Changing jobs - sudden stress relief

[NoBanStan]

I grew tired of the bickering and petty nature of my business. Coming home every day stressed out. 34 years old and way to much gray hair to count. Life shouldn't be like that in my opinion. So I threw my resume off to a recruiter and PRESTO... less than three weeks later I've accepted an offer with a better title, pay, cheaper benefits.. and it's just right up the road!

 

Now, changing jobs as a family man is stressful in itself. It worries me that I'm leaving the enemy that I understand for the one that I don't. But honestly I feel like Peter from Office Space here with one week left to go. Think I'll leave early today and go clean my new gun :)

 

Fellow TGO'ers If you're overworked and overstressed, please don't drive yourself to an early grave. You weren't put on this planet to watch the bottom line of someone else's riches! At least not for someone who doesn't appreciate it. There's always something better out there, you just have to look.

[Joseg]

Here, here.. ran into the same situation several years ago, glad I made the right decision to move on.. 

[TMF]

Congrats. It's always a gamble between the devil you know and the devil you don't know. I've done well to leave a job in the past when you hit that wall where it just ain't worth it anymore. It still is scary having to start over though.

[NoBanStan]

Congrats. It's always a gamble between the devil you know and the devil you don't know. I've done well to leave a job in the past when you hit that wall where it just ain't worth it anymore. It still is scary having to start over though.

 

It is, I'm respected at my current employer and I love the people. It's actually out of their hands because it's the corporate holdings company (my actual employer) who've forced my hand. But I look at it this way... I went on 1 interview and found something I wanted. If it doesn't work out... at least I'm in demand!

[Dolomite_supafly]

I have left very few jobs and every single time it was a big decision. But I will say that in most cases you can find a better job than you have if you are patient and look. Better for some is pay, for others is is enjoyment and for others it is the benefits. For me it was, and almost always has been, for the enjoyment of doing the job. Doing a job I enjoy was my holy grail and I found mine eventually but it is also the one that forced me to "retire".

 

I have, on occassion, walked away from a job without a plan but I was lucky it has always worked out. I would never recommend quitting a job without a plan.

 

Glad you found a job a you like.

[UncleJak]

Three years ago I walked out on a limb and took a new job. It has turned into one of the best things I've ever done. Best of luck to you!

sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

[Randall53]

Excellent!  you're correct in that no one should feel stressed over work all the time.  I'm fortunate that my job is in demand in Contract Land and I plan on retiring Jan 2,3,or so and hiting the road for a while.  I can work 6 months out of the year and do just fine.  Then in a couple of years, cut the cord completely.

[Dane]

How did the whole recruiter process work? I've gained more grey hairs in the last year I care for and have considered the same thing.




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[peejman]

Been there. Spent 7 yrs in hell. I liked the people i worked with for the most part and still keep in touch with a few, but i'm so glad i left. While I was looking anyway, the job relocating to Detroit put the search in high gear. I'm glad I escaped.

If you think changing jobs with a family is stressful, try doing it twice, selling a house, and moving 100 miles during months 2-8 of your wife's first pregnancy... I don't recommend that.

[1pointofview]

I am 36 and been in IT for 15 years now. I enjoy the people i work with but upper management has become over bearing and crappy to deal with. At this point, i am contemplating a career change but not sure what i want to do now that i am almost grown

[NoBanStan]

How did the whole recruiter process work? I've gained more grey hairs in the last year I care for and have considered the same thing.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

So recruiters/head hunters typically sign a contract with a business. That contract basically says, "we find you candidates that meet your requirements. You go through us exclusively (sometimes) and you pay us X amount for doing so." That being said, they get paid when you get hired, so you have to pay attention to what jobs they are bringing you. Lets say you want full time work and to make 90k but they keep offering you contract work at 50k..... then you're dealing with the wrong guy who only cares about his paycheck and probably has no decent connections. There's plenty of firms out there so you can certainly contact more than one. My suggestion.. use a recruiter when you already have a job that you can tolerate until the recruiter can find you something you genuinely want. It's OK to do so while you're unemployed, but at that point you're probably going to wind up in whatever gigs they throw at you for need of work. The good news is 1.) you don't have to accept and 2.) you don't owe them anything!

[Sam1]

I am 36 and been in IT for 15 years now. I enjoy the people i work with but upper management has become over bearing and crappy to deal with. At this point, i am contemplating a career change but not sure what i want to do now that i am almost grown

 

Usually the stress and BS in IT comes from management with zero background in IT trying to micromanage.  Am in a situation now where someone is pulling in six figures overseeing people with multiple degrees in IT and they claimed their iPhone was broken because there was no capital "P" on the keyboard.  They had their phone phone wiped and restored multiple times from getting locked out because they couldn't figure out where the shift key was  :stunned:

 

Put that person in charge of a multi-million dollar project with multiple vendors involved and you're two steps away from a stroke at all times.

Edited August 20, 2013 by Sam1

[NoBanStan]

I am 36 and been in IT for 15 years now. I enjoy the people i work with but upper management has become over bearing and crappy to deal with. At this point, i am contemplating a career change but not sure what i want to do now that i am almost grown

 

This is where I'm at precisely. I don't suggest you change careers however, that's a lot of time and experience lost my friend... It would be hard to make the same salary as a newbie doing something else. You can always do the same type of work for someone else and have it feel like a completely different experience.

[NoBanStan]

Usually the stress and BS in IT comes from management with zero background in IT trying to micromanage.  Am in a situation now where someone is pulling in six figures overseeing people with multiple degrees in IT and they claimed their iPhone was broken because there was no capital "P" on the keyboard.  They had their phone phone wiped and restored multiple times from getting locked out because they couldn't figure out where the shift key was  :stunned:

 

Six figure folks aren't IT though. They're IT "managers or" "architects" (which is latin for, "I haven't logged into a production box in 3 years"

[Erik88]

Good for you. I like my current job but I really hate sitting in a cube all day.

 

My dream job would be a park ranger back in TN or a Florida Wildlife office. But as much fun as the job might be, I really like making money. It would be a 40% reduction in pay if I were to leave my current job and become a park ranger. I just can't do that.

[Sam1]

Six figure folks aren't IT though. They're IT "managers or" "architects" (which is latin for, "I haven't logged into a production box in 3 years"

 

This one is so bad someone mentioned they needed to purchase a flux capacitor for a server on a conference call and all they asked was for the other tech to submit the paperwork.

[NoBanStan]

This one is so bad someone mentioned they needed to purchase a flux capacitor for a server on a conference call and all they asked was for the other tech to submit the paperwork.

 

Does he/she bring the internet to the meeting?

 

http://youtu.be/UTBsm0LzSP0

Edited August 20, 2013 by NoBanStan

[RED333]

Good for you Stan!!!

[Sam1]

That's her!

[Guest Cazador]

My boss is a jerk, hours are horrible, benefits are non existent, company van is on it's last leg, air does not work unless you roll the windows down, wife complains that I get called out at all hours of the night or weekend or at the most inopportune time. Dealing with Federal regulations is a pain and it seems like every call I get is from someone complaining about a problem.
Damn sure glad I quit my job 20 years ago and went to work for myself. I would not have it any other way. I may die broke but I raised my kids to get a good education and make good decisions and not depend on my life insurance as a retirement plan.
Self employed and unemployed is a fine line. Only I don't get to collect that state check.

[peejman]

How did the whole recruiter process work? I've gained more grey hairs in the last year I care for and have considered the same thing.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

 

In my experience, recruiters are kinda like lawyers...  99% of them give the rest a bad name.  I got really frustrated when one would try to set me up for an interview and wouldn't tell me the name of the company, what the job details were, pay range, even location in some cases.... maybe my expectations are a little high.  Basically, if someone you trust didn't personally recommend the recruiter... beware. 

[sigmtnman]

..."architects" (which is latin for, "I haven't logged into a production box in 3 years"

 

Watch it now. :squint: :rofl:

Edited August 20, 2013 by sigmtnman

[NoBanStan]

Watch it now. :squint: :rofl:

Hah! Joking of course. I laugh at titles because of how those of us in the industry yearn for them. Help desk guys view "sys admin" as the pinnacle of their career, sys admins see it as "architect". Oh if I could just be a _____ I'll have made it in the world! It's a vicious cycle :)

[1pointofview]

Usually the stress and BS in IT comes from management with zero background in IT trying to micromanage. Am in a situation now where someone is pulling in six figures overseeing people with multiple degrees in IT and they claimed their iPhone was broken because there was no capital "P" on the keyboard. They had their phone phone wiped and restored multiple times from getting locked out because they couldn't figure out where the shift key was :stunned:

Put that person in charge of a multi-million dollar project with multiple vendors involved and you're two steps away from a stroke at all times.

This is exactly what happened. The higher ups come from finance and engineering and were put their to micromanage, not empower.

5 years later and they can not stop running around like a headless chicken when something goes wrong and while we are successful at spinning plates, they are running around worried that a plate might fall.

[TNMTBik3r]

Hah! Joking of course. I laugh at titles because of how those of us in the industry yearn for them. Help desk guys view "sys admin" as the pinnacle of their career, sys admins see it as "architect". Oh if I could just be a _____ I'll have made it in the world! It's a vicious cycle :)

Titles are over rated. I was hired as an IT Analyst, Corporate title showed as Senior IT Management Analyst which is a title that paid 3 times what I make.
My real duties are a SysAdmin, but now Corporate has changed my title to Infrastructure Management Analyst which again is a much higher paying title than what I get.
As long as I am making money, I don't Carr about the title. But I know a bunch of people exactly as you describe, some seem to care more about what is after their name (certs and title) than how much they make. I don't even list my certs except on resume.