday and I’m seriously sweating now.

I’ve already spoken to both my school and my job, and neither will be flexible. What do you think I should do?

2

Sorry, need more info. I don’t track Doper’s lives.

Undergrad or postgrad program? How far along?
Your age?

FYI - Generally speaking, quitting a job does not entitle you to unemployment. Also, going to school during first shift business hours often prevents you from eligibility for claiming unemployment.

3

Undergraduate program. I’m 31 and not getting any younger.

4

I’m assuming you’ve been checking for student jobs, too. Make sure that any professors teaching classes that interest you are aware that you’re looking for work. Especially if one of them is your faculty advisor. I once got a very good job because I was chatting with my FA, from whom I had taken several classes, and happened to mention that I was looking for work. He had been thinking of setting up a student position with one of his projects, but hadn’t gotten around to doing the paperwork. He was able to hand over the paperwork for me to finish and route and I got the inside track.

5

First impression is to go for it. Funny how things in life work out. You’ll find some way to support yourself.

6

Yeah, I’m in the ‘go for it’ camp, but then I don’t have to pay your bills. How long can you financially support yourself without a job?

7

And what will happen if you can’t support yourself? Like, do you have family nearby that would let you sponge off of them for awhile or anything?
Plus, you say your boss won’t let you take time twice a week to attend classes, but then you say they won’t fire you. What would happen if you just started taking the time off to attend classes? My guess would be they’d fire you. Of course, that doesn’t solve the problem of being unavailable for work to qualify for unemployment. . .

8

If you need a job in order tro eat and pay rent, then this would be a disaster. You need to find another job first, even if it’s waiting tables.

Are you able to survive without that income? Is anyone else dependent upon your income? How will you pay for classes, books?

9

Agree. The question is “how are you going to support yourself?” Once you figure that out - even if its at a minimal level (sell everything I have and move back in with my parents while I finish school, work part time delivering pizzas, then find a job when I’m done with school), go for it. A few more months at a job you hate isn’t worth postponing school for a year. However, eating and keeping a roof over your head is.

10

An old friend of mine used to go by the crude expression “better to beg forgiveness than ask permission”.

Using a bit of that “wisdom”, what would happen if you kept the job and started arranging doctor’s appointments, vacation days, and early lunches those days? Make up the time on your own and if they fire you, well, you would’ve gotten paid longer than you would had you quit. I’m only half suggesting this as it’s better to be able to leave an employ with good standing, but it doesn’t sound like they’re the friendly type to give you a good reference either.

11

Can you switch to working part-time? Afternoons only? Or change your core hours to 13:00 to 21:00? How about job-sharing with someone?

12

If you don’t care about the job then perhaps this option will work.
Simply continue working until the class starts. Leave work on class day after announcing you are going to attend class and will be back in x hours (a long lunch)
Let that unfold as it may. They may decide to allow it as opposed to replacing you. If they don’t, oh well, a good education trumps all.

13

Okay, a few answers:

I met with the Bioinformatics chairmain/advisor this past Monday (really cool guy). He knows I need to find a new job and didn’t mention any openings he had.

If I quit next Wednesday, I’d say I could probably last four or five months (assuming I use student loans to cover some of my living expenses). If not, two months or so. I know I should have more savings than that, but it’s been a very expensive past few months for me.

Nope. Neither parent is interested in letting me sponge off them for a while. I could just cut out and take the classes anyway and let them fire me, but that’s pretty ballsy and I don’t know if I’ve got balls like that.

I can’t survive without that income. No one else is dependent on me, but I live on my own and pay my own bills. The parents help plus tuition reimbursement from work pays for my tuition, and I pay for my books and any other expenses. Of course, if I leave the job, the tuition assistance goes bye-bye.

Unfortunately, moving back in with the 'rents is not an option.

That would be fine, but I need to make enough to cover my expenses. I currently make enough now to afford renting a decent house in a white-collar neighborhood of the city. I was expecting to take about a 10-12% cut in pay, but I’ll settle for 25% if they’ll work with my school schedule. Anything less makes it very difficult for me to live.

14

By the way, just a slight rant: I just found out that if I quit with no notice, that’ll be noted in my personnel file and I’ll never be able to work for my medical system again. So that one note completely overshadows two years of exemplary work. Nice one. :rolleyes:

15

Have you tried going to HR?

16

Yes. HR maintains that time off for school is at the manager’s discretion.

17

So, give notice, and be “sick” when you need to go to class (or just call in and don’t give a reason – ‘I won’t be in until noon’ or whatever). What are they going to do about it? Either you’re eligible for rehire or you aren’t.

18

My suggestion would be to drop the job (don’t just leave… Give notice), the house and live like a college student. Get a student’s job, a student’s apartment and become a full time student.

19

I can’t give notice. Classes start next Wednesday. That’s the problem.

20

Have you considered a third option, which is to do the course next year?

I know it feels a long way away, but it might be the best option. It gives you time to get some personal savings, time to properly give your notice, time to look for a more suitable/flexible job that you can continue whilst studying.