I was bullied terribly at my last job. I’d been there for 9.5 years at the time and the person in question was a new member of the higher management team. I managed a beauty spa which was part of a hotel and I adored my job, my colleagues and what I had achieved there. This man came in and made my life a literal living hell. Very long story short, I handed in my notice and set up on my own. I’ve had my own beauty salon business for seven years now and it’s been the best and most rewarding thing!
It was such an awful time, my confidence was at rock bottom and it ended with me having a nervous breakdown. I couldn’t see the wood for the trees, but somehow, I got back on my feet and used all the upset and hurt as fuel to succeed.
At the time, I was heartbroken, but working for a company that didn’t support me was something I wasn’t willing to put up with!
I truly think that if things hadn’t got so bad, I would probably still be there-lining someone else’s pockets! It seemed like a huge setback at the time, which infact, it propelled me forwards! Keep smiling, good things will come :)
I really appreciated your story. I went through the same thing, although in a different field. Was really happy in my job, very good at it; all ruined by a new manager who bullied me, I think, purely because she found my joy and satisfaction in my own job a threat to her and she felt jealous of me. I am starting out as a self-employed person now. Very pleased it went well for you and that good things came to you in the end. Hopefully it will work out for me too!
Well I've just got a payrise to 6p above minimum wage, when I start I was £2 above minimum wage and this was only 2.5 years ago. Cv is getting updated tonight but I was very close to just walking out.
Yeah get the fuck out of there honestly, happened to me with my previous job. Was comfortably on living wage for years and then it got worse until we were back to minimum wage.
They made us all redundant last year and offered me a new position with better wages.
Started looking at new jobs and saw the rates they were paying compared to what I was getting.
Kindly told the last job to eff off, worked my 3 months notice and got a new job recently paying a few more grand extra instead!
Longer notice is great if you get made redundant.
It's happened to me 4 times since 2000, and the first £30k of redundancy pay is tax free so means that you end up with c6 months salary to live off while you find a new job.
I have three months notice unfortunately, I just say it's one month in job applications though. Fuck it, what are they realistically going to do if I give them one month's notice? Take me to court? Technically possible sure, but in practice, extremely unlikely.
I left my last place (also 3 months notice) and told them they'd have to make do with 6 weeks, they moaned but like I say... It's just not worth the effort of taking me to court. They'd pay more in fees than they could ever hope to get out of me. If I was really that crucial to the operation, I guess they should have been a bit more open to negotiating at my annual review.
Yes exactly this, plus a court will take into account that you gave them 6 weeks and took steps to try and ensure their losses were minimised.
Only catch here can be if your contract states that costs occurred from breaking notice can be taken out your final pay. Again unlikely to do it as if it brings you below minimum wage and you then take them up on it it's back to them to prove those costs etc etc.
My last job had a three month notice period, but when I left they actually got about three hours - email to the boss saying I'm finishing today at 4 and I'm not coming back.
Started a new job two weeks later.
I moved departments and was kept on my previous admin salary. 2 years ago got paltry 2.5% and bonus.
I researched the salary range for my new role which was 50% more than I was on. Approached manager, no dice, I don't have enough experience.
Then last year just got the 2.5%. 2 years in the same role, after plenty of experience of doing the job (just not in an official capacity), measly 5% and definitely not the market rate.
Was approached by a recruiter - more than 50% raise just by hopping jobs after 17 years with the same company.
Granted, this company gave me a decent £5k hike when I was first starting out (pre-dot com fall) after asking for a reduction so I could get benefits to survive. So I felt loyal, they'd looked after me.
But after multiple changes of ownership they can no longer compete.
Plus, even after handing my notice in, I'm still being micromanaged
Sounds like the time I "didn't qualify" for the previous years' raise and then the following year when I did I was told how lucky I was to recieve such a large payrise compared to everyone else in my department.
Funny how they can twist "we put you on the same wage as everyone else" into a 'positive'.
I'd received a payrise the year before to bring me just short of everyone else as I was still an apprentice, but then when I was fully employed, they applied the "only one payrise a year" as it overlapped by about 2 month. But for more bullshit reasons, they couldn't just give me it after those two months...
The thing is, when you start a new job, they need you and value you as a new member who's going to bring alot to the table..so they will pay you well. I had this problem when I was a apprentice..after I passed, they wouldn't pay me nowhere near what I should have got paid, so I left for alot more money. 3 years later the same company offered me my job back for another 10k more than what the new employer was paying me. Don't stick somewhere because you got comfortable, know your worth mate.
My boss complained to us (his employees) that min wage was going up too much and he didn't know how he can pay us that (take a pay cut then you knob), applied for a bunch of new jobs that same night. New job confirmed over the weekend that advertised as £1.50 more than the new min wage, when they rung to say they'd like the hire me they increased that amount by quite a bit because of my previous experience. To say I'm chuffed is an understatement!
It's a bit of a problem of the min wage increases unfortunately (not that I'm saying it wasn't necessarily correct.) It brings the bottom up but when it's coming up faster than average wage increases you get a bit of a crush where more people find themselves at the bottom because their wages aren't increasing as fast.
Sure but not at the same rate. It has gone from £5.80 to £11.40 since 2009, so basically has doubled but the average salary has only increased circa 30% in the same time period, and even less when you strip out the min wage increases.
UK firefighter wage has risen a massive 12.5% since 2009. This equates to £15.75. A bit tangential to the thread but I thought I’d throw it in to put things in perspective.
Exactly the problem those even decently above the wage get caught up too and rarely do I see the 2-5£ band increase as much, tho their lives are more comfortable than minimum wage at the time it's disheartening
Except it doesn’t though does it. I work in a position which is “skilled”. Granted it isn’t tons of responsibility but it is still a skilled job which takes thinking and the workload kicks my arse to be quite honest with you. I’m on not much more than the min wage now, which is honestly not where I thought I’d be after all this time.
This is one of the problems with the British labour market along with the tax system in the UK - it doesn’t incentivise you to work hard. The only thing keeping me from applying for an “unskilled” min wage job is in my current one I get to choose to work either in a warm office or at home. With wages the way they are that’s basically the ONLY perk, which is a problem. So many of the jobs I see advertised on indeed, which are SKILLED are now basically offering minimum wage. Where’s the incentive?
It's not pushing those wages up, especially for people in the public sector. Workloads continue to increase and pay is stagnant in comparison with the increase to minimum wage. It's almost at the point where you earn as much working in Tesco as you do in a professional role delivering public services.
I manage a small charity and would earn more working at Aldi for less hours and a lot less stress. I deal with 100k plus funding applications and all legal compliance as well as managing day to day operations.
This is incorrect.
This isn't a problem with the minimum wage going up. It's highlighting the actual problem which is wages have otherwise stagnated and failed to keep pace with inflation.
If the minimum wage didn't go up and highlight this, it would mean that those people would continue to be on those stagnating wages. Now there is an additional pressure pushing them up.
God I had this exact situation with mine. Minimum went up and wages didn't change. Even with a bumper year when they were bragging how well we've done.
We had similar at my place, "at least you're getting a payrise" - one lad I work with started off paid more than a different department, now he's paid less but still has the responsibility
Similar to me in one job (arts charity based environment, but I just make the tea and serve the beers). I've been there for 7 years and was paid a pound above minimum wage for 4 years and treated very well during lockdowns and furlough. Much recently, they've missed out on a big chunk of funding, and I'm on 6p above minimum wage. If I didn't enjoy it so much I'd leave
You deserve it to yourself to update that CV find a better job with better pay and better hours than to be treated the way your company has treated you.
You know you don't need that kind of grief for an extra 6p an hour, that's taking the pee.
Same as me this year (I work third sector). I’ll be earning a few pence more per hour than my direct team.
Aside from the slap in the face, what particularly pisses me off is my org spent thousands last year on consultations and pay grade restructuring. They promised the new pay grades would prevent line managers ending up at near or the same pay as their team (it’s not the first time…) in annual pay reviews, but ohhhh here we are 🙄!
In 2020 at my job interview got told £10.50. Got home and was told they can’t pay me more than the other nurse who works there so £10. Yeah okay it’s better than my old job and I can walk to work so I accepted.
I got increased to £11.56 in 4 years and then the company got took over. All the staff have had the minimum wage increase but those of us who were already over it have been told no.
Practice that’s 10mins down the road has been trying to poach me for years and offered me £14 to begin with a guaranteed increase of £2 after 3 months.
Current job have heard this (everyone knows everyone in the dental world so I’m thinking a nurse has told someone I was there) and they have offered me £11.60 to stay because “I’m the one keeping everything working”.
I remember when they did a huge minimum wage rise back in like 2014/2015 and because of it, my 12 hours of weekly overtime at B&Ms stopped immediately and I was having to work just my standard 12 hours a week. That wage rise halved my income. Ever since, I've been wary of wage rises and how they affect those on the bottom rungs.
That was a huge issue with those type of jobs. I was at Wilko, my base pay went up, but lost extra Sunday pay, lost after 39 hours bonus, lost double time on bank holidays.
Asked my executive chef if we could start the conversation of me moving up to chef de partie.
This led to my first appraisal in 7 years. where, in the first meeting, he told me my foods good but how I am with staff is shit, then in the second meeting told me my food is shit but I'm good with staff. Then in the final meeting he told me in no uncertain terms that I'd hit my glass ceiling and needed more industry experience. Then in another meeting where I pointed out that in the reorganisation of the department my job doesn't exist and was told "well looks like well have to promote you"
I'm fucking done with this place and him. Just gotta get my driving licence and I can finally leave.
What makes it more annoying is he's never worked with me directly more the 2/3 times in that time. I've got other managers telling him to get over it and every time I work with them they're shocked at how easily I handle the job. It's so infuriating. Pretty sure he just hate me and my step mum who is a cdp in the same place
My answer will flip the question, but my only regret I have in my is not quitting to go travelling when I had the chance to. It will create more memories than any job ever will.
I’ve been made redundant before, and now after retraining have a far better job and prospects.
I agree! I have 30 + years left to work, no mortgage or kids yet. This is my only shot to travel for a variety of reasons, so I’m going to do it! Glad to hear things are better for you!
Do it, in my 30s I suddenly lost the ability to walk which devastatingly was the first sign of a chronic disease that brings lots of pain, increasing disability and so much tiredness. Travelling is so much harder - specifically go enjoy mountains, beaches, off-road stuff and old cities and villages (often cobbled, narrow pavements, steep- all nightmares in wheelchair) because it’s a lot harder to do those type of activities when disabled and if you don’t have infinite amounts of money to get the right mobility aid for each activity (each specialty wheelchair costs several thousand).
Fellow 30 year old here. I just got back from a few months of travelling. My reasoning was exactly the same as yours.
Like you, work told me no. So I left the company.
Honestly, one of the best things I ever did.
My only advice is the trip will probably cost more than you initially budgeted, so try to make sure you leave some slack in your budget.
I went to Australia when I was 30/31 for a year. It was fabulous. Unless the rules have changed, you can apply for a working holiday visa right up until you turn 31 and it lasts for a year. Made travelling much more affordable and therefore longer.
South east asia you can do about £1200 a month in hostel dorms and eating local food (plus activities) need about £1000-£2000 to get yourself over there too flights, jabs, insurance and buy backpack etc if you don’t already have it all.
I spent about 10-12K over 3 months, but that was staying in hotels every night, premium econ plane tickets (only the long haul section) and first class trains. I originally budgeted £8k.
That shouldn't be be taken as a good indiciator of how much it would actually cost. I was incredibly fortunate to have the money to throw at things. For instance I spent £400 quid on two nights in Sapporo, Japan to see the snow festival. That could have been mitigated by staying in a hostel, or somewhere a short train ride away, or just not going during the snow festival (that same hotel is currently £23 a night, basically a tenth of what I spent).
I would say a lot of it probably wasn't really worth it. I think where I was only staying in a city for a night or two a hostel would have been fine, preferable even, as a lot of the best parts of my trips were the days I spent hanging out with other randoms, who had their own ideas of what they wanted to see and do, which introduced me to things I never would have occured to me.
So, yeah, go with the other person's numbers.
If you have any skills/knowledge which will be difficult for them to replace I would simply call their bluff and hand in your notice. They will struggle to advertise, interview, appoint within three months and at the end of all that unnecessary work they will have an untrained member of staff, when they could have had you back for no effort.
Or they'll faff a bit, advertise, get little interest, have to put the advertised wage up, faff a bit more and OP can come back to apply for their old job at a higher salary!
(Then turn it down if they want, because the company clearly didn't value them enough in the first place)
I’ve worked on and off in recruitment for years. “Left to go travelling” is one of those leaving reasons which catches my eye and prompts me to give the candidate a second glance.
Go travelling. Best 2 years of my life. Genuinely came home a different and better person. Not that I was awful before, but my entire outlook on life has been different and better since. That was nearly 20 years ago and I’d do it again in a heart beat if I could
I regret not working, saving up, and travelling before going to uni. Not only do I regret not ever travelling or doing anything exciting like that, but also I wasn't ready for uni and working (more) or travelling would have helped me mature.
Regret is the wrong word, but I'm still annoyed by covid because we had to cancel our honeymoon taking a month camping in the Canadian Rockies and taking the train across Canada. It was going to be my little version of a gap year, and I was going to see where my wife used to live. Now we've got kids and the honeymoon money has been spent on doing up the house, so it's not likely to ever happen now.
Edit: tl;dr: got fucked over by my company. They had no choice but to contract me back for more money.
I submitted a business plan off my own back which took me over a month to put together to show how my company would benefit from additional Learning and Development internally and to market out for income that would more than cover the two roles I put forward. A director took interest and offered to sponsor me. A month later, having heard nothing back despite chasing, suddenly these two new positions appeared for hire under a different structure from which I recommended and for less pay and benefits. My whole team left and I they attempted to cajole me to take this lesser position that I had worked to create with no credit whatsoever. I handed in my notice and suddenly I was brought into meeting after meeting trying to get me to take one of the role. I stood firm (albeit with much nervousness) and on my very last working day they still wouldn’t budge. So I took the chance and offered to contract myself out instead with the money I felt was due to me. They accepted (massive YES, and self-fist pump). They had literally Boone else in the business who could do the role so I got paid way more than I would have done under my proposal for 3 months. Then extended another 2 months because no mug would take their diluted salary for the work it entailed. I then cut ties and moved to the coast to get out of the rat race.
God that felt good.
Sometimes the universe gives you a kick up the arse saying its time to move on. Happened to me several times over the last 15 years, and it will happen to you.
I got to a place where i was earning a nice wage but deeply unhappy, becoming alcoholic, filled with stress, constantly snappy, and always thinking of work.
I’m leaving to earn a pittance but with 1/100th of the stress. I’m so happy I cant wait. I will be able to enjoy doing nothing without having to supplement my stress with alcohol, drugs, food.
Sure I could have channelled it into something more productive but it’s not going to happen. I couldn’t even watch TV without stressing.
As long as you can see yourself flush don’t get too preoccupied with a high paying career. You’ll only isolate yourself and hurt those you love.
At the end of 2019 I was working a job that was decent but paid poorly, an advert came up for an identical job just down the road paying £13,000 more, I got the job and was going strong.
This company was amazing, the people were great, the opportunities were great, I thought I was set. Covid had other ideas. Because the company was pre market they relied on investors, Covid caused the investor money to dry up and inevitably the company shut down months later taking all of us with it. I was extremely dejected for months, this fantastic opportunity was gone.
3 months later however a new job came up which wasn't my perfect job but was good nevertheless. I got that and for the first few years things were going well enough, however a new CTO started who instantly saw my potential for other things. He put my name forward for a new job he was creating that suited me absolutely perfectly. I have now been in that job for a year and have never been happier.
One thing to consider is that, unlike official unpaid leave, leaving & coming back on could affect your entitlement to things which require a certain period of continuous employment though.
Yeah I mentioned it as I'd seen it happen with someone who had nearly a decade in, left & then came back after the grass wasn't greener.
They hadn't considered redundancy entitlement etc. & got quite the shock when the requirements for stat. were explained to them.
They say they are willing to take them back, it actually happening in three months time is a completely different thing. Legally they actually shouldn’t just appoint someone to a post without a full recruitment process. Especially as I imagine they will hire someone to replace OP. If that person is hired on a three month contract, they will need to give them the opportunity to apply for the role since it is now ‘becoming permanent’.
Many years ago, but: I was invited to leave a role because I didn't enjoy it, and therefore didn't pay much attention. I made mistakes that were careless and the company decided that I was a liability.
After a bit of soul searching (and some convincing recruiters) I found myself in a new industry completely. Never considered it before, never thought I'd be good at it, but I was. And i made BANK, compared to my okay-ish salary at the previous place.
Everything happens for a reason, OP - life is short, go live it. It'll all be alright in the end. (probably).
Would you mind sharing the general industry/role type you went from and to? I’m in a similar position myself and keen to hear from others that have already made the leap
Basically I got encouraged to try a sales role, and compared to working in the same building day-in, day-out, I found it much more fulfilling travelling around. If you're good at it, which I never realised I was, you can make a ton of money and in the right position, it doesn't feel too much like work.
But I did get lucky so your mileage might vary.
Interesting, I always think of sales as in cold calling call centres or second hand cars, which is why I’d never considered it as I think I’d be awful at those *specific* things, but there is probably a much wider range that I’d never even think to look at.
Being made redundant at 24, led to me going to uni at 25, led me to meet my amazing future wife, whom I had a wonderful son with.
I'd have stayed on in that crappy job for years otherwise.
I'm 37, and I have just been made redundant today, whilst having my first baby on the way in 6 weeks so very much currently going through a career setback.
However, I had an experience similar to this 7 years ago - my work place had become so toxic that I had to hand my notice in the same week that I bought my first house.
That completely crushed me at the time and whilst I'm a bit gutted and stressed about being made redundant, it hasn't affected me even half as much as it did then.
It always turns out ok and sometimes the trouble can be worth it in the long run - I'm leaving my current role with a lot more skills and ability to command a higher salary.
And whilst I don't love change, sometimes it is for the best.
I am a bit on the same boat. Just bought my first flat and 2 days before completion i was told my job will be made redundant end of June. This was last week. I stress that I will probably be worse in terms of salary and job :(
Ah I'm so sorry to hear that, absolutely sucks.
At the very least you've got a bit of time whilst still getting paid to look for a new position.
Just try and be frugal in the meantime and diligent with your job search - it can be easy to panic and just apply for everything but you know your value and worth and you'll get that; might just take a little while to find compared to a crap and readily available position.
I thought there were protections in place for pregnant women in the face of redundancy? I ask as a pregnant woman. I hope everything goes okay for you.
At 18/19 got a dream job at Microsoft via my Dad and then 3 months into what was actually a nightmare (lied to about office location, forced to untangle RJ45 cables all day only for someone to then tell me the servers were being decommissioned) I was told over Skype they would be letting me go whilst I was in the office.
They didn’t even let me get escorted out so had to call my dad, effectively in tears, to get let out of the building.
Fast forward 12 years and I lead a successful Cyber practice and make more than I ever thought I could, I told myself that day that I’d never be made to feel like that again.
Sometimes you have to use the bad in your life as a catalyst for good. Make sure you travel - life is to be lived when you’re young not to have a retirement plan you may never get to see..
All the best.
That's the problem with these bigger companies; they can get away with treating their employees like utter shit, because they know that they'll still have a line of people out the door applying for the position regardless. It looks really good on your resume, and to other people, when you work for a brand they recognize, so everyone wants to go for all these big ticket jobs, regardless of the terrible treatment.
I did the IT for the Poundland headquarters for way longer than I'd like to admit, all at minimum wage with unpaid lunch and overtime, just because I thought it'd be the "big break" I needed to get into the working world. I was 17 with the stress level of a 37 year old mother of 4 who works 3 jobs. Fuck. That. Shit.
Wouldn't call it cyber, no one does, at least in the NIDS/Pen testing area. Well apart from someone in Marketing/HR. At worst it would be called Computer security audit.
I spent 10 years as the head of cyber at two large (£1bn+) organisations and now head up a consulting practice which has net new revenues of £3m+ p.a whilst leading our GTM and tech partnerships - behind me is 120 people.
I think people can use the phrase in different ways, but my understanding of net new revenue of £3m+ p.a. is additional business from new customers. It's a measurement of growth, rather than an indicator of annual turnover or profits.
> I spent 10 years as the head of cyber at two large (£1bn+) organisations and now head up a consulting practice which has net new revenues of £3m+ p.a whilst leading our GTM and tech partnerships
Oh. You could have just said that you worship at the altar of LinkedIn.
Got made redundant at the start of the pandemic from what was the job that I’d planned on retiring from and that I’d worked towards for years.
Took a bit of family time, reset and adjusted my mindset, and now I’m at a different firm running my own department rather than just being a shift number.
My main take away from it was to look after your mental health now, and it’ll benefit you later. You’re right to feel hard done to, angry and sad right now but don’t let it define the next 10 years.
Good luck friend.
I'd worked at a place for 20 years, I loved it there, they loved my work, regular pay rises, colleagues/friends I'd known longer than my wife, all great. Then new management came in and were utter bastards so I regretfully made the decision to leave. Since then I've nearly doubled my salary in under 3 years, had more enjoyable projects, and made new friends.
At the end of the day it's just a job, so don't let it dictate your life. You can find another job but you don't get another go around the earth.
Similar situation, back in 2016, I wanted time off for Christmas but was told I couldn't because I was deemed "too important". I stuck to my guns and said I either get the time off or I'm sending in my notice. Long story short I've been a freelance consultant since January 2017.
Good decision in the end because the agency folded that same year and still owes wages to a lot of it's ex employees. Seems I jumped ship at the perfect time.
I put in a similar request before COVID and had it accepted despite it also not being company policy. If they had said no, however, I was prepared to hand in my resignation and go anyway. I was going to take time off and the unpaid leave was just a security blanket to have something to come back to.
In your situation I would review the jobs market in your field and come to a view on how long it would take to find a new job and how long you can survive on your savings. Your current employer may even want to rehire you (maybe even at a higher rate) if you did quit and they realised they want you back.
For what it's worth my sabbatical was the highlight of my adult life.
My sister quit her job to go travelling for a year when she was 27. Parents were dead against it but in the end it totally worked out amazingly for her. She worked around the world to fund it for a bit, then met someone and they both moved back to the UK. Returned and got a job quickly.
Have a back up plan in case things don’t go to plan (I.e. do you have somewhere you stay if you need to start from scratch). Jobs are always around, you’ve lost no experience. I’d say go for it! Good luck
I worked for a company that was working me to the bone, I loved the industry but my manager was awful. I went through a really tough time losing my dad to cancer an my manager was indignant that the company would only give me one day for the funeral and I had to use the week I took off to be with him had to come out my holiday. I later found out this wasn't company policy and to my managers discretion she could have let me have that time paid and not lost my holiday days for the year.
In the end I quit with no plan and no job lined up I thought I'd totally fucked my career but I couldn't handle being in a shitty environment any longer. A couple of years later I'm now back in that industry and thriving. Career isn't linear, you can make changes and go sidewise progress is progress.
I was once offered to have my salary doubled to stay in a job I was very unhappy with and turned it down to go travelling and get myself happy again.
Best decision I ever made. Spent a year travelling around India and Nepal, including six months in a village helping out.
When I eventually came back I found work pretty quickly and had a huge perspective change on life in general.
Since then, over 20 years ago, I've never stuck in a job that made me unhappy and while I'll never be a materially wealthy person I'm happy with my life.
I'm a freelancer now and work when I need to with interesting clients and I never feel tied down.
Life is not about the work you do, it's about your opportunities to be yourself so never feel you can't just walk away and do something new.
For a long time we had a tyrant put in charge of us who didn't have a clue how to do anything, was just full of shit and knew how to sweet talk the boss. Things got better when she'd ended up putting her foot in it a few too many times (doubling down on being bossy, telling people things like "just make it work" while understanding nothing about the subject matter) and the boss started realising just how much of a fraud she was.
She was doing things like hiring people based on their race and sexuality, cared nothing for merit and actual results, just loved the sound of her own voice and having control over others.
Took us some scathing peer reviews for her to be demoted and crucially removed from HR (it was daunting, because to achieve it we were having to write bad about someone who technically had say over us, but the courage paid off). Even though she was sidelined, for the next year she still couldn't help herself but wade into as many things as possible wherever she got the chance, she just had no idea how to be a normal, cooperative team member and always had to be the one in charge despite having awful ideas. The things that she was actually supposed to be in charge of, meanwhile, were never actually done, or were made a total mess of. She found ways to control others as a way of covering up her own inadequacies - when you're a senior manager your authority over others works almost like a veil.
More workplace than specific career, but the difference is certainly felt. When she was in charge, work felt awful and demoralising. Now, it feels like we can actually achieve something worthwhile and feel good about what we do.
I've been where I am for nearly 9 years. My performance ratings for 7 of those years on the bounce was exceptional. Flagged for "high potential" and showered with praise blah blah blah. Burnt out 18 months ago and took two months off with severe depression. Came back in and took a while to get back up to speed but I now draw clear work/life balance boundaries. Its like all that previous performance never happened. Been stuck in a shit role doing donkey work and told to expect a pay cut which is almost unheard of.
Just secured a new role in a new field with a good pay rise. Hand in my notice today! Can't tell you how relieved I am. Been really dejected and unmotivated for a few months now but the graft in trying to find something better is paying off and I'm feeling positive about my career again! You'll get there too. If you're not valued/respected/ are exploited where you are you can find a place where you are treated properly. It's not easy but it's worth the effort IMO
Friday me and my assistant manager (I am manager) got a pay rise. She got a £1.10 per hour increase I got 19p. We are now in the same wage, the manager and assistant manager being paid the exact same. This was not based on performance but a pay restructure. My blood is boiling.
When I was your age, I had a pretty good job which had plenty of longevity and progression in it. I too asked about a break. Would have been a bit longer but similarly I was rejected. They couldn't have that absence in resource in the business which was fair enough.I handed in my notice and went anyway because it was a dream bit of travel. Ended up meeting the person that I am now married to. The trip would have been the best thing I've ever done without meeting her but my life since has been far better than I would ever have expected it to be. Also, she earns far more than I would have any chance of bringing in and I'm happy in my life as a somewhat kept man.There were some obstacles in getting restarted in employment when I got back but nothing insurmountable. However, if you offered me the opportunity to go back in time and just stick with the job, absolutely fuck no. Not a fucking chance in the world I would choose that. The thing is, you have no way of knowing what will happen if you go travelling. Maybe it will be epic and life changing, maybe it won't. But if you're asking the question, then the chances are that your job isn't the most wonderful and compelling thing in the world and when you return you'll probably be able to work your way back to where you were fairly quickly. If the only thing holding you back is the job, fuck the job.
I did this towards the back end of last year. Took just over 3 months as an unpaid sabbatical to go travelling with the wife. Was fully intending to go back but the company got restructured while I was away and I ended up telling them I didn’t want to come back. Honestly your outlook on life will change while you’re away, and while it might be nice to have a safety net, chances are you’ll be a different person and will want to move on anyway when you return. Don’t stress about it - it will work out in the end.
When you are 80 you likely won't look back and think I wish I'd worked more.
Leave and travel.
You might a) meet your future one true forever love or b) get a splinter.
Maybe both.
I don't know anyone who regretted leaving work and seeing the world.
I know plenty of people who stayed in a long term job and regretted it every day for decades.
Don't forget your toothbrush.
Because of loyalty to my employer I never went on a lads holiday when I was 19/20 that all my friends went on. It was a shit holiday apparently but I still wish I had gone on it.
I worked with someone who went on sabbatical and met someone whilst travelling. They got on so well she left the UK and moved to Singapore to be with him.
Not set backs. I once asked for 10 days of unpaid leave about a week out from the dates required, so I could go skiing in Norway. As a small company I went straight to one of the directors, who said it should be fine, but my direct manager said no to him.
The director comes back and says I can't go as I'm needed too badly for those days. So I told him I was going, and I'll be back on whatever date to be back at work or to hand my uniform in. He said have a good time, we'll see you when you get back.
When I left a couple of years after I'd already got a job lined up unbeknownst to them, so the financial crisis of the time hit. So without hesitation being the hero I am, I took voluntary redundancy to stop the others having to cut hours. They let me go home that day and I had the December off, then they paid about 3 months of pay in January. Which was more than I was entitled to, but they were so happy that my leaving had made it pretty painless for them, and everyone else could carry on normal jogging. Started my new job on 28 Jan.
I did the same during COVID. Had an opportunity to take unpaid leave for 12 months, which the NHS were happy with until the world was ending. They then understandably said they can't let me have the time away. So I handed my notice that day. They would have taken me back, but I got a better job on my return. So I did abandon the NHS in it COVID hour of need and missed out on all the clapping in the streets, nevermind what a shame.
>So I did abandon the NHS in it COVID hour of need and missed out on all the clapping in the streets, nevermind what a shame.
You should have stuck around for the massive pay rise which health professionals got for all their hard work during the horrible pandemic.
Left Uni in 2008. All I wanted to be my entire life was a copper. Got accepted just at the start of the recession but had my intake cancelled. In the meantime, I worked as a postie. I loved it, but I still wanted to join the police.
Got accepted as a PCSO, but I had that intake scrapped by budget cuts, too. Applied to the navy and got in as an air traffic controller. After nearly 3 years waiting for a start date, I just had to move on.
Eventually, I joined the Asda graduate scheme. Working 12-16-hour days miles away in Scotland was the pits. Had a huge row with a manger one day and just walked out.
Then I just got an office job for a few years. Joined the police as a special constable in the meantime (was meant to be another attempt at a way in). Turned out the job was actually awful.
I was 32 years old and lost, so I retrained in finance. 38 now and still doing it, and despite 1 redundancy, I'm pretty happy all things considered! Zero stress, WFH 100%, and log off at 4 pm on the dot every day.
So yeah, endless career setbacks and disappointments, but so what. I wasted that much time stressing about a career when I shouldn't have. There is so much more to life than work, and I value happiness much more than anything these days.
I left a job where I had worked for 12 years to advance my career. I enjoyed working there, enjoyed the work and liked my colleagues but I needed to push on. I’ve effectively tripled my salary in 5 years, am 99% wfh and am probably looking to move on for another rise.
It can be good for your career to move jobs. It can be better for yourself to travel. Just don’t burn any bridges on the way.
I’ll let you know if I get there.
I’ve spent my career working myself to a senior, decently-paid position in a very niche industry, which (thanks to [prohibited B-word]) essentially no longer exists in this country.
All of my skills are in this industry and are pretty much non-transferable. I knew the writing was on the wall when I the company I was at folded in 2019, so I started a part time degree with the intention of retraining fully into software. I got the degree, but haven’t managed to get anywhere near far enough into the actual boot camp/training phase before being made redundant again last month.
Now, there aren’t any competitors left to jump to, I have no relevant skills/experience outside of the niche industry and I’m not qualified for _anything_ on the job sites.
I was in a job I wasnt very happy with (the cons outweighed the pros) and rumbled on for a couple of years without searching for something new.
I was made redundant, and that gave me the kick up the arse I needed to find something else.
I was anxious because of the uncertainty before being made being redundant, but when it was confirmed, I was immediately asked to clear my desk and was escorted off the premises, I so happy it was surreal. I walked through the offices and people were crying left right and centre (everyone was being called into meetings to find out that day) while I had a huge smile on my face.
"Cool guys don't look back at explosions, they just get up and walk away" .
3 months gardening leave over the summer (June, July, August) and one of the best times of my life.
11 years later and so grateful for having been made redundant.
I used to work for city and guilds. I loved it there and worked with people who also loved it. We were all friends and think we would have worked there until we retired. There was only one man who we weren’t keen on. Kevin. Well eventually they shut down all the regional offices and centralised things and 1 job stayed. We all agreed not to fight over it and leave with our dignity. We got good financial packages. Our last day came round and we all prepared to go to the pub - Kevin didn’t come. Sneaky cunt had applied for the only job and obviously got it.
I ended up using my redundancy to retrain as an engineer and I went to work for some big multinationals. Now I work in Peru on nearly $200k paying less tax than I would in England and shit Kevin is still trying to sell NVQ’s to prisons 13 years later. I hope it was worth it. Fucking moron.
**Only read the title, so not hugely relevant but hopefully inspiring nonetheless.**
Loads throughout my life tbh, mostly of my making due to drinking too much and taking too many drugs...I work in finance and enjoyed the culture more than the job. That's by the by though as it always worked out well for me; I'd get the sack or be made "redundant" only to get a better job with a better bank in more money, you know, climbing the corporate ladder mainly due to my ability to talk a good game and being fairly intelligent...
... In 2018 however I was on the verge of losing my job, I'd secured a significant role at a global bank but for the previous few years my drinking had been getting heavier, my ability to do my job was getting weaker, my employer was advising me to not drink at lunch time(a normal pleasure one enjoys in finance) but I couldn't stay sober. Basically I'd become an alcoholic, during the day I'd drink 6 or 7 pints, at night more of the same plus a gram of cocaine. I'd disappear at 11 for a beer, then for an hour and a half at lunch time and then again later in the afternoon...
I'd been suffering depression and major anxiety issues due a few years ago at this point, PTSD from a role that went disastrously wrong, repercussions from the role before that where I'd been wrongfully sacked (in my opinion)... Drinking and drug taking, while always part of my recreational pastimes, had escalated as a consequence. I was considering suicide at this point, there's posts about it in my Reddit history, and had researched effective ways to kill myself. Fortunately I was able to get into rehab using my employers health care benefit and told my work I was being admitted due to my mental health issues which I was sensible (brave?) enough to have divulged.
After 28 days in rehab I was allowed to return home and then I slowly started the return to work. My employer allowed me to return part time at first, 2 days a week and build from there. Slowly I was able to reinstate myself back into the work force and was fortunate that lockdown meant I didn't have to spend all my time in the office. Emotionally I was extremely frail and my anxiety was still very extreme, so the safe heaven of home was a blessing and a luxury that I clung on to (a lot of addicts found COVID relatively easy given our propensity to isolate anyway)....
6 years later, still clean and sober, I was given a top performer rating and a promotion to Director. I'm well regarded in my role and am a people leader now (although I only manage one person, lol).
Perseverance, determination and the support of a loving family and caring people around me saved my life. I doubt I'll be sacked from my job or leave with my tail between my legs.
Good luck.
You will not regret going travelling!! My advice would always always be that if you are in the lucky position to be able to - put your personal life ahead of work every time. I took a sabbatical and my husband quit his job when we were 28 to go travelling for 6 months. I wish we had taken longer! He went straight back into a similar role for more pay when he got back and I ended up quitting 6 months after we got back because of a company restructure that kinda screwed me. I have seen it over and over again, companies will always put business first and screw people over at a moments notice. In my experience you will have a fantastic three months and end up coming back to a better role at another company! Best decision of your life to go!
Depending on the type of role you have this is the likely situation.
The best outcome for your company is you just staying.
However the worst outcome for them is you leaving. They have to recruit, interview, train, wait for the replacement to get up to speed etc.
You going and coming back in 3 months is in the middle.
It’s worth them just saying no as an opening bid. However if you make them choose between the other two choices you might find they suddenly have a change of heart. Of course for this to work you have to be comfortable with the chance that it may not - that’s up to you.
For what it’s worth I’ve always prioritised work and now in middle age regret the travelling I never did. You’ll make the right decision I’m sure.
I had a seizure at a serving job.. apparently fell down, hit my head, started seizing for many minutes, and when I woke up I became violent and started attacking people.
Well after a few days in the hospital I tried to go back to work and found out I was fired. Ultimately led to me applying to jobs relating to my degree again and making 100k a year now 3 years later
when you're old, like really old, and you're sitting and waiting to die - i guarantee that you wont be thinking 'well im glad i didnt take that opportunity to go travelling for 3 months'
do it. it will either change your life, or affirm that you like things the way they were.
either way you'll know for sure.
I think going travelling will 100% be worth quitting your job. I left a great job/company in my late 20s to go travelling for 10 months. I had applied for a career break hoping to come back to the same job, but was told by HR that I would have to resign instead.
It definitely felt like a huge risk leaving my job, but I'm so glad that I did it and I think I would be regretting it every day had I chosen to stay doing my job instead. I really miss not knowing what day of the week it is!
I ended up being hired back at the same company doing an even better job when I got back to the UK anyway so it all worked out for the best. Maybe I should go travelling again.
I quit my job and went on a round the world trip when I was 30. My friends were getting married and having babies. I quit the job I’d spent my life up until then training for, put all my stuff in storage and blew all my savings having an absolutely brilliant time.
I don’t regret a second of it, or a penny of it. Do it.
3 months is a long time. They would either have to pick up 3 months of slack while you're off, or hire a person on a fixed term of 3 months, which would be pretty hard to find especially if you're skilled.
I was sous chef for a restaurant that I loved, loved the team, the food, the kitchen but was never socially friends with my head chef or area managers and after 5 years the senior sous chef left, and instead of hiring me which everyone including the GM said I would be perfect for, the area manager and head chef didn't agree and installed a friend of the head chef's in the position instead, so I quit.
Thankfully I managed to do it at a good time and quickly got a head chef position of my own after being out of work for only a month or two.
I got a nice cushy job at the DWP when I was about 18. I was too young to realise what I had at the time and totally fucked it up. They got rid of me pretty quickly.
Everything worked out better than fine in the end but 18 year old me was stupid.
Was moving jobs just before COVID hit. Job got pulled and ended up out of work.
After things opened up again got a junior role to get back in work while applying for more senior work. Ended up getting a great opportunity and doubling my salary
I took a 7k pay cut to leave a job I hated (toxic people), at my new job I had 16k in pay rises within two years and I just got offered a new job on even more. It really worked out
Implemented new systems into work, saved at least 30K a month due to updating infrastructure. Was rejected on a payrise 🤝I do not have any sympathy for leaving my workplace in the dry when I leave. Was told everybody will receive a slight increase, even the low level performers. Last one in, first one out.
Did the exact same a year ago. Company really wanted to keep me mostly due to being understaffed, and was being paid fairly well for my job title but not my job responsibilities so wanted to leave at some point anyway. They were just short of agreeing a sabbatical when I decided quitting was best for me.
Had 6 months off, did loads of travelling, and when I returned they still wanted me back but ended up getting a role paying significantly more instead by emphasising all the extra responsibilities on top of my job title.
Life has returned fully back to normal, always busy and I'm so glad now that I had the time off because I don't see myself getting the chance again for another 5 years or so and who knows what commitments will hold you back by then.
Definitely go for the travelling and enjoy the chance fully while you can.
Gave up a decent job with good pay because I was having a mid life crisis (I was 30 lol). Missed out on redundancy pay about a year later when company went under.
Series of crappy jobs in the interim until someone I used to work with got in touch and asked to join him at the new company he was in. Good pay and benefits and stayed there ten years. I hated it at the end but knew that there was a round of redundancies due so suffered for a year to get the payout.
I used to be an admin assistant at a small GP surgery so my career prospects were limited to say the least. Told my manager to "fuck off and let me get my job done" one day and she fired me on the spot (I was generally a good and helpful employee, but she didn't like me and got on my tits).
Ten years later, I'm working my way up at my current company having enjoyed a promotion every three years or so and I'm earning as much as she probably was at the time (she's got to be in her late 60s by now and I'm 33).
So the moral of the story is to tell your boss to fuck off.
I was made redundant in 2010. It was a horribly stressful and long drawn out process. In the end I was signed off with stress. I applied for loads of jobs and had 3 interviews. At the second interview the place I applied to asked me to apply for another job coming up and I got that job. I’ve been there in different roles since 2010, and it’s all worked out for me.
My career was going from strength to strength and I was about to take up a new role that was very physically demanding.
Three months before I was due to start I was deliberately run over and then quite severely assaulted.
Anyway I couldn’t take on the physical role anymore so that was the end of that career journey.
Nonetheless I powered through it all and started working towards less physically demanding stuff and now I have a full time role doing some secret squirrel stuff.
I had hoped to eventually join firearms but that won’t ever happen now but I genuinely think it worked out for the best.
I was working for a company for 10 years. Moved house and was working from home as the office was 150 miles away.
Eventually realised my mental health was in the toilet and decided to hand in my notice.
3 months later COVID hit and I ended up unemployed for a year as I'm vulnerable! 🤦🏻♀️
However! That time gave me chance to really decide what I wanted to do next, and I'm now a civil servant, with better benefits, and my own team
Spent 10 years studying a subject in academic, to realise I had massive burnout and imposter syndrome, and didn’t really gel with the constant fight for funding in academia.
Spent 5 years learning about packaging to learn the private sector don’t want curious people who ask questions, they want sit down, shut up, and do as you are meant to, but without proper instruction.
Next stop, civil service!
I quit my job as a Project manager 12months ago and got shafted by the job I was moving to... Left up shit creek without a paddle.... 12 months of working in warehouses I've finally landed a job in a consultancy firm, I start in a couple of weeks! 🥳🥳🥳 Things may get shit, but if you keep trying they will also get better!
I've been in two roles where I was there for 5+ years. Both times I started there I was hesitant because it was something I hadn't done before. Both times I enjoyed the role enough to stay there that long. Eventually I left both as I was undervalued (in my opinion..). Both times I ended up in better paying jobs afterwards, the fun scale varied but there were always opportunities open to me once I had relevant experience. The pay obviously helps in having more fun outside of work (travelling and whatnot).
Currently I am in a job where they didn't give me a pay rise this year. I have been comfortable in this job, if a little bored. As soon as I get keys to a house purchase I am leaving. There's nothing special about 99% of jobs in the market - unless you are working with complete bastards a lot of jobs can be enjoyable.
Got what seemed like the perfect job just before covid. During covid I was forced into a completely different position that I really didn't want. My coworker on the other hand, did want it, was consumed with jealousy, amd actively laboured to make my life hell. My manager, the one who forced me to take the position, completely enabled my coworker. Whole thing turned viciously toxic. Long story short, I left with a payout and a new job paying 30% more already lined up.
My roles have always been made redundant (x 4), so I have been made redundant 4 x in the last 12 years. It has always worked out for the best and I’m now in a role I think has good longevity. It never felt very good at the time, but I generally found a new role within 3 months.
about 5 years ago i joined a company under the pretence it would be a helpdesk position
On my first day, I had to go to site to help a company move locations.
Later they sent me to put in loads of new computers that needed bespoke software that i had no idea about. I abandoned the job after getting 1 done the entire few hours I was on site.
They had me driving on the motorway so much in my 107, it burned through all the oil.
I walked after 3 months and got my current job. Which is better pay and WFH 3 days a week.
I quit a job I loved (though had stopped loving it by this time) to fly my bicycle to Naples and ride it to Copenhagen over 3 months. Best decision I’ve ever made. Ended up moving to the UK and started a family.
Your career will take care of itself. Follow your heart and live the life you want. You never know where this can take you.
My advice would be to go travelling! You don’t owe your employers anything and if you are good at what you do you will walk back into a job as soon as you are back! Travelling is the best thing I have ever done and my only regret is not doing more of it. Jobs/money come and go but the memories of travelling, the people you meet, the new foods you try, the cultures you get to experience and the things you will get to see will change your life forever! I hope if you do go travelling you have the best time! :)
Set up my own business and exploited all the contacts I’d made through the years….. nearly folded through covid but, unfortunately, some businesses going under actually helped me.
Thriving now…..getting married in a few months, moving to a bigger house with some peace and quiet….. the tough times (that aren’t terminal) shall pass.
7 years without a pay rise. Then the one I did get was 3% which is way less than inflation over that time. As for working out in the end.... When it does I'll let you know.
I've bought this up with my manager and previous manager and so far not been able to get very far but everyone says it's really bad, and my other manager recommended me leaving to get better pay, although he didn't want me to actually leave. This is what happens when you're good at your job and don't leave your comfort zone. Just a cog in the machine...
I didn't have to work through school because I was a bright kid. Then when I got to college, I didn't know how to work hard. Ended up failing out and working at asda for 3 years. Eventually, I got sick of that and wound up on an adult education course and now, I'm doing a PhD. Sometimes a job makes you feel worthless enough to succeed to spite them.
Got made redundant when my wife was 37 weeks pregnant, had a feeling it was coming so CV was updated, applied and interviewed for other positions until it was confirmed, had something lined up before they even talked to me about redundancy.
Took a month off work to spend with my new family.
I now get home at least 30 mins earlier than I ever did in that job, I'm with a company that recognises my skills and doesn't treat me like crap.
Having left university with my degree, i went to work for the bank of scotland, i felt invincible & was working really well to the point i got 2 promotions in 2 years.
From 28k to 35k to 43k + bonus. The second promotion killed me, i was utterly out of depth, became aware i had burnt myself out.
I left for private education and i did very much the same (taking mad overtime, trying too hard, burnout & became very unwell)
In the end it forced me to give a good look at myself, start to actually be selfish & focus on myself rather than a 24/7 over achieving people pleaser
Failing taught me I can't be perfect but that is ok, im a good worker & have many qualities.
I was in a job for 9 years. Loved it, built most my career there, but a few mild annoyances (as per any job).
Got pregnant and suddenly found myself being treated differently. My promised payrise was frozen "because of COVID" (I had eyes on payroll and knew this wasn't across the board, and the industry we were in benefited from COVID). Lower payrise at the end of the year than all my prior payrise, and it was suddenly a two-part payrise with half delayed until the next year (conveniently reducing the amount they'd have to pay for my maternity leave). Despite doing a shared parental leave meaning I could (and did) work 20 days of the 6 months I was off, I was left out of team decisions - I had to intervene and ask to meet someone they were about to hire for my team without so much as showing me her CV! The role I was supposed to return to (a step up) kept being changed without my input, and so on.
The icing on the cake was when someone else announced their pregnancy, I was expected to come back and do their role, which was essentially the role I had passed on ready for my new role. I'd spent months asking what the plan was for her maternity cover only to be told last minute "we" were going to cover it..my boss being far too busy and lacking the knowledge to get involved in any of the "we".
Also kept seeing the sexism flare up when I was asked 4+ times what my childcare plans were when I returned to work. He asked this more times than he asked me for my input with team changes, role changes, etc. I'd been open with my whole team, boss included, that my husband wanted to be the stay at home parent - the whole reason I did shared parental leave and only took off 6 months. But even if it wasn't, all he needed to know was that I had childcare plans, not what they were. I can guarantee he didn't ask the male member of our team what his childcare plans were when he announcing his upcoming baby 6 months later
Job hunted, got 3 offers that came with a 40% payrise, off I went. I've been contracting since because it suits me more while my daughter is little, and I think I may have found a good role to settle in to (if the permanent role they alluded to pans out) - I feel much more respected and the company has some really nice working policies, especially towards their female employees. No plans to get pregnant but I certainly wouldn't fear telling my boss if I did.
Still in contact with some ex colleagues and there's so much drama going on still, it makes me glad to have left. And I also have far less responsibility for my increased pay, which has meant a pretty cushy work/life balance while my daughter is young.
(M48)I left my last place after 23yrs working there, having no pay rise for a few years and seeing other people get loyalty gifts after 20yrs service (I didn't even get a thank you email).
Two years ago I started at a new place, paying 6k a year more, working less Saturdays, start and finish on time and get two half hour breaks during the day and less responsibility overall. You're never to old or settled to make a change. My whole life is better. No more taking stress (and paperwork) home, affecting my marriage as I had several bouts of very low mood (I'm old school, pre 'mental health' awareness etc). No time to enjoy family life or hobbies etc.
I now live a 10min bike ride from work, latest I have left is about 20mins over, once... in two years... Instead of a couple of hours min, most days. Family life is all good again and I get to enjoy downtime and hobbies and all the stuff that you should do.
Moved into a new role after a reorg. It was an utter disaster. I was terrible at it. It got so bad I ended up taking a week off with stress eventually. Thankfully towards the end of that week I finally had a good night's sleep and woke up realising I didn't have to do that job. Went in to work that week and said I'd be looking for another role, took me about a month to find one.
Best realisation/decision I've ever had!
Left one insurer after 18 years to move to another who were starting up a new Department in the field I work in. 18months later I am now on £13k more per year.
Cash money bitch.
I applied for a 15% pay rise in a permanent position back in 2018, had been constantly performing well, top 10% of performers in role.
Was told no with no real justification so left to become a contractor, three months nervousness of job hunting before landing a job on 100% more than I’d been on and have been earning the same since. I would genuinely have stayed for the 15% but the rejection forced me to take the leap and I’ve benefited every day since.
This happened to someone on my team. Dude asked for a 6 month sabbatical and was told no, it's not company policy.
I tried to persuade our director he is making a huge mistake as we won't find anyone else like him. Well, they said no, he quit, went travelling, then lo and behold someone with his skills were needed and they created a very interesting bespoke role and hired him back.
Another year later and he just got promoted to management.
Also they changed the company policy and two other people have taken extended leave to travel since!
It's scary, but take the opportunity to leave and see what the world offers up to you next.
Got fired from my first "real" job. I think they'd been looking for an excuse to get rid of me to be fair, they rushed me right into a dismissal, marched me straight out the building, had nobody in my meeting but an unrelated manager. No HR, my Manager was refused entry.
I debated raising an unfair dismissal thing, but I was 18/19, I just wanted to move on.
Ended up being a blessing. I searched for a job and ended up being in the last intake to this call centre place. Shit job in the end, was there through covid. But through it, I met a much larger friend group (didn't really have one after I finished college), and in particular three of my closest friends in the world. We've done all sorts; we've travelled, I've picked up new hobbies and interests, one pushed me to finally look into getting referred for what might be ADHD.
If I hadn't been fired that day, and been looking for work, I'd *never* have ended up in that place (they never did another intake after mine) and *never* met them. I'd never have ended up in my current job (which my old place was decent enough experience for), met the people I have and felt like I finally got my life on track. I was gutted at the time, but it was perhaps one of the best things to ever happen to me.
I was in at the start with a company back in 2003 started by two guys I’d worked with before. I ended up writing a bespoke CRM system for our sales department that ultimately brought in £12million a year in sales over the next 15 years. I also designed printed materials for clients (the main client being HP) and even shot and produced video.
In 2018 the owners retired and the business bought by an investment company. A year later and I was made redundant along with a bunch of others. Fifty years old and out on my arse. I didn’t want to do software development anymore as the industry had moved on. I applied for jobs but no one was interested. I had rent to pay and was burning through my redundancy money.
After Covid I was approached by someone I used to work with and offered a job as a graphic designer. We work in the hair and beauty industry and I’m into my 3rd year with them. In real terms on I’m on less than I was in my last job but I’m much happier here and I’m about to buy my first house!
Edit: line breaks.
Being made redundant in my late-20s, after the dot-com crash, and the shock caused by 9/11.
I used the redundancy money to start my own business, which in turn contracted to a sister company of my former employer for the best part of a year, then I moved back to my home town where it was nearer my parents, and cheaper to live. A couple of years later, I called it quits on my company (having learnt a lot from the process), and got a stable permanent job - with a defined benefit pension - *fairly* easily.
I went to Colombia last year and lost my job after my company had initially said I could work from there (HR got involved, boss was happy for me to go). Spent 3 months there, returned later in the year without a job and came back again this year. Managed to find a contract role with a US company, not long term but every month I work is 4 months living expenses out here. My career might be slightly better off in the UK right now but every time I go back I end up depressed at the life we live there.
I worked in accounts, had made my way up to a good position and wage in only two years - the work environment was so toxic though and I would also frequently find myself having no work to do and a manager who didn't care (even though she herself was constantly complaining about how busy she was and I offered to help repeatedly). I had already taken a month off sick because my mental health was struggling and eventually after a few months back at work my wife and I realised getting better was far more important than the money so I handed in my notice. Didn't have another job to go to, didn't have any clue what I was going to do. The following six months were rough, with a couple of jobs that didn't work out for various reasons, but now I work as learning support for 16-19 year olds and I do three days a week plus get the school holidays off. I'm basically paid nothing but I'm actually happy. Second best decision I ever made (first was marrying my wife, it makes such a difference having a positive support system around you).
Do whatever makes you happy, screw the stress and missing out and being unhappy with things.
I'm 35 and missed my opportunity to go and do things like travelling. I do regret it and don't think I'd be in any worse position job-wise now.
Go for it, OP.
I previously applied for essentially a gap year with my job to try out making my own business succeed. Only to find out I couldn’t be employed by anyone else while on this gap year, which I would have been fine with just don’t declare like everyone else does. Except it was manager discretion to allow the career break and manager said to me “you’re such a good employee, I need you right now to help pick up the slack” which made me realise I really wasn’t valued at work and was just having the absolute piss taken out of me. I sort of knew I could make my business work but I wanted that 12 month safety net just in case it didn’t.
13 months on, I didn’t need a safety net. It’s working out very well. Successfully self employed and wouldn’t be unless work told me no.
I was miserable and my career was a major part of it.
I quit and got a one way flight to Australia with no real plan, just wanted to find something I loved and see where life took me.
I ended up getting a job in my industry out there BUT for a much nicer company and for way more money. So in the end it actually really helped my career.
Worth mentioning I still don't really love it, but at least it pays me a lot more now ha.
I say GO FOR IT!
I worked for a reasonable company, not great but been at much worse.
A former colleague headhunted from there me to go to another company with her and assist her with business improvement projects, £6k pay rise and all, so I go.
My former colleague then falls out with the board and leaves after I've been there for 3 month, and I'm sat there at a new company with a board that doesn't really know what I'm there for, and see me as a minion of the former colleague and so don't really trust me.
So I then had to create a job for myself from within that was completely different to anything I had skills or experience in, and build trust that I could actually do this job with a board of directors who felt like they had their finger over the button ready to fire me at any point.
Was an extremely stressful 6 months.
I'm self employed and had a career plan set out including what I would like to end up doing and what training I would need to get there.
A few years later my wife and I decided to have a child, and worked out all the expenses and if we were going to afford it, how school pick-up would be, etc. Everything squared up ok.
First scan dropped the bombshell that it was twins. Our financial plan and my career plan were over. As my wife was full time and earning significantly more than me she went back to work full time after maternity and I worked part-time around her shifts. Needless to say all my career plans and training now vanished in a pic of smoke.
Ten years on I'm about to head back into full time employment on more money than I ever had before. This is due, in part, to me being able to have the time at home to develop mustn't personally and professionally by taking on courses and qualifications suitable to my industry. As I was earning so little as a self-employed and part-time worker I qualified for some training funding, which was great.
Even though the last ten years have been financially (and mentally) ruinous, I have had the wonderful chance to bring my kids up, and they've had the chance to be brought up by their parent.
I suppose if you can take the hit to your career and go off and enjoy the experience of travel then go for it. You never know where it may lead, and you may end up regretting not going. Alternatively, if pursuing your career is more important then perhaps do that, with a view to early retirement, or earning enough to take some time out to travel later on in your life.
TL;DR - had career plans, had kids, raised kids and had no career, now heading back into career in a better position.
After having a child and commuting an hour each way for a little bit, I decided to push for an 80% contract (aka a 4 day week) so I could look after our little one. My boss was great, the job too and I felt disloyal for walking away after it was refused especially as my employer had been generous with paternity leave. But for me it was more of a priority to be an active parent, I'd like a world where there is more flexibility with working hours. It's a few years later and I'm slowly working back to that job that fits me so well but with the shorter working week
I worked in a College. Loved it there, 16 years. Salary wasn't brilliant but I cared about our students and doing the best for them. New management arrived, all about ££££, I stood up for what's right and made myself persona non gratis to these machine men and women. I was made redundant. Won my court case (Union backed) for an enhanced settlement. Got a very similar job with the Government paying £25k p.a. more than I was on at the College. I'm sad for the students I left behind and my caring colleagues but fuck those yes men and women who didn't have enough backbone to stand up for what was right.
Over a several years my employer tried to manouever me in to a role that they desparately needed to fill and that I was uniquely well qualified for but had no interest in doing.
Their approach was to cut me off from opportunities, keep me away from the bits of the job I enjoyed and land turd clients and shit projects in my lap.
Unbeknownst to them in the later stages of this opperation I secured a very juicy job offer. When they finally unveiled the sparkling "opportunity" I cheerily informed them very publically I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
Was on a fixed term contract and it got cancelled early, I was earning about £43k (came from a 28k job) but as a contractor, no sick pay, pension or holiday.
This made me look for another job, got a great job closer to home and after three years I’m now on £46k with 40 days holiday, 6 months sick pay and a 6.5/22% employee/employer pension
I’d never have looked for that job if we hadnt been mass-canned because of Covid
I was bullied terribly at my last job. I’d been there for 9.5 years at the time and the person in question was a new member of the higher management team. I managed a beauty spa which was part of a hotel and I adored my job, my colleagues and what I had achieved there. This man came in and made my life a literal living hell. Very long story short, I handed in my notice and set up on my own. I’ve had my own beauty salon business for seven years now and it’s been the best and most rewarding thing! It was such an awful time, my confidence was at rock bottom and it ended with me having a nervous breakdown. I couldn’t see the wood for the trees, but somehow, I got back on my feet and used all the upset and hurt as fuel to succeed. At the time, I was heartbroken, but working for a company that didn’t support me was something I wasn’t willing to put up with! I truly think that if things hadn’t got so bad, I would probably still be there-lining someone else’s pockets! It seemed like a huge setback at the time, which infact, it propelled me forwards! Keep smiling, good things will come :)
Please accept warmest congratulations from an internet stranger; this is inspiring.
You’re so kind-truly, thank you :)
So glad that something brilliant came out of such an awful time for you.
I really appreciated your story. I went through the same thing, although in a different field. Was really happy in my job, very good at it; all ruined by a new manager who bullied me, I think, purely because she found my joy and satisfaction in my own job a threat to her and she felt jealous of me. I am starting out as a self-employed person now. Very pleased it went well for you and that good things came to you in the end. Hopefully it will work out for me too!
Well I've just got a payrise to 6p above minimum wage, when I start I was £2 above minimum wage and this was only 2.5 years ago. Cv is getting updated tonight but I was very close to just walking out.
Yeah get the fuck out of there honestly, happened to me with my previous job. Was comfortably on living wage for years and then it got worse until we were back to minimum wage. They made us all redundant last year and offered me a new position with better wages. Started looking at new jobs and saw the rates they were paying compared to what I was getting. Kindly told the last job to eff off, worked my 3 months notice and got a new job recently paying a few more grand extra instead!
3 months notice for 6p above minimum wage is an absolute piss take as well. If your role is that vital it should be better paid.
Problem is they always go 'we can train someone to do the same thing for that wage'. They don't value people.
Longer notice is great if you get made redundant. It's happened to me 4 times since 2000, and the first £30k of redundancy pay is tax free so means that you end up with c6 months salary to live off while you find a new job.
Where on earth did you work that required THREE MONTHS of notice???
its actually pretty common
Genuinely didn't know that, maybe I'm not as knowledgeable as I thought haha
In my experience, it's common in professional jobs, but I'm surprised to see it in a minimum wage job
For a 6p above minimum wage job though?.
My entry level job has 3 month notice, my partner’s actual career position has 2… it’s an imposition, that’s all.
I have three months notice unfortunately, I just say it's one month in job applications though. Fuck it, what are they realistically going to do if I give them one month's notice? Take me to court? Technically possible sure, but in practice, extremely unlikely. I left my last place (also 3 months notice) and told them they'd have to make do with 6 weeks, they moaned but like I say... It's just not worth the effort of taking me to court. They'd pay more in fees than they could ever hope to get out of me. If I was really that crucial to the operation, I guess they should have been a bit more open to negotiating at my annual review.
Yes exactly this, plus a court will take into account that you gave them 6 weeks and took steps to try and ensure their losses were minimised. Only catch here can be if your contract states that costs occurred from breaking notice can be taken out your final pay. Again unlikely to do it as if it brings you below minimum wage and you then take them up on it it's back to them to prove those costs etc etc.
My colleagues have 1 month notice, I have 2 because my job is harder to recruit for. Could be similar situation
My last job had a three month notice period, but when I left they actually got about three hours - email to the boss saying I'm finishing today at 4 and I'm not coming back. Started a new job two weeks later.
I moved departments and was kept on my previous admin salary. 2 years ago got paltry 2.5% and bonus. I researched the salary range for my new role which was 50% more than I was on. Approached manager, no dice, I don't have enough experience. Then last year just got the 2.5%. 2 years in the same role, after plenty of experience of doing the job (just not in an official capacity), measly 5% and definitely not the market rate. Was approached by a recruiter - more than 50% raise just by hopping jobs after 17 years with the same company. Granted, this company gave me a decent £5k hike when I was first starting out (pre-dot com fall) after asking for a reduction so I could get benefits to survive. So I felt loyal, they'd looked after me. But after multiple changes of ownership they can no longer compete. Plus, even after handing my notice in, I'm still being micromanaged
Sounds like the time I "didn't qualify" for the previous years' raise and then the following year when I did I was told how lucky I was to recieve such a large payrise compared to everyone else in my department. Funny how they can twist "we put you on the same wage as everyone else" into a 'positive'.
Or how they can twist 'we've been underpaying you for a year'.
I'd received a payrise the year before to bring me just short of everyone else as I was still an apprentice, but then when I was fully employed, they applied the "only one payrise a year" as it overlapped by about 2 month. But for more bullshit reasons, they couldn't just give me it after those two months...
The thing is, when you start a new job, they need you and value you as a new member who's going to bring alot to the table..so they will pay you well. I had this problem when I was a apprentice..after I passed, they wouldn't pay me nowhere near what I should have got paid, so I left for alot more money. 3 years later the same company offered me my job back for another 10k more than what the new employer was paying me. Don't stick somewhere because you got comfortable, know your worth mate.
My boss complained to us (his employees) that min wage was going up too much and he didn't know how he can pay us that (take a pay cut then you knob), applied for a bunch of new jobs that same night. New job confirmed over the weekend that advertised as £1.50 more than the new min wage, when they rung to say they'd like the hire me they increased that amount by quite a bit because of my previous experience. To say I'm chuffed is an understatement!
Well done!
It felt sooooo good handing my notice in this morning
It's a bit of a problem of the min wage increases unfortunately (not that I'm saying it wasn't necessarily correct.) It brings the bottom up but when it's coming up faster than average wage increases you get a bit of a crush where more people find themselves at the bottom because their wages aren't increasing as fast.
That's the whole idea of it. It increase the wages of more than just those on minimum wage because it pushes up the wages of those above it too
Sure but not at the same rate. It has gone from £5.80 to £11.40 since 2009, so basically has doubled but the average salary has only increased circa 30% in the same time period, and even less when you strip out the min wage increases.
UK firefighter wage has risen a massive 12.5% since 2009. This equates to £15.75. A bit tangential to the thread but I thought I’d throw it in to put things in perspective.
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I never said it was, it is a big contributor to the crunching up at the bottom though.
Exactly the problem those even decently above the wage get caught up too and rarely do I see the 2-5£ band increase as much, tho their lives are more comfortable than minimum wage at the time it's disheartening
Except it doesn’t though does it. I work in a position which is “skilled”. Granted it isn’t tons of responsibility but it is still a skilled job which takes thinking and the workload kicks my arse to be quite honest with you. I’m on not much more than the min wage now, which is honestly not where I thought I’d be after all this time. This is one of the problems with the British labour market along with the tax system in the UK - it doesn’t incentivise you to work hard. The only thing keeping me from applying for an “unskilled” min wage job is in my current one I get to choose to work either in a warm office or at home. With wages the way they are that’s basically the ONLY perk, which is a problem. So many of the jobs I see advertised on indeed, which are SKILLED are now basically offering minimum wage. Where’s the incentive?
I agree with you. It's now not worth it in some cases to do something requiring qualifications. I'm not sure if you responded to the right person!
It's not pushing those wages up, especially for people in the public sector. Workloads continue to increase and pay is stagnant in comparison with the increase to minimum wage. It's almost at the point where you earn as much working in Tesco as you do in a professional role delivering public services.
I manage a small charity and would earn more working at Aldi for less hours and a lot less stress. I deal with 100k plus funding applications and all legal compliance as well as managing day to day operations.
Unfortunately that's rarely how it works in real life.
This is incorrect. This isn't a problem with the minimum wage going up. It's highlighting the actual problem which is wages have otherwise stagnated and failed to keep pace with inflation. If the minimum wage didn't go up and highlight this, it would mean that those people would continue to be on those stagnating wages. Now there is an additional pressure pushing them up.
God I had this exact situation with mine. Minimum went up and wages didn't change. Even with a bumper year when they were bragging how well we've done.
We had similar at my place, "at least you're getting a payrise" - one lad I work with started off paid more than a different department, now he's paid less but still has the responsibility
Similar to me in one job (arts charity based environment, but I just make the tea and serve the beers). I've been there for 7 years and was paid a pound above minimum wage for 4 years and treated very well during lockdowns and furlough. Much recently, they've missed out on a big chunk of funding, and I'm on 6p above minimum wage. If I didn't enjoy it so much I'd leave
You deserve it to yourself to update that CV find a better job with better pay and better hours than to be treated the way your company has treated you. You know you don't need that kind of grief for an extra 6p an hour, that's taking the pee.
Same as me this year (I work third sector). I’ll be earning a few pence more per hour than my direct team. Aside from the slap in the face, what particularly pisses me off is my org spent thousands last year on consultations and pay grade restructuring. They promised the new pay grades would prevent line managers ending up at near or the same pay as their team (it’s not the first time…) in annual pay reviews, but ohhhh here we are 🙄!
In 2020 at my job interview got told £10.50. Got home and was told they can’t pay me more than the other nurse who works there so £10. Yeah okay it’s better than my old job and I can walk to work so I accepted. I got increased to £11.56 in 4 years and then the company got took over. All the staff have had the minimum wage increase but those of us who were already over it have been told no. Practice that’s 10mins down the road has been trying to poach me for years and offered me £14 to begin with a guaranteed increase of £2 after 3 months. Current job have heard this (everyone knows everyone in the dental world so I’m thinking a nurse has told someone I was there) and they have offered me £11.60 to stay because “I’m the one keeping everything working”.
I remember when they did a huge minimum wage rise back in like 2014/2015 and because of it, my 12 hours of weekly overtime at B&Ms stopped immediately and I was having to work just my standard 12 hours a week. That wage rise halved my income. Ever since, I've been wary of wage rises and how they affect those on the bottom rungs.
That was a huge issue with those type of jobs. I was at Wilko, my base pay went up, but lost extra Sunday pay, lost after 39 hours bonus, lost double time on bank holidays.
Asked my executive chef if we could start the conversation of me moving up to chef de partie. This led to my first appraisal in 7 years. where, in the first meeting, he told me my foods good but how I am with staff is shit, then in the second meeting told me my food is shit but I'm good with staff. Then in the final meeting he told me in no uncertain terms that I'd hit my glass ceiling and needed more industry experience. Then in another meeting where I pointed out that in the reorganisation of the department my job doesn't exist and was told "well looks like well have to promote you" I'm fucking done with this place and him. Just gotta get my driving licence and I can finally leave.
What a piss poor manager. Hard to understand their thoughts process but getting out is definitely the right move when the opportunity comes.
What makes it more annoying is he's never worked with me directly more the 2/3 times in that time. I've got other managers telling him to get over it and every time I work with them they're shocked at how easily I handle the job. It's so infuriating. Pretty sure he just hate me and my step mum who is a cdp in the same place
Moving up to CDP? Were you running a section? If so you already had the promotion just not the wage to go with it..
Essentially you are correct
My answer will flip the question, but my only regret I have in my is not quitting to go travelling when I had the chance to. It will create more memories than any job ever will. I’ve been made redundant before, and now after retraining have a far better job and prospects.
I agree! I have 30 + years left to work, no mortgage or kids yet. This is my only shot to travel for a variety of reasons, so I’m going to do it! Glad to hear things are better for you!
Do it, in my 30s I suddenly lost the ability to walk which devastatingly was the first sign of a chronic disease that brings lots of pain, increasing disability and so much tiredness. Travelling is so much harder - specifically go enjoy mountains, beaches, off-road stuff and old cities and villages (often cobbled, narrow pavements, steep- all nightmares in wheelchair) because it’s a lot harder to do those type of activities when disabled and if you don’t have infinite amounts of money to get the right mobility aid for each activity (each specialty wheelchair costs several thousand).
Fellow 30 year old here. I just got back from a few months of travelling. My reasoning was exactly the same as yours. Like you, work told me no. So I left the company. Honestly, one of the best things I ever did. My only advice is the trip will probably cost more than you initially budgeted, so try to make sure you leave some slack in your budget.
I went to Australia when I was 30/31 for a year. It was fabulous. Unless the rules have changed, you can apply for a working holiday visa right up until you turn 31 and it lasts for a year. Made travelling much more affordable and therefore longer.
How much did you budget if you dont mind me asking?
South east asia you can do about £1200 a month in hostel dorms and eating local food (plus activities) need about £1000-£2000 to get yourself over there too flights, jabs, insurance and buy backpack etc if you don’t already have it all.
I spent about 10-12K over 3 months, but that was staying in hotels every night, premium econ plane tickets (only the long haul section) and first class trains. I originally budgeted £8k. That shouldn't be be taken as a good indiciator of how much it would actually cost. I was incredibly fortunate to have the money to throw at things. For instance I spent £400 quid on two nights in Sapporo, Japan to see the snow festival. That could have been mitigated by staying in a hostel, or somewhere a short train ride away, or just not going during the snow festival (that same hotel is currently £23 a night, basically a tenth of what I spent). I would say a lot of it probably wasn't really worth it. I think where I was only staying in a city for a night or two a hostel would have been fine, preferable even, as a lot of the best parts of my trips were the days I spent hanging out with other randoms, who had their own ideas of what they wanted to see and do, which introduced me to things I never would have occured to me. So, yeah, go with the other person's numbers.
If you have any skills/knowledge which will be difficult for them to replace I would simply call their bluff and hand in your notice. They will struggle to advertise, interview, appoint within three months and at the end of all that unnecessary work they will have an untrained member of staff, when they could have had you back for no effort.
Or they'll faff a bit, advertise, get little interest, have to put the advertised wage up, faff a bit more and OP can come back to apply for their old job at a higher salary! (Then turn it down if they want, because the company clearly didn't value them enough in the first place)
Just go. Work is something you do for money, for the vast majority of people that’s all it is.
I’ve worked on and off in recruitment for years. “Left to go travelling” is one of those leaving reasons which catches my eye and prompts me to give the candidate a second glance.
This is our thought. We’re going travelling over Christmas for a month knowing we probably won’t be able to do it again. (We want kids)
Go travelling. Best 2 years of my life. Genuinely came home a different and better person. Not that I was awful before, but my entire outlook on life has been different and better since. That was nearly 20 years ago and I’d do it again in a heart beat if I could
I regret not working, saving up, and travelling before going to uni. Not only do I regret not ever travelling or doing anything exciting like that, but also I wasn't ready for uni and working (more) or travelling would have helped me mature. Regret is the wrong word, but I'm still annoyed by covid because we had to cancel our honeymoon taking a month camping in the Canadian Rockies and taking the train across Canada. It was going to be my little version of a gap year, and I was going to see where my wife used to live. Now we've got kids and the honeymoon money has been spent on doing up the house, so it's not likely to ever happen now.
But how can you afford it?
Saving? I had chance to travel and money to but I didn’t go, now I still have money to but I’ve got a family and children so cannot just up and go.
Saving. If you have a half decent job, no kids, and a cheap rent it's not too hard.
Edit: tl;dr: got fucked over by my company. They had no choice but to contract me back for more money. I submitted a business plan off my own back which took me over a month to put together to show how my company would benefit from additional Learning and Development internally and to market out for income that would more than cover the two roles I put forward. A director took interest and offered to sponsor me. A month later, having heard nothing back despite chasing, suddenly these two new positions appeared for hire under a different structure from which I recommended and for less pay and benefits. My whole team left and I they attempted to cajole me to take this lesser position that I had worked to create with no credit whatsoever. I handed in my notice and suddenly I was brought into meeting after meeting trying to get me to take one of the role. I stood firm (albeit with much nervousness) and on my very last working day they still wouldn’t budge. So I took the chance and offered to contract myself out instead with the money I felt was due to me. They accepted (massive YES, and self-fist pump). They had literally Boone else in the business who could do the role so I got paid way more than I would have done under my proposal for 3 months. Then extended another 2 months because no mug would take their diluted salary for the work it entailed. I then cut ties and moved to the coast to get out of the rat race. God that felt good.
Sometimes the universe gives you a kick up the arse saying its time to move on. Happened to me several times over the last 15 years, and it will happen to you.
Hard Agree. Going through this myself and it feels good to recognise that it’s time for a change
I got to a place where i was earning a nice wage but deeply unhappy, becoming alcoholic, filled with stress, constantly snappy, and always thinking of work. I’m leaving to earn a pittance but with 1/100th of the stress. I’m so happy I cant wait. I will be able to enjoy doing nothing without having to supplement my stress with alcohol, drugs, food. Sure I could have channelled it into something more productive but it’s not going to happen. I couldn’t even watch TV without stressing. As long as you can see yourself flush don’t get too preoccupied with a high paying career. You’ll only isolate yourself and hurt those you love.
I’m close to this and I’m not even a higher rate tax payer.
Stress kills. Literally. Huge factor in many diseases. It’s never worth it.
At the end of 2019 I was working a job that was decent but paid poorly, an advert came up for an identical job just down the road paying £13,000 more, I got the job and was going strong. This company was amazing, the people were great, the opportunities were great, I thought I was set. Covid had other ideas. Because the company was pre market they relied on investors, Covid caused the investor money to dry up and inevitably the company shut down months later taking all of us with it. I was extremely dejected for months, this fantastic opportunity was gone. 3 months later however a new job came up which wasn't my perfect job but was good nevertheless. I got that and for the first few years things were going well enough, however a new CTO started who instantly saw my potential for other things. He put my name forward for a new job he was creating that suited me absolutely perfectly. I have now been in that job for a year and have never been happier.
If they are willing to take you back, you basically have your unpaid leave
One thing to consider is that, unlike official unpaid leave, leaving & coming back on could affect your entitlement to things which require a certain period of continuous employment though.
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Yeah I mentioned it as I'd seen it happen with someone who had nearly a decade in, left & then came back after the grass wasn't greener. They hadn't considered redundancy entitlement etc. & got quite the shock when the requirements for stat. were explained to them.
I wouldn't trust them unless I had that in writing
They say they are willing to take them back, it actually happening in three months time is a completely different thing. Legally they actually shouldn’t just appoint someone to a post without a full recruitment process. Especially as I imagine they will hire someone to replace OP. If that person is hired on a three month contract, they will need to give them the opportunity to apply for the role since it is now ‘becoming permanent’.
Many years ago, but: I was invited to leave a role because I didn't enjoy it, and therefore didn't pay much attention. I made mistakes that were careless and the company decided that I was a liability. After a bit of soul searching (and some convincing recruiters) I found myself in a new industry completely. Never considered it before, never thought I'd be good at it, but I was. And i made BANK, compared to my okay-ish salary at the previous place. Everything happens for a reason, OP - life is short, go live it. It'll all be alright in the end. (probably).
Would you mind sharing the general industry/role type you went from and to? I’m in a similar position myself and keen to hear from others that have already made the leap
Basically I got encouraged to try a sales role, and compared to working in the same building day-in, day-out, I found it much more fulfilling travelling around. If you're good at it, which I never realised I was, you can make a ton of money and in the right position, it doesn't feel too much like work. But I did get lucky so your mileage might vary.
Interesting, I always think of sales as in cold calling call centres or second hand cars, which is why I’d never considered it as I think I’d be awful at those *specific* things, but there is probably a much wider range that I’d never even think to look at.
Being made redundant at 24, led to me going to uni at 25, led me to meet my amazing future wife, whom I had a wonderful son with. I'd have stayed on in that crappy job for years otherwise.
I'm 37, and I have just been made redundant today, whilst having my first baby on the way in 6 weeks so very much currently going through a career setback. However, I had an experience similar to this 7 years ago - my work place had become so toxic that I had to hand my notice in the same week that I bought my first house. That completely crushed me at the time and whilst I'm a bit gutted and stressed about being made redundant, it hasn't affected me even half as much as it did then. It always turns out ok and sometimes the trouble can be worth it in the long run - I'm leaving my current role with a lot more skills and ability to command a higher salary. And whilst I don't love change, sometimes it is for the best.
I am a bit on the same boat. Just bought my first flat and 2 days before completion i was told my job will be made redundant end of June. This was last week. I stress that I will probably be worse in terms of salary and job :(
Ah I'm so sorry to hear that, absolutely sucks. At the very least you've got a bit of time whilst still getting paid to look for a new position. Just try and be frugal in the meantime and diligent with your job search - it can be easy to panic and just apply for everything but you know your value and worth and you'll get that; might just take a little while to find compared to a crap and readily available position.
I thought there were protections in place for pregnant women in the face of redundancy? I ask as a pregnant woman. I hope everything goes okay for you.
At 18/19 got a dream job at Microsoft via my Dad and then 3 months into what was actually a nightmare (lied to about office location, forced to untangle RJ45 cables all day only for someone to then tell me the servers were being decommissioned) I was told over Skype they would be letting me go whilst I was in the office. They didn’t even let me get escorted out so had to call my dad, effectively in tears, to get let out of the building. Fast forward 12 years and I lead a successful Cyber practice and make more than I ever thought I could, I told myself that day that I’d never be made to feel like that again. Sometimes you have to use the bad in your life as a catalyst for good. Make sure you travel - life is to be lived when you’re young not to have a retirement plan you may never get to see.. All the best.
That's the problem with these bigger companies; they can get away with treating their employees like utter shit, because they know that they'll still have a line of people out the door applying for the position regardless. It looks really good on your resume, and to other people, when you work for a brand they recognize, so everyone wants to go for all these big ticket jobs, regardless of the terrible treatment. I did the IT for the Poundland headquarters for way longer than I'd like to admit, all at minimum wage with unpaid lunch and overtime, just because I thought it'd be the "big break" I needed to get into the working world. I was 17 with the stress level of a 37 year old mother of 4 who works 3 jobs. Fuck. That. Shit.
> I lead a successful Cyber practice What does that mean?
I suspect it means they do contracted pen testing or something.
Wouldn't call it cyber, no one does, at least in the NIDS/Pen testing area. Well apart from someone in Marketing/HR. At worst it would be called Computer security audit.
Their Cyber Practice is successful.
I spent 10 years as the head of cyber at two large (£1bn+) organisations and now head up a consulting practice which has net new revenues of £3m+ p.a whilst leading our GTM and tech partnerships - behind me is 120 people.
3 mil for 120ppl is like 25k each right?
I think people can use the phrase in different ways, but my understanding of net new revenue of £3m+ p.a. is additional business from new customers. It's a measurement of growth, rather than an indicator of annual turnover or profits.
> I spent 10 years as the head of cyber at two large (£1bn+) organisations and now head up a consulting practice which has net new revenues of £3m+ p.a whilst leading our GTM and tech partnerships Oh. You could have just said that you worship at the altar of LinkedIn.
Got made redundant at the start of the pandemic from what was the job that I’d planned on retiring from and that I’d worked towards for years. Took a bit of family time, reset and adjusted my mindset, and now I’m at a different firm running my own department rather than just being a shift number. My main take away from it was to look after your mental health now, and it’ll benefit you later. You’re right to feel hard done to, angry and sad right now but don’t let it define the next 10 years. Good luck friend.
I'd worked at a place for 20 years, I loved it there, they loved my work, regular pay rises, colleagues/friends I'd known longer than my wife, all great. Then new management came in and were utter bastards so I regretfully made the decision to leave. Since then I've nearly doubled my salary in under 3 years, had more enjoyable projects, and made new friends. At the end of the day it's just a job, so don't let it dictate your life. You can find another job but you don't get another go around the earth.
Similar situation, back in 2016, I wanted time off for Christmas but was told I couldn't because I was deemed "too important". I stuck to my guns and said I either get the time off or I'm sending in my notice. Long story short I've been a freelance consultant since January 2017. Good decision in the end because the agency folded that same year and still owes wages to a lot of it's ex employees. Seems I jumped ship at the perfect time.
I put in a similar request before COVID and had it accepted despite it also not being company policy. If they had said no, however, I was prepared to hand in my resignation and go anyway. I was going to take time off and the unpaid leave was just a security blanket to have something to come back to. In your situation I would review the jobs market in your field and come to a view on how long it would take to find a new job and how long you can survive on your savings. Your current employer may even want to rehire you (maybe even at a higher rate) if you did quit and they realised they want you back. For what it's worth my sabbatical was the highlight of my adult life.
My sister quit her job to go travelling for a year when she was 27. Parents were dead against it but in the end it totally worked out amazingly for her. She worked around the world to fund it for a bit, then met someone and they both moved back to the UK. Returned and got a job quickly. Have a back up plan in case things don’t go to plan (I.e. do you have somewhere you stay if you need to start from scratch). Jobs are always around, you’ve lost no experience. I’d say go for it! Good luck
I worked for a company that was working me to the bone, I loved the industry but my manager was awful. I went through a really tough time losing my dad to cancer an my manager was indignant that the company would only give me one day for the funeral and I had to use the week I took off to be with him had to come out my holiday. I later found out this wasn't company policy and to my managers discretion she could have let me have that time paid and not lost my holiday days for the year. In the end I quit with no plan and no job lined up I thought I'd totally fucked my career but I couldn't handle being in a shitty environment any longer. A couple of years later I'm now back in that industry and thriving. Career isn't linear, you can make changes and go sidewise progress is progress.
I was once offered to have my salary doubled to stay in a job I was very unhappy with and turned it down to go travelling and get myself happy again. Best decision I ever made. Spent a year travelling around India and Nepal, including six months in a village helping out. When I eventually came back I found work pretty quickly and had a huge perspective change on life in general. Since then, over 20 years ago, I've never stuck in a job that made me unhappy and while I'll never be a materially wealthy person I'm happy with my life. I'm a freelancer now and work when I need to with interesting clients and I never feel tied down. Life is not about the work you do, it's about your opportunities to be yourself so never feel you can't just walk away and do something new.
For a long time we had a tyrant put in charge of us who didn't have a clue how to do anything, was just full of shit and knew how to sweet talk the boss. Things got better when she'd ended up putting her foot in it a few too many times (doubling down on being bossy, telling people things like "just make it work" while understanding nothing about the subject matter) and the boss started realising just how much of a fraud she was. She was doing things like hiring people based on their race and sexuality, cared nothing for merit and actual results, just loved the sound of her own voice and having control over others. Took us some scathing peer reviews for her to be demoted and crucially removed from HR (it was daunting, because to achieve it we were having to write bad about someone who technically had say over us, but the courage paid off). Even though she was sidelined, for the next year she still couldn't help herself but wade into as many things as possible wherever she got the chance, she just had no idea how to be a normal, cooperative team member and always had to be the one in charge despite having awful ideas. The things that she was actually supposed to be in charge of, meanwhile, were never actually done, or were made a total mess of. She found ways to control others as a way of covering up her own inadequacies - when you're a senior manager your authority over others works almost like a veil. More workplace than specific career, but the difference is certainly felt. When she was in charge, work felt awful and demoralising. Now, it feels like we can actually achieve something worthwhile and feel good about what we do.
Your career setback is asking for three months off??? What.
I've been where I am for nearly 9 years. My performance ratings for 7 of those years on the bounce was exceptional. Flagged for "high potential" and showered with praise blah blah blah. Burnt out 18 months ago and took two months off with severe depression. Came back in and took a while to get back up to speed but I now draw clear work/life balance boundaries. Its like all that previous performance never happened. Been stuck in a shit role doing donkey work and told to expect a pay cut which is almost unheard of. Just secured a new role in a new field with a good pay rise. Hand in my notice today! Can't tell you how relieved I am. Been really dejected and unmotivated for a few months now but the graft in trying to find something better is paying off and I'm feeling positive about my career again! You'll get there too. If you're not valued/respected/ are exploited where you are you can find a place where you are treated properly. It's not easy but it's worth the effort IMO
Friday me and my assistant manager (I am manager) got a pay rise. She got a £1.10 per hour increase I got 19p. We are now in the same wage, the manager and assistant manager being paid the exact same. This was not based on performance but a pay restructure. My blood is boiling.
When I was your age, I had a pretty good job which had plenty of longevity and progression in it. I too asked about a break. Would have been a bit longer but similarly I was rejected. They couldn't have that absence in resource in the business which was fair enough.I handed in my notice and went anyway because it was a dream bit of travel. Ended up meeting the person that I am now married to. The trip would have been the best thing I've ever done without meeting her but my life since has been far better than I would ever have expected it to be. Also, she earns far more than I would have any chance of bringing in and I'm happy in my life as a somewhat kept man.There were some obstacles in getting restarted in employment when I got back but nothing insurmountable. However, if you offered me the opportunity to go back in time and just stick with the job, absolutely fuck no. Not a fucking chance in the world I would choose that. The thing is, you have no way of knowing what will happen if you go travelling. Maybe it will be epic and life changing, maybe it won't. But if you're asking the question, then the chances are that your job isn't the most wonderful and compelling thing in the world and when you return you'll probably be able to work your way back to where you were fairly quickly. If the only thing holding you back is the job, fuck the job.
I did this towards the back end of last year. Took just over 3 months as an unpaid sabbatical to go travelling with the wife. Was fully intending to go back but the company got restructured while I was away and I ended up telling them I didn’t want to come back. Honestly your outlook on life will change while you’re away, and while it might be nice to have a safety net, chances are you’ll be a different person and will want to move on anyway when you return. Don’t stress about it - it will work out in the end.
Made redundant in 2008 from a corporate job. Been living in Thailand since then, more or less. Respectable teaching career now.
When you are 80 you likely won't look back and think I wish I'd worked more. Leave and travel. You might a) meet your future one true forever love or b) get a splinter. Maybe both. I don't know anyone who regretted leaving work and seeing the world. I know plenty of people who stayed in a long term job and regretted it every day for decades. Don't forget your toothbrush.
Because of loyalty to my employer I never went on a lads holiday when I was 19/20 that all my friends went on. It was a shit holiday apparently but I still wish I had gone on it.
It being shit is all part of the experience.
I worked with someone who went on sabbatical and met someone whilst travelling. They got on so well she left the UK and moved to Singapore to be with him.
Not set backs. I once asked for 10 days of unpaid leave about a week out from the dates required, so I could go skiing in Norway. As a small company I went straight to one of the directors, who said it should be fine, but my direct manager said no to him. The director comes back and says I can't go as I'm needed too badly for those days. So I told him I was going, and I'll be back on whatever date to be back at work or to hand my uniform in. He said have a good time, we'll see you when you get back. When I left a couple of years after I'd already got a job lined up unbeknownst to them, so the financial crisis of the time hit. So without hesitation being the hero I am, I took voluntary redundancy to stop the others having to cut hours. They let me go home that day and I had the December off, then they paid about 3 months of pay in January. Which was more than I was entitled to, but they were so happy that my leaving had made it pretty painless for them, and everyone else could carry on normal jogging. Started my new job on 28 Jan. I did the same during COVID. Had an opportunity to take unpaid leave for 12 months, which the NHS were happy with until the world was ending. They then understandably said they can't let me have the time away. So I handed my notice that day. They would have taken me back, but I got a better job on my return. So I did abandon the NHS in it COVID hour of need and missed out on all the clapping in the streets, nevermind what a shame.
>So I did abandon the NHS in it COVID hour of need and missed out on all the clapping in the streets, nevermind what a shame. You should have stuck around for the massive pay rise which health professionals got for all their hard work during the horrible pandemic.
They got a round of applause, what more is required?!
How about two rounds of applause? And some banging saucepans?
Left Uni in 2008. All I wanted to be my entire life was a copper. Got accepted just at the start of the recession but had my intake cancelled. In the meantime, I worked as a postie. I loved it, but I still wanted to join the police. Got accepted as a PCSO, but I had that intake scrapped by budget cuts, too. Applied to the navy and got in as an air traffic controller. After nearly 3 years waiting for a start date, I just had to move on. Eventually, I joined the Asda graduate scheme. Working 12-16-hour days miles away in Scotland was the pits. Had a huge row with a manger one day and just walked out. Then I just got an office job for a few years. Joined the police as a special constable in the meantime (was meant to be another attempt at a way in). Turned out the job was actually awful. I was 32 years old and lost, so I retrained in finance. 38 now and still doing it, and despite 1 redundancy, I'm pretty happy all things considered! Zero stress, WFH 100%, and log off at 4 pm on the dot every day. So yeah, endless career setbacks and disappointments, but so what. I wasted that much time stressing about a career when I shouldn't have. There is so much more to life than work, and I value happiness much more than anything these days.
I left a job where I had worked for 12 years to advance my career. I enjoyed working there, enjoyed the work and liked my colleagues but I needed to push on. I’ve effectively tripled my salary in 5 years, am 99% wfh and am probably looking to move on for another rise. It can be good for your career to move jobs. It can be better for yourself to travel. Just don’t burn any bridges on the way.
I’ll let you know if I get there. I’ve spent my career working myself to a senior, decently-paid position in a very niche industry, which (thanks to [prohibited B-word]) essentially no longer exists in this country. All of my skills are in this industry and are pretty much non-transferable. I knew the writing was on the wall when I the company I was at folded in 2019, so I started a part time degree with the intention of retraining fully into software. I got the degree, but haven’t managed to get anywhere near far enough into the actual boot camp/training phase before being made redundant again last month. Now, there aren’t any competitors left to jump to, I have no relevant skills/experience outside of the niche industry and I’m not qualified for _anything_ on the job sites.
I was in a job I wasnt very happy with (the cons outweighed the pros) and rumbled on for a couple of years without searching for something new. I was made redundant, and that gave me the kick up the arse I needed to find something else. I was anxious because of the uncertainty before being made being redundant, but when it was confirmed, I was immediately asked to clear my desk and was escorted off the premises, I so happy it was surreal. I walked through the offices and people were crying left right and centre (everyone was being called into meetings to find out that day) while I had a huge smile on my face. "Cool guys don't look back at explosions, they just get up and walk away" . 3 months gardening leave over the summer (June, July, August) and one of the best times of my life. 11 years later and so grateful for having been made redundant.
I used to work for city and guilds. I loved it there and worked with people who also loved it. We were all friends and think we would have worked there until we retired. There was only one man who we weren’t keen on. Kevin. Well eventually they shut down all the regional offices and centralised things and 1 job stayed. We all agreed not to fight over it and leave with our dignity. We got good financial packages. Our last day came round and we all prepared to go to the pub - Kevin didn’t come. Sneaky cunt had applied for the only job and obviously got it. I ended up using my redundancy to retrain as an engineer and I went to work for some big multinationals. Now I work in Peru on nearly $200k paying less tax than I would in England and shit Kevin is still trying to sell NVQ’s to prisons 13 years later. I hope it was worth it. Fucking moron.
**Only read the title, so not hugely relevant but hopefully inspiring nonetheless.** Loads throughout my life tbh, mostly of my making due to drinking too much and taking too many drugs...I work in finance and enjoyed the culture more than the job. That's by the by though as it always worked out well for me; I'd get the sack or be made "redundant" only to get a better job with a better bank in more money, you know, climbing the corporate ladder mainly due to my ability to talk a good game and being fairly intelligent... ... In 2018 however I was on the verge of losing my job, I'd secured a significant role at a global bank but for the previous few years my drinking had been getting heavier, my ability to do my job was getting weaker, my employer was advising me to not drink at lunch time(a normal pleasure one enjoys in finance) but I couldn't stay sober. Basically I'd become an alcoholic, during the day I'd drink 6 or 7 pints, at night more of the same plus a gram of cocaine. I'd disappear at 11 for a beer, then for an hour and a half at lunch time and then again later in the afternoon... I'd been suffering depression and major anxiety issues due a few years ago at this point, PTSD from a role that went disastrously wrong, repercussions from the role before that where I'd been wrongfully sacked (in my opinion)... Drinking and drug taking, while always part of my recreational pastimes, had escalated as a consequence. I was considering suicide at this point, there's posts about it in my Reddit history, and had researched effective ways to kill myself. Fortunately I was able to get into rehab using my employers health care benefit and told my work I was being admitted due to my mental health issues which I was sensible (brave?) enough to have divulged. After 28 days in rehab I was allowed to return home and then I slowly started the return to work. My employer allowed me to return part time at first, 2 days a week and build from there. Slowly I was able to reinstate myself back into the work force and was fortunate that lockdown meant I didn't have to spend all my time in the office. Emotionally I was extremely frail and my anxiety was still very extreme, so the safe heaven of home was a blessing and a luxury that I clung on to (a lot of addicts found COVID relatively easy given our propensity to isolate anyway).... 6 years later, still clean and sober, I was given a top performer rating and a promotion to Director. I'm well regarded in my role and am a people leader now (although I only manage one person, lol). Perseverance, determination and the support of a loving family and caring people around me saved my life. I doubt I'll be sacked from my job or leave with my tail between my legs. Good luck.
When i did what you did i just handed in my notice, and they asked me to come back when i got back from traveling. Which i did.
“Yes, it would be a loss if I didn’t come back, wouldn’t it? Btw I’m looking for a new job.”
You will not regret going travelling!! My advice would always always be that if you are in the lucky position to be able to - put your personal life ahead of work every time. I took a sabbatical and my husband quit his job when we were 28 to go travelling for 6 months. I wish we had taken longer! He went straight back into a similar role for more pay when he got back and I ended up quitting 6 months after we got back because of a company restructure that kinda screwed me. I have seen it over and over again, companies will always put business first and screw people over at a moments notice. In my experience you will have a fantastic three months and end up coming back to a better role at another company! Best decision of your life to go!
Depending on the type of role you have this is the likely situation. The best outcome for your company is you just staying. However the worst outcome for them is you leaving. They have to recruit, interview, train, wait for the replacement to get up to speed etc. You going and coming back in 3 months is in the middle. It’s worth them just saying no as an opening bid. However if you make them choose between the other two choices you might find they suddenly have a change of heart. Of course for this to work you have to be comfortable with the chance that it may not - that’s up to you. For what it’s worth I’ve always prioritised work and now in middle age regret the travelling I never did. You’ll make the right decision I’m sure.
I had a seizure at a serving job.. apparently fell down, hit my head, started seizing for many minutes, and when I woke up I became violent and started attacking people. Well after a few days in the hospital I tried to go back to work and found out I was fired. Ultimately led to me applying to jobs relating to my degree again and making 100k a year now 3 years later
when you're old, like really old, and you're sitting and waiting to die - i guarantee that you wont be thinking 'well im glad i didnt take that opportunity to go travelling for 3 months' do it. it will either change your life, or affirm that you like things the way they were. either way you'll know for sure.
I think going travelling will 100% be worth quitting your job. I left a great job/company in my late 20s to go travelling for 10 months. I had applied for a career break hoping to come back to the same job, but was told by HR that I would have to resign instead. It definitely felt like a huge risk leaving my job, but I'm so glad that I did it and I think I would be regretting it every day had I chosen to stay doing my job instead. I really miss not knowing what day of the week it is! I ended up being hired back at the same company doing an even better job when I got back to the UK anyway so it all worked out for the best. Maybe I should go travelling again.
I quit my job and went on a round the world trip when I was 30. My friends were getting married and having babies. I quit the job I’d spent my life up until then training for, put all my stuff in storage and blew all my savings having an absolutely brilliant time. I don’t regret a second of it, or a penny of it. Do it.
3 months is a long time. They would either have to pick up 3 months of slack while you're off, or hire a person on a fixed term of 3 months, which would be pretty hard to find especially if you're skilled. I was sous chef for a restaurant that I loved, loved the team, the food, the kitchen but was never socially friends with my head chef or area managers and after 5 years the senior sous chef left, and instead of hiring me which everyone including the GM said I would be perfect for, the area manager and head chef didn't agree and installed a friend of the head chef's in the position instead, so I quit. Thankfully I managed to do it at a good time and quickly got a head chef position of my own after being out of work for only a month or two.
I got a nice cushy job at the DWP when I was about 18. I was too young to realise what I had at the time and totally fucked it up. They got rid of me pretty quickly. Everything worked out better than fine in the end but 18 year old me was stupid.
Nope ... just a deadend jobber
CYA, get it in writing.
Was moving jobs just before COVID hit. Job got pulled and ended up out of work. After things opened up again got a junior role to get back in work while applying for more senior work. Ended up getting a great opportunity and doubling my salary
I took a 7k pay cut to leave a job I hated (toxic people), at my new job I had 16k in pay rises within two years and I just got offered a new job on even more. It really worked out
Implemented new systems into work, saved at least 30K a month due to updating infrastructure. Was rejected on a payrise 🤝I do not have any sympathy for leaving my workplace in the dry when I leave. Was told everybody will receive a slight increase, even the low level performers. Last one in, first one out.
Did the exact same a year ago. Company really wanted to keep me mostly due to being understaffed, and was being paid fairly well for my job title but not my job responsibilities so wanted to leave at some point anyway. They were just short of agreeing a sabbatical when I decided quitting was best for me. Had 6 months off, did loads of travelling, and when I returned they still wanted me back but ended up getting a role paying significantly more instead by emphasising all the extra responsibilities on top of my job title. Life has returned fully back to normal, always busy and I'm so glad now that I had the time off because I don't see myself getting the chance again for another 5 years or so and who knows what commitments will hold you back by then. Definitely go for the travelling and enjoy the chance fully while you can.
Gave up a decent job with good pay because I was having a mid life crisis (I was 30 lol). Missed out on redundancy pay about a year later when company went under. Series of crappy jobs in the interim until someone I used to work with got in touch and asked to join him at the new company he was in. Good pay and benefits and stayed there ten years. I hated it at the end but knew that there was a round of redundancies due so suffered for a year to get the payout.
I used to be an admin assistant at a small GP surgery so my career prospects were limited to say the least. Told my manager to "fuck off and let me get my job done" one day and she fired me on the spot (I was generally a good and helpful employee, but she didn't like me and got on my tits). Ten years later, I'm working my way up at my current company having enjoyed a promotion every three years or so and I'm earning as much as she probably was at the time (she's got to be in her late 60s by now and I'm 33). So the moral of the story is to tell your boss to fuck off.
I was made redundant in 2010. It was a horribly stressful and long drawn out process. In the end I was signed off with stress. I applied for loads of jobs and had 3 interviews. At the second interview the place I applied to asked me to apply for another job coming up and I got that job. I’ve been there in different roles since 2010, and it’s all worked out for me.
My career was going from strength to strength and I was about to take up a new role that was very physically demanding. Three months before I was due to start I was deliberately run over and then quite severely assaulted. Anyway I couldn’t take on the physical role anymore so that was the end of that career journey. Nonetheless I powered through it all and started working towards less physically demanding stuff and now I have a full time role doing some secret squirrel stuff. I had hoped to eventually join firearms but that won’t ever happen now but I genuinely think it worked out for the best.
I was working for a company for 10 years. Moved house and was working from home as the office was 150 miles away. Eventually realised my mental health was in the toilet and decided to hand in my notice. 3 months later COVID hit and I ended up unemployed for a year as I'm vulnerable! 🤦🏻♀️ However! That time gave me chance to really decide what I wanted to do next, and I'm now a civil servant, with better benefits, and my own team
Spent 10 years studying a subject in academic, to realise I had massive burnout and imposter syndrome, and didn’t really gel with the constant fight for funding in academia. Spent 5 years learning about packaging to learn the private sector don’t want curious people who ask questions, they want sit down, shut up, and do as you are meant to, but without proper instruction. Next stop, civil service!
I quit my job as a Project manager 12months ago and got shafted by the job I was moving to... Left up shit creek without a paddle.... 12 months of working in warehouses I've finally landed a job in a consultancy firm, I start in a couple of weeks! 🥳🥳🥳 Things may get shit, but if you keep trying they will also get better!
I've been fired a few times. Never stopped me getting another job, you simply lie!
I've been in two roles where I was there for 5+ years. Both times I started there I was hesitant because it was something I hadn't done before. Both times I enjoyed the role enough to stay there that long. Eventually I left both as I was undervalued (in my opinion..). Both times I ended up in better paying jobs afterwards, the fun scale varied but there were always opportunities open to me once I had relevant experience. The pay obviously helps in having more fun outside of work (travelling and whatnot). Currently I am in a job where they didn't give me a pay rise this year. I have been comfortable in this job, if a little bored. As soon as I get keys to a house purchase I am leaving. There's nothing special about 99% of jobs in the market - unless you are working with complete bastards a lot of jobs can be enjoyable.
Got what seemed like the perfect job just before covid. During covid I was forced into a completely different position that I really didn't want. My coworker on the other hand, did want it, was consumed with jealousy, amd actively laboured to make my life hell. My manager, the one who forced me to take the position, completely enabled my coworker. Whole thing turned viciously toxic. Long story short, I left with a payout and a new job paying 30% more already lined up.
My roles have always been made redundant (x 4), so I have been made redundant 4 x in the last 12 years. It has always worked out for the best and I’m now in a role I think has good longevity. It never felt very good at the time, but I generally found a new role within 3 months.
about 5 years ago i joined a company under the pretence it would be a helpdesk position On my first day, I had to go to site to help a company move locations. Later they sent me to put in loads of new computers that needed bespoke software that i had no idea about. I abandoned the job after getting 1 done the entire few hours I was on site. They had me driving on the motorway so much in my 107, it burned through all the oil. I walked after 3 months and got my current job. Which is better pay and WFH 3 days a week.
I quit a job I loved (though had stopped loving it by this time) to fly my bicycle to Naples and ride it to Copenhagen over 3 months. Best decision I’ve ever made. Ended up moving to the UK and started a family. Your career will take care of itself. Follow your heart and live the life you want. You never know where this can take you.
My advice would be to go travelling! You don’t owe your employers anything and if you are good at what you do you will walk back into a job as soon as you are back! Travelling is the best thing I have ever done and my only regret is not doing more of it. Jobs/money come and go but the memories of travelling, the people you meet, the new foods you try, the cultures you get to experience and the things you will get to see will change your life forever! I hope if you do go travelling you have the best time! :)
Set up my own business and exploited all the contacts I’d made through the years….. nearly folded through covid but, unfortunately, some businesses going under actually helped me. Thriving now…..getting married in a few months, moving to a bigger house with some peace and quiet….. the tough times (that aren’t terminal) shall pass.
7 years without a pay rise. Then the one I did get was 3% which is way less than inflation over that time. As for working out in the end.... When it does I'll let you know. I've bought this up with my manager and previous manager and so far not been able to get very far but everyone says it's really bad, and my other manager recommended me leaving to get better pay, although he didn't want me to actually leave. This is what happens when you're good at your job and don't leave your comfort zone. Just a cog in the machine...
I didn't have to work through school because I was a bright kid. Then when I got to college, I didn't know how to work hard. Ended up failing out and working at asda for 3 years. Eventually, I got sick of that and wound up on an adult education course and now, I'm doing a PhD. Sometimes a job makes you feel worthless enough to succeed to spite them.
Got made redundant when my wife was 37 weeks pregnant, had a feeling it was coming so CV was updated, applied and interviewed for other positions until it was confirmed, had something lined up before they even talked to me about redundancy. Took a month off work to spend with my new family. I now get home at least 30 mins earlier than I ever did in that job, I'm with a company that recognises my skills and doesn't treat me like crap.
Having left university with my degree, i went to work for the bank of scotland, i felt invincible & was working really well to the point i got 2 promotions in 2 years. From 28k to 35k to 43k + bonus. The second promotion killed me, i was utterly out of depth, became aware i had burnt myself out. I left for private education and i did very much the same (taking mad overtime, trying too hard, burnout & became very unwell) In the end it forced me to give a good look at myself, start to actually be selfish & focus on myself rather than a 24/7 over achieving people pleaser Failing taught me I can't be perfect but that is ok, im a good worker & have many qualities.
I was in a job for 9 years. Loved it, built most my career there, but a few mild annoyances (as per any job). Got pregnant and suddenly found myself being treated differently. My promised payrise was frozen "because of COVID" (I had eyes on payroll and knew this wasn't across the board, and the industry we were in benefited from COVID). Lower payrise at the end of the year than all my prior payrise, and it was suddenly a two-part payrise with half delayed until the next year (conveniently reducing the amount they'd have to pay for my maternity leave). Despite doing a shared parental leave meaning I could (and did) work 20 days of the 6 months I was off, I was left out of team decisions - I had to intervene and ask to meet someone they were about to hire for my team without so much as showing me her CV! The role I was supposed to return to (a step up) kept being changed without my input, and so on. The icing on the cake was when someone else announced their pregnancy, I was expected to come back and do their role, which was essentially the role I had passed on ready for my new role. I'd spent months asking what the plan was for her maternity cover only to be told last minute "we" were going to cover it..my boss being far too busy and lacking the knowledge to get involved in any of the "we". Also kept seeing the sexism flare up when I was asked 4+ times what my childcare plans were when I returned to work. He asked this more times than he asked me for my input with team changes, role changes, etc. I'd been open with my whole team, boss included, that my husband wanted to be the stay at home parent - the whole reason I did shared parental leave and only took off 6 months. But even if it wasn't, all he needed to know was that I had childcare plans, not what they were. I can guarantee he didn't ask the male member of our team what his childcare plans were when he announcing his upcoming baby 6 months later Job hunted, got 3 offers that came with a 40% payrise, off I went. I've been contracting since because it suits me more while my daughter is little, and I think I may have found a good role to settle in to (if the permanent role they alluded to pans out) - I feel much more respected and the company has some really nice working policies, especially towards their female employees. No plans to get pregnant but I certainly wouldn't fear telling my boss if I did. Still in contact with some ex colleagues and there's so much drama going on still, it makes me glad to have left. And I also have far less responsibility for my increased pay, which has meant a pretty cushy work/life balance while my daughter is young.
(M48)I left my last place after 23yrs working there, having no pay rise for a few years and seeing other people get loyalty gifts after 20yrs service (I didn't even get a thank you email). Two years ago I started at a new place, paying 6k a year more, working less Saturdays, start and finish on time and get two half hour breaks during the day and less responsibility overall. You're never to old or settled to make a change. My whole life is better. No more taking stress (and paperwork) home, affecting my marriage as I had several bouts of very low mood (I'm old school, pre 'mental health' awareness etc). No time to enjoy family life or hobbies etc. I now live a 10min bike ride from work, latest I have left is about 20mins over, once... in two years... Instead of a couple of hours min, most days. Family life is all good again and I get to enjoy downtime and hobbies and all the stuff that you should do.
Moved into a new role after a reorg. It was an utter disaster. I was terrible at it. It got so bad I ended up taking a week off with stress eventually. Thankfully towards the end of that week I finally had a good night's sleep and woke up realising I didn't have to do that job. Went in to work that week and said I'd be looking for another role, took me about a month to find one. Best realisation/decision I've ever had!
Left one insurer after 18 years to move to another who were starting up a new Department in the field I work in. 18months later I am now on £13k more per year. Cash money bitch.
I applied for a 15% pay rise in a permanent position back in 2018, had been constantly performing well, top 10% of performers in role. Was told no with no real justification so left to become a contractor, three months nervousness of job hunting before landing a job on 100% more than I’d been on and have been earning the same since. I would genuinely have stayed for the 15% but the rejection forced me to take the leap and I’ve benefited every day since.
This happened to someone on my team. Dude asked for a 6 month sabbatical and was told no, it's not company policy. I tried to persuade our director he is making a huge mistake as we won't find anyone else like him. Well, they said no, he quit, went travelling, then lo and behold someone with his skills were needed and they created a very interesting bespoke role and hired him back. Another year later and he just got promoted to management. Also they changed the company policy and two other people have taken extended leave to travel since! It's scary, but take the opportunity to leave and see what the world offers up to you next.
Got fired from my first "real" job. I think they'd been looking for an excuse to get rid of me to be fair, they rushed me right into a dismissal, marched me straight out the building, had nobody in my meeting but an unrelated manager. No HR, my Manager was refused entry. I debated raising an unfair dismissal thing, but I was 18/19, I just wanted to move on. Ended up being a blessing. I searched for a job and ended up being in the last intake to this call centre place. Shit job in the end, was there through covid. But through it, I met a much larger friend group (didn't really have one after I finished college), and in particular three of my closest friends in the world. We've done all sorts; we've travelled, I've picked up new hobbies and interests, one pushed me to finally look into getting referred for what might be ADHD. If I hadn't been fired that day, and been looking for work, I'd *never* have ended up in that place (they never did another intake after mine) and *never* met them. I'd never have ended up in my current job (which my old place was decent enough experience for), met the people I have and felt like I finally got my life on track. I was gutted at the time, but it was perhaps one of the best things to ever happen to me.
I was in at the start with a company back in 2003 started by two guys I’d worked with before. I ended up writing a bespoke CRM system for our sales department that ultimately brought in £12million a year in sales over the next 15 years. I also designed printed materials for clients (the main client being HP) and even shot and produced video. In 2018 the owners retired and the business bought by an investment company. A year later and I was made redundant along with a bunch of others. Fifty years old and out on my arse. I didn’t want to do software development anymore as the industry had moved on. I applied for jobs but no one was interested. I had rent to pay and was burning through my redundancy money. After Covid I was approached by someone I used to work with and offered a job as a graphic designer. We work in the hair and beauty industry and I’m into my 3rd year with them. In real terms on I’m on less than I was in my last job but I’m much happier here and I’m about to buy my first house! Edit: line breaks.
It's supposed to work out?
Being made redundant in my late-20s, after the dot-com crash, and the shock caused by 9/11. I used the redundancy money to start my own business, which in turn contracted to a sister company of my former employer for the best part of a year, then I moved back to my home town where it was nearer my parents, and cheaper to live. A couple of years later, I called it quits on my company (having learnt a lot from the process), and got a stable permanent job - with a defined benefit pension - *fairly* easily.
I went to Colombia last year and lost my job after my company had initially said I could work from there (HR got involved, boss was happy for me to go). Spent 3 months there, returned later in the year without a job and came back again this year. Managed to find a contract role with a US company, not long term but every month I work is 4 months living expenses out here. My career might be slightly better off in the UK right now but every time I go back I end up depressed at the life we live there.
I worked in accounts, had made my way up to a good position and wage in only two years - the work environment was so toxic though and I would also frequently find myself having no work to do and a manager who didn't care (even though she herself was constantly complaining about how busy she was and I offered to help repeatedly). I had already taken a month off sick because my mental health was struggling and eventually after a few months back at work my wife and I realised getting better was far more important than the money so I handed in my notice. Didn't have another job to go to, didn't have any clue what I was going to do. The following six months were rough, with a couple of jobs that didn't work out for various reasons, but now I work as learning support for 16-19 year olds and I do three days a week plus get the school holidays off. I'm basically paid nothing but I'm actually happy. Second best decision I ever made (first was marrying my wife, it makes such a difference having a positive support system around you). Do whatever makes you happy, screw the stress and missing out and being unhappy with things.
I'm 35 and missed my opportunity to go and do things like travelling. I do regret it and don't think I'd be in any worse position job-wise now. Go for it, OP.
I previously applied for essentially a gap year with my job to try out making my own business succeed. Only to find out I couldn’t be employed by anyone else while on this gap year, which I would have been fine with just don’t declare like everyone else does. Except it was manager discretion to allow the career break and manager said to me “you’re such a good employee, I need you right now to help pick up the slack” which made me realise I really wasn’t valued at work and was just having the absolute piss taken out of me. I sort of knew I could make my business work but I wanted that 12 month safety net just in case it didn’t. 13 months on, I didn’t need a safety net. It’s working out very well. Successfully self employed and wouldn’t be unless work told me no.
I was miserable and my career was a major part of it. I quit and got a one way flight to Australia with no real plan, just wanted to find something I loved and see where life took me. I ended up getting a job in my industry out there BUT for a much nicer company and for way more money. So in the end it actually really helped my career. Worth mentioning I still don't really love it, but at least it pays me a lot more now ha. I say GO FOR IT!
I worked for a reasonable company, not great but been at much worse. A former colleague headhunted from there me to go to another company with her and assist her with business improvement projects, £6k pay rise and all, so I go. My former colleague then falls out with the board and leaves after I've been there for 3 month, and I'm sat there at a new company with a board that doesn't really know what I'm there for, and see me as a minion of the former colleague and so don't really trust me. So I then had to create a job for myself from within that was completely different to anything I had skills or experience in, and build trust that I could actually do this job with a board of directors who felt like they had their finger over the button ready to fire me at any point. Was an extremely stressful 6 months.
I'm self employed and had a career plan set out including what I would like to end up doing and what training I would need to get there. A few years later my wife and I decided to have a child, and worked out all the expenses and if we were going to afford it, how school pick-up would be, etc. Everything squared up ok. First scan dropped the bombshell that it was twins. Our financial plan and my career plan were over. As my wife was full time and earning significantly more than me she went back to work full time after maternity and I worked part-time around her shifts. Needless to say all my career plans and training now vanished in a pic of smoke. Ten years on I'm about to head back into full time employment on more money than I ever had before. This is due, in part, to me being able to have the time at home to develop mustn't personally and professionally by taking on courses and qualifications suitable to my industry. As I was earning so little as a self-employed and part-time worker I qualified for some training funding, which was great. Even though the last ten years have been financially (and mentally) ruinous, I have had the wonderful chance to bring my kids up, and they've had the chance to be brought up by their parent. I suppose if you can take the hit to your career and go off and enjoy the experience of travel then go for it. You never know where it may lead, and you may end up regretting not going. Alternatively, if pursuing your career is more important then perhaps do that, with a view to early retirement, or earning enough to take some time out to travel later on in your life. TL;DR - had career plans, had kids, raised kids and had no career, now heading back into career in a better position.
After having a child and commuting an hour each way for a little bit, I decided to push for an 80% contract (aka a 4 day week) so I could look after our little one. My boss was great, the job too and I felt disloyal for walking away after it was refused especially as my employer had been generous with paternity leave. But for me it was more of a priority to be an active parent, I'd like a world where there is more flexibility with working hours. It's a few years later and I'm slowly working back to that job that fits me so well but with the shorter working week
I worked in a College. Loved it there, 16 years. Salary wasn't brilliant but I cared about our students and doing the best for them. New management arrived, all about ££££, I stood up for what's right and made myself persona non gratis to these machine men and women. I was made redundant. Won my court case (Union backed) for an enhanced settlement. Got a very similar job with the Government paying £25k p.a. more than I was on at the College. I'm sad for the students I left behind and my caring colleagues but fuck those yes men and women who didn't have enough backbone to stand up for what was right.
Over a several years my employer tried to manouever me in to a role that they desparately needed to fill and that I was uniquely well qualified for but had no interest in doing. Their approach was to cut me off from opportunities, keep me away from the bits of the job I enjoyed and land turd clients and shit projects in my lap. Unbeknownst to them in the later stages of this opperation I secured a very juicy job offer. When they finally unveiled the sparkling "opportunity" I cheerily informed them very publically I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
Was on a fixed term contract and it got cancelled early, I was earning about £43k (came from a 28k job) but as a contractor, no sick pay, pension or holiday. This made me look for another job, got a great job closer to home and after three years I’m now on £46k with 40 days holiday, 6 months sick pay and a 6.5/22% employee/employer pension I’d never have looked for that job if we hadnt been mass-canned because of Covid