How many of you took the plunge? (employment, unemployment, jobs)

[cyberphonics]

There are probably examples of this running throughout all of the threads but I'd like to hear some of these stories, horror and success stories alike. How many of you quit your jobs with nothing else lined up in spite of knowing what the employment climate is like and perhaps even knowing you didn't have a sufficient net to protect yourself from the fall? How did things turn out for you?

I see posters talking about how trapped they feel at their jobs because they aren't in a position to risk not securing another one before things get dire no matter how unhappy/unhealthy their job makes them and others saying they're not trapped, they can quit any time they want, they just don't want to deal with the consequences of that.

So who took the plunge and dealt with the consequences? Who left knowing that from that day forward, your life was basically up in the air? What happened?

[Truth11]

I recently did that,which I haven't done since I was 'young & dumb'...but I felt I had no other options,since I was 'unofficially' being harrassed at work and couldn't stand another day. They were starting to play politics and start dumping all the crappy work on me etc and I've seen that before and wasn't going to have them turn up the heat if I gave them notice,so I just called out that Friday and emailed human resources directly with the best explanation I could. Of course I knew I wouldn't qualify for unemployment under their rules,and luckily I did have enough money to live off of for that calculation. But of course with me there's always a wrench in the works so luckily I did get some calls for work in the meantime,though not many hours. Unemployment threw the wrench in my informing me I'd have to now earn a certain amount before I'd be eligible again,where normally as soon as you start another job that starts a new slate with unemp and the fact that I quit the previous job would have no bearing on the most recent job...

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by cyberphonics

How many of you quit your jobs with nothing else lined up in spite of knowing what the employment climate
is like and perhaps even knowing you didn't have a sufficient net to protect yourself from the fall?

So who took the plunge and dealt with the consequences?

That isn't a "plunge"... it is idiocy.

[Truth11]

Originally Posted by MrRational

That isn't a "plunge"... it is idiocy.

Can't have change if you don't take a chance;

[strawberrykiki]

I quit a job without another one a few years ago. I quit because I decided to move to another state, but I didn't have anything lined up in the new state. I DID have enough money saved to pay my expenses for awhile. I really think no matter how miserable you are, unless you have money saved to cover you for awhile, it's foolish to leave and just hope for the best. I waited tables for awhile, then I was lucky enough to get a good full time job. It worked out for me, but I probably wouldn't do it again.

[RDH35]

I did it, once. I'll never do it again. It was my first job in my profession and the office was incredibly dysfunctional. I just couldn't take another day of it, not to mention things that were said to me by my boss that I felt were discriminatory. I was commuting about two hours roundtrip and was not making near enough to support the commute, but I needed the experience and stuck it out for about three months. So that was the only positive really, I gained much needed experience.

I cried the whole way to work that day (and I'm not a crier) because I've never quit with no notice and definitely not without having something else. It took me about 6 months to find another position and I was extremely lucky that my DH supported this decision. I agonized for about two days prior to pulling the plug. But once I did, boy was that weight lifted. The position I had after that was amazing and I would be there still had the military not relocated us.

[cyberphonics]

Thanks for the replies so far! It's a tricky situation. I agree that quitting without something lined up or a pretty decent nest egg is crazy but also understand when people feel crazier staying lol You hear about these abstract with nothing but the clothes on my back toned stories where people just took a leap of faith (not always to that extreme, just saying) but I never encountered anyone up close and would love to hear the ups and downs of their choice.

[cyberphonics]

Originally Posted by RDH35

I did it, once. I'll never do it again. It was my first job in my profession and the office was incredibly dysfunctional. I just couldn't take another day of it, not to mention things that were said to me by my boss that I felt were discriminatory. I was commuting about two hours roundtrip and was not making near enough to support the commute, but I needed the experience and stuck it out for about three months. So that was the only positive really, I gained much needed experience.

I cried the whole way to work that day (and I'm not a crier) because I've never quit with no notice and definitely not without having something else. It took me about 6 months to find another position and I was extremely lucky that my DH supported this decision. I agonized for about two days prior to pulling the plug. But once I did, boy was that weight lifted. The position I had after that was amazing and I would be there still had the military not relocated us.

Sorry it took such a toll on you but I'm glad that it ended up working out for the better and I agree about having a weight lifted sometimes when you make really difficult choices.

[Keim]

I did, and my timing was great . I resigned without having anything lined up in October 2008, about 2 weeks before Lehman Brothers collapsed and our economy popped. Stressful! I wasn't in free fall, as my wife was still employed and we had a 3 month emergency fund.

We battened down the hatches and lived off her income until I found more work. I found a good temp job in about three months. One week after that ended I was hired at another agency working half time. I'm still there, and happily spend time with my kids after school most days.

I have no regrets. Sometimes you roll with lifes punches.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by Truth11

Can't have change if you don't take a chance;

and there is the idiocy of diving blindly without preparation.