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should I quit my job?
Alright ladies, I'd love for you to weigh in. I'm considering quitting my job. DH has a decent job, but in order to have "spending money" we need two incomes at the moment. I have a degree in writing, but it's been very hard to find entry-level writing jobs in this market. As a result, I've been working in retail full-time.
First off, I have interviewed and am a candidate for a paid internship with a large publication this winter. I'm really, really hoping that I get this internship, as it is paid and would be a great experience. However, I won't know until mid-November if I get it it.
Now, my full-time retail job is really killing my emotional health. I am constantly in pain (I am contracted for 50 hours/week, all on my feet), I am monetarily drained (from having to purchase clothes from the brand), I am gaining weight (from being too exhausted to work out, which has always been really important to me), and worst of all, I am missing out on valuable time that I could be using for job-hunting or freelance writing. To top it off, I'm not very good at my job, which is a big downer for me. I like the people that I work with, but they are all a few years younger than me (mostly older college kids) and the environment I'm in just doesn't match up with my interests or personality.
I'm considering quitting in about a month, and focusing ALL my finances towards my credit card until then. I'm in debt about $1,000, and DH's cc is about $2,000. I'm hoping that if I try REALLY hard, I can pay off these cards with my paychecks within a month. The issue is surviving afterwards, without a second salary to pay bills. We rent (no mortgage) so that's not too big of a problem, but I have been contributing significantly to all of our bills. We would have to live EXTREMELY simply if I were to be unemployed for a while. However, I simply can't continue to live the way I do now. It's just too hard and too depressing.
Sorry so long-let me know your thoughts!
Re: should I quit my job?
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As hard as it is, I wouldn't quit until
a) you have another, better job lined up and/or
b) you live "as if" you did not have your paycheck. By that I mean, use your paycheck to pay down the cc debt, or put it in the bank but use only DH's to live on for a period of time to see if it is feasible.
As someone who's worked in very toxic environments in the past I understand the toll it takes on your health, but stress over not being able to make living expenses is a stressor in and of itself.
If you can focus on the fact that you are at least working TOWARD leaving, that may help significantly versus feeling as though you are trapped and not in control of the situation. good luck with your decision.
I worked retail and I agree that it is draining, but it was also a very much needed paycheck. It sounds like you can't afford to quit. Wait until you have something lined up, then quit.
I would try to find something else before quitting, even if it's another retail job that might not be so draining while you wait to hear about the internship.
Also, the company requires you to wear only their brand of clothing? Do they give you a stipend for this? I'm pretty sure its illegal if they don't.
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Agree to wait till you have something else lined up. With this job market you never know what will happen. I'd consider looking for desk jobs maybe or something less strenuous - receptionist, exec assistant, etc.
I worked for a retail nazi who wouldn't let us wear comfortable shoes on the job because they weren't "professional" or attractive. I know how you feel, going home exhausted physically and emotionally. I would hold out as long as you can but look for something else asap! Call around to businesses and ask them if they are hiring, don't wait or just rely on advertised positions. Writing skills are great for a lot of professional industries because they can trust you'll be able to write professional letters and documents without the frequent typos and gramatical errors many assistants miss.
Best of luck!
Thanks guys -
Part of my problem is that I live in a small town (not even a suburb) with no market for writing jobs. I apply online for jobs in bigger cities, but it's hard to network/know people in my career field without any actual publications around...hopefully I get this internship,
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