how could I leave my job?

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I'm stuck in a job that makes me miserable. I would like to leave it, but I can't think of a way to do that that would work. For the long term, I am engaged on a course of study that I'm doing with a view to developing a more rewarding career, but I won't be able to apply for a job in this new field for the next three years.

I would really like to leave my job before that though, but... I have tried to apply for jobs and go for interviews, and that's been time-consuming (bearing in mind that I work full-time
and study), and also frustrating because I was never successful. I have thought of resigning for my job and going temping, but then I wouldn't have enough income, and it would be difficult to end up in a permanent job by going down this route - the job situation here in the UK is bad. I don't have any savings to live off while I don't earn a full income, and I haven't found a loan or a grant that I could get to compensate for that.

I think that I've really explored all the possibilities, so it seems that I'm indeed stuck in my current rubbish job, but I'm posting this in case I've missed something. Is there a way out of my job that somebody here can think of?

i left my primary job at 48. like you, it was soul draining to be around people who made me ill.

the decision was made easier because i wanted to perform full time volunteer work helping at animal shelters and be part of an animal rescue group.

unlike you, i was able to retire at 50% of my last salary. change in lifestyle? yes. but when you can't stand it, you can't stand it.

sounds like you're stuck where you are for a while longer. wish i could offer you something you haven't already thought of. i used to divorce myself from the work and surroundings visually when i was about to explode. probably not the best thing for everybody....like pilots!

hang in there. you're still young. three years will go by fast.

It's a numbers game. You know that, I know that. And I, too, find it frustrating, at times mildly frustrating, and at times extremely frustrating! And there seems to a certain inauthenticity and "corporate-speak" in so-called human resources which I think really rubs us Aspies the wrong way, or let me just say regarding myself, it really rubs this particular Aspie person the wrong way. As an example, really almost humorous, in a paragraph in which this certain company was asking for a job, they wanted someone who was "a self starter" and in the very same paragraph they wanted someone who was a "good team player"! Well, now which is it? For people who actually know something about human relations and know something about how organizations actually work know that these tend to be two sides of a coin. People who tend to be good self-starters tend not to be great team players, and vice versa. They're really asking job applicants to be shape shifters, to be endlessly plastic. Or, more likely, it's just a first pass. The person in HR tasked to write this particular ad wrote down every good human trait they could think of, and didn't have the writing skills to take it further, or the authority to make business decisions, and just left it at that.

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How about this? Maybe the first two weeks of a month, you try and make two job enquiries a week, and the last two weeks you take a break from this?

And, almost the number one positive, that you have a job, you already have that. In fact, here in the states there was a news report of some headhunting company that included in an ad that no unemployed people are to be hired. Wow. Most places aren't so upfront about it, but they do sometimes view through a stigma a person who is currently unemployed (the corporate quest to find the "perfect" person, viewed so narrowly, in such a cardboard two-dimensional way). But the fact that you currently are employed gives you some political capital, so to speak

'I would like to do the first interview by phone.'

I wonder how it would work if you played that card? And just tell them, or let them make the logical assumption, that you're pretty busy these days. And the fact that you are taking classes is all the more impressive.

I've read that English is the most common business language in the EU. So, would you be open to relocating . . . maybe Ireland (where yes, I know they've spoken English there a long time, in their own rather original fashion of course ) . . . or Sweden . . Estonia . . ?

Thanks mate, that's a nice hug!

The economic situation seems to be improving a bit in Canada. Canada is a commonwealth nation of Britain, so I think you would have better luck finding work in Canada. I think British persons can just show up in Canada on a tourist visa and work for 6 months, but after that, it is best to get a work permit, which would also require a Labour Market Opinion (LMO)

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/apply ... igible.asp

I was in a similar situation a few years back - I was stuck in a soul-draining job and I didn't know if I should stay or go. I was also studying at university which was a hard juggle.

Eventually I decided to leave the job after doing a cost/benefit analysis of the situation. I just thought that my well-being was more important than the paycheck after a while.

I did have to compromise a bit - I wanted to move out and buy a place but instead I'm still living with parents. My savings aren't as brilliant as they could be, but they're okay enough that some temping here and there was able to bring it back up.

Perhaps you can work part-time while studying full-time and move into a smaller place or move back to the parentals. It might be worth it to try and finish your course as soon as you can so you can start your more rewarding career path.

It looks like you were in better circumstances then than I am now. I have debt, no savings, and I can't go back to live with my parents or anyone else. Maybe you can let us know what factors you took into account in your cost-benefit analysis? I would like to check that I haven't forgotten anything.

As for trying to finish my course and get qualified as soon as possible, I'm definitely on this path already!

It does sound like I was in a better shape than you are, because I was able to stay in the family home and I did have some savings.

I basically did a cost/benefit regarding these three broad areas:

+ Finances - whether I could afford to not work, whether I could be on student benefits instead of working;
+ Emotional well-being - how much of the job I could handle, whether I could handle being in the family home;
+ Mental/psychological well-being.

I wonder if you can talk to someone about helping you formulate a plan to clear your debt, maybe that could help your financial situation.

Yes, it's about money vs. well-being, and my finances and social support network are not as good as yours were. Maybe I should wish for my colleagues to bully me real bad, so leaving would be the most sensible option regardless of money

As for clearing my debt, I'm afraid I'm going to have to spend more money on my credit card to finance my course. I'm however trying to repay as much as possible every month.

I'm also wondering what the best places are to look for a new job.