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I'm in the same boat. Best job I've ever had financially but it is a stress fest. I'm shocked I've made it one year. Now I'm working on year two but definitely will not be sticking around for a third. Thankfully I've had a escape plan in place for months and the financial means to back it up.
The key is balance. Of course, there are some qualifiers.
1) If you love what you do, then the stress shouldn't bother you much. I have no doubt that being an NFL players is a very high stress job where you must produce, but they are doing what they love.
2) How much more are you getting paid for more stress? If it's possible to take a small paycut and move to a lower stress job, then you could consider it.
I worked for a guy making 150k a year. Complete set up of a new company. Hardest money I ever made. My typical day was 5 am to 9pm 6 days a week. Owner would call demand. Daily updates and constant reports.. I was first in last to leave. What made it harder was the guy was very demanding. Ive worked demanding jobs with demanding owners and i dint mind hard work but this guy gave a whole new meaning to demanding. After finishing a year later ( contract) he asked me to stay for another 50k and bonus. I declined to resign. That was the job where I learned money isn't everything. I actually got in a fight with my wife and was constantly stressed out. That was one job I couldn't wait to get done. 12 years ago and to this day I remember hating it. NOTHING worse than going to a job you hate
I am in the same boat as you OP. My career has been somewhat of a series of "disappointments." Get really excited About a "dream job" then it turns out that it takes a toll on you mentally, emotionally, and physically.
I've been in my role 6 months and I am now in "actively looking" status...not because of the work itself (unlike your situation), but because of the toxic work environment where I feel like I can trust my co-workers/manager, and I have to watch my back and make sure that the rug doesn't get pulled from under my feet. I want to be in a position where I can leave with my head high, and I think the only way that I can do that is if I stay no more than 6 more months (12-13 months).
My advice to you is start actively looking now. Depending on your region, it could take you about 6-9 months to find a new position. Make sure it is something that you WANT, not just more money. Ask thoughtful, bold, tough questions at the interview so that you know what you are getting yourself into (and read between the lines of the job description and body language of the hiring manager at the interview). I had a sense of what I was getting into but because i was finally getting my "dream" job description, I ignored it. With the experience i hope to work in a different industry, and outside corporate which is really not a fit for me, I've learned.
When you land that position that you KNOW in your gut is what you want, and provides *livable income, go for it. In my opinion, why pass up what could be a great career opportunity simply so that you can say that you made it through hell an entire year? But make sure you evaluate and do some introspection before making a move. I can be considered job hopper-- and i think it's because i haven't nailed down what works for me. I'm slowly learning.
Hey OP, I would say try to stay as long as you can until you truly cannot take it anymore. You may need your friend's help again in the future, but if you leave too soon, he may not want to help you again. Is your friend's job just as stressful? How is he handling it?
Hey OP, I would say try to stay as long as you can until you truly cannot take it anymore. You may need your friend's help again in the future, but if you leave too soon, he may not want to help you again. Is your friend's job just as stressful? How is he handling it?
Why would he stay as long until he can't take it anymore?! What happens if he gets to that point and and then it takes him 6-9 months to get a new job. That's torture. Why stay something you already miserable in? This is like telling someone who is in a miserable relationship to stay in it until its unbearable.
No, you do what it takes to fix the problem, why waste your time on something making you miserable? What exactly is the point?!
Start looking now. Your biggest problem is going to be finding time to go to interviews and finding time to prepare for interviews.
You can request interviews before work or late in the afternoon. Sometimes the companies that are hiring are able to do this.
Usually you will have 1 or 2 phone interviews before they interview you in-person. Make sure you can leave the office and go to a quiet place where you can interview via phone.
Hey OP, I would say try to stay as long as you can until you truly cannot take it anymore. You may need your friend's help again in the future, but if you leave too soon, he may not want to help you again. Is your friend's job just as stressful? How is he handling it?
I think that is bad advice. While I don't think he/she should act impulsive and rush out of there, I don't think sticking in there as long as you can is worth it. Life is too short. Stress takes a toll on our minds and body. What is the point of going through that torture? For what?
I think that poster meant stick it out until you find something else VERSUS just quitting with no job prospect, which I agree would be a bad move.
I think Germans say you can good eat or good sleep. I'm a carpenter contractor and if I have to catch some time limit I'm under big pressure. I lose like 20 pounds of body weight in one month because of stress. If I brake trough time limit each one call me from owners, investors to plumbers and sheet rockers, and theirs grandmothers too. I have one plan how to get away from such job.
My big complain when I have stressful job is that I have to dill with stress alone. It would be nice if I will have coworker to share stress with. A few helpers that work with me can't care less about any deadline.
Last edited by tipitop; 09-03-2013 at 08:37 AM..
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