Have you ever quit a job you hated without another one lined up?

I've considered it before, but then my sensible side kicked in.

Obviously if a job is making you completely miserable to the point that it's really affecting your mental/physical health then it's better to get out, but if it's just a case of hating the job, it's so much better to have something else lined up before you quit. Unless you've got lots of savings to fall back on if finding another job takes longer than you hope.

Many times. I usually found another job within six months, but once I went without one for nine.

Make sure you have enough savings to last you at least a year.

Jobs are like boyfriends; you don’t have to hate them to know it’s a bad fit and time to walk away.

Sometimes there are dry spells, but you find another. In the interim, as long as you don’t hit up family or friends, you make do with what you have and it’s nobody’s business but your own.

I have but I have always had a decent amount of back up in savings. 6 months at least of normal living money. If I need to tighten my belt more I could stretch it to last 8-9 months. If you have nothing saved, you are trapped. Save that money.

yes and no

I wanted to desperately but that was back in the days before COBRA insurance portability became law (Thank you, Democrats!). I could not afford to lose health insurance as I would not qualify for a plan due to pre-existing medical status.

The business I was working in changed hands. Stayed for about a year then quit. Useless owners knew nothing about the business, no input etc, they relied on the staff to keep it going. Bugger that...found a new job in about 3 weeks and never looked back.

I always did a calculation that went: what’s the worst that can happen here versus the worst that would happen if I quit now with nothing else lined up and nothing else came along.

It scared me into leaving carefully.

All of them (if I didn't get fired first).

Pre-professional career for sure. Restaurant jobs (waiting tables) were a dime a dozen when I was in college. I walked out mid-shift at one and stopped showing up to another. It wasn't because I was a lazy asshole or anything. The managers were abusive, incompetent assholes in both cases. It was fun walking in to get my final paychecks.

That’s a “not very smart” strategy.

Number 1 rule of employment. Never quit a job untill you have a new one.

It takes too long nowadays to get a new job, at least in my experience. I have voluntarily left a few jobs in my career, but it was always because I had found something else. The rest of the jobs I left were all layoffs due to the companies failing or significantly downsizing.

I work in online tech, and was out of work for over 9 months after a layoff, the last time I was in the market. It seemed to take forever to get interviews and then the process is very dragged out compared to how it once was. Plus your resume is basically scanned by AI before it gets to a human, which is another major hurdle in recent times. For those reasons, I would definitely suggest not leaving a job voluntarily without having another one lined up. There is just too much uncertainty in some industries the past 5 or so years. But it may depend on what line of work you are in, too. There have been a lot of layoffs in my industry over the last 5 years, so competition for jobs is higher, too.

I am fortunate to have saved enough money to survive for 3 years or longer if I was completely jobless. But of course I would not want to spend through my savings at all if it can be avoided.

I quit a few times in my youth (20s/30s). Got a new job in a few weeks/months (IT/Dev) - excl 2001, went to grad school instead.

Yes, and were my folks pissed when I had to move back in with them!

Yes, after day 6. The CEO wanted me to do things that were unethical.

Best thing to do if you’re unhappy in a job (I’m talking mostly professional stuff vs retail where there is more movement) is make a note on your calendar six months out to recheck.

I did this time after time and was astounding at how often I couldn’t even recall what has made me so miserable because things were much better.

Now, if it’s an abusive/toxic situation, you shouldn’t wait.

A few times when I was younger. Left a job that I knew was not going to work out, after one day after the owner tried to sexually harrass me. This was the 80s. He told me I'd be traveling with him and staying in the same room on business trips, the first day on the job. And he said "all his girls" (meaning the office) did that.

I have also been laid off, without another - got another job within a week.

I quit jobs a lot in my 20s and early 30s without another but I had parental pockets to fall back on then and not too many bills and some savings. I would not do so now, as TAG, I'm it now in my family and I'm the main breadwinner.

Many times. Also left a bad one for a new one, but the new one was it's own shithole- and left that one ASAP.

Beware: nobody quits a good job.

Yes, in September. Got a little part time job in the evening and am on government assistance while I figure things out. It's temporary but I'm learning a lot in my isolation. I took a course, and want to go back to school.

Stressing over money is the main problem, but I still never want to see that place or any of my former coworkers again.

Of course op are you mental?

Spend time applying for jobs while you’re supposed to be working. Act like it’s part of your normal workday. You’ll find something soon enough and your current job will drive you less crazy.