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Comment by dimmke | Hacker News Reader

I hit a point where doing my current job just wasn't an option anymore. I was so unhappy, they could have been paying me 1 million a year and it wouldn't have mattered. I got there from a combination of feeling like I wasn't doing anything right, and even if I was none of it mattered anyways.

I've never felt that way about a job before, like despair. But it made it less of a decision and more of an eventuality.

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This is exactly how I feel right now. In 2 hours I’m going to announce my 1 month notice to my boss. I have no next job lined up, but I do have about 1.5 years of expenses saved up. I am awful at my job, the writing is on the wall, and for months I haven’t found the motivation to care to do better. It’s demoralizing, especially since I consider myself a capable person.

You have my sympathies. I did this once (see my other comment). In my case, finding the next job without having an existing one was unusually difficult. (Yes, everyone says this.) Employers strongly avoid the unemployed. And as it happens, it cut my comp in half.

It's a tradeoff, but there's more to life than money.

In your case, did it end up being worth it in the end?

Yes, but the alternative in my case probably would have involved suicide. Unfortunately, that's not something you can tell prospective employers, as an explanation for taking a break. (I'm not at all suicidal these days, so worry not.)

My suggestion there is to think of a plausible fib that won't raise flags. You could make up a consulting jaunt or maybe a dying relative you had to take care of. Or just say you needed a sabbatical. This might seem unethical, but my read is that employers really _want_ to see you "act normal", which in our society means lying about certain things in a professional context.

I’m very glad to read this, as I am feeling in a similar boat, and the strong impetus to move was getting close to suicide. Thankfully, I am making progress and I have committed to the changes, which lifts my spirits.

This comment is encouraging, thank you.

Good luck. Perhaps useful to keep the Buddhist parable of the farmer in mind: https://donsnotes.com/religion/parables/buddhist-farmer.html

In short, it's hard to tell whether something that seems awful now might not turn out to be good in the long run.

As a counterpoint, I found it extremely easy to find a new job without having an existing one.

It's tough market. Take a step back.. take tomorrow off. Get your resume ready on the weekend and start applying. Give yourself a few days to understand the response level from applying and make a decision.

Don't give a month.. give two weeks when you need it (after the offer)

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