We’ve all been there before, sitting at our work desks thinking, “What am I even doing here?” It’s easy just to have that cathartic thought, but it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to quit my corporate job — and fast.
After completing my master’s degree, I looked forward to working full-time in a creative agency. Although it was a stepping stone and not the final destination, I didn’t realize how hard the edges of that stone would be. I was overworked and overwhelmed. At the end of my work days, I often found myself sitting in my car, bursting into tears.
All of this prompted me to quit my job in the worst way possible. I made these mistakes so that you don’t have to.
I called out sick for days because I needed space
I was sitting in limbo, feeling sorry for myself, so I took drastic measures.
I woke up one morning feeling ill. I still don’t know if it was my mental struggle that was making me ill or if I was really coming down with something, but regardless, I felt physically ill and needed the day off.
I sent a message at 7:15 a.m.: “Sorry, I can’t come in today. I’m not feeling so great.”
I received a message back at 7:20 a.m.: “That’s fine, rest up. See you tomorrow.”
As the day progressed, my mental anguish didn’t subside. If anything, I felt worse as the day wore on. I knew I had to return to work the next day.
My random illness worsened, and I knew I needed more time. I needed space for clarity and the ability to unpack, dissect, and unpick my feelings.
I sent my boss an email: “Just letting you know I will not be able to attend work for the rest of the week due to my illness. Please let me know if there is anything you need from me, and we can go from there.”
It was simple yet stupid. In the end, I took a whole week off. Of course, my boss would be able to see through it. But I didn’t care; I just needed more time.
I then turned my boss into the villain of my story
I spent my days overanalyzing everything, and I needed the assistance of my friends.
On Saturdays, I work part-time at my friend’s hair salon, and I spent some time talking to her about what I should do with my other job. I had the space to be vulnerable and opened up to her about all the crazy thoughts that were running through my mind. I was two seconds away from malfunctioning.
I was consoled, but it made me compare my friend’s leadership and management skills to those of my corporate boss — who suddenly became a monster in my eyes.
Despite the fact that there were moments of mentorship that were invaluable to me and worth more than my salary, I couldn’t see my boss as anything other than a villain who I needed to escape from.
I felt like people in power never change, so I knew exactly what I needed to do.
I handed in my resignation the following week, which was quickly accepted. I had four weeks left at the company.
My actions created discomfort at the office
Later that day, my boss sent an email to everyone detailing my resignation. No one knew how to talk to me, and the way I handled the situation made everyone walk on eggshells around me.
That afternoon felt like a day on Venus. No one could look me in the eye, and so I kept to myself — head down, fingers on my keyboard, counting down the hours until I was able to put my foot on the pedal and let the freeway home take my worries away with it.
As the weeks went by and the tension dissipated, I couldn’t help but think on my last day: What if I rewound time and did everything differently? Would it make my resignation any less taut, or would the outcome always be the same?
I wish I had gone about my resignation differently
The danger of lying about being sick and taking time off is that even though I was going through something, I should have just opened up about what I was going through, and the time off would have been granted. Instead, I lied, which any boss would be able to see through, and that created distrust in those last four weeks.
By turning my boss into a villain, I wasn’t able to enjoy those last few moments of mentorship from someone who knows the business and could’ve helped me out with references for future employment. I didn’t burn any bridges, but there was a sour taste left in both our mouths.
Heed my advice: Just be honest. If it’s time to go, it’s time to go. I know it’s hard sometimes to open up to higher management about personal matters, but the alternative is worse. Trust me.