1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:08,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 2: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 2: Today's tip is that you shouldn't leave the workforce when 4 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 2: you just hate your job. While leaving the workforce is 5 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 2: one way to solve that problem, it is entirely possible 6 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 2: that there is a better job out there if you 7 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 2: choose to leave the workforce. That should be something you 8 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 2: are running too. You don't want to be running away 9 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 2: from something else. So I have heard from a few 10 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 2: parents recently, generally mothers who had left the workforce for 11 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 2: a while to stay home with their kids. They had 12 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 2: been miserable in their jobs and had young children, and 13 00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 2: so staying home seemed like a reasonable and socially acceptable option. 14 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,759 Speaker 2: A few months into the gig, they realized they didn't 15 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 2: really want to be stay at home parents long term. 16 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 2: They turned out to have big professional ambitions. The problem 17 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 2: was the old job, not paid work. In general, I 18 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 2: have seen the same thing in the past with people 19 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 2: going to graduate school. Someone in a career rut decides 20 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 2: to go back to school, only to realize that school 21 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 2: is a long and hard project. Now, don't get me wrong, 22 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 2: I am all for going to graduate school or staying 23 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 2: home with your kids. If that is what you want 24 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 2: to do, maybe you can picture the exact career you 25 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: want in the future and you know for sure that 26 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 2: a certain degree is necessary to get there. Maybe you 27 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: have been dreaming of being a full time parent for 28 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 2: years and it is finally a financially viable option. If 29 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 2: that describes you, amazing. But if you are contemplating grad 30 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 2: school or staying home with your kids primarily as a 31 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 2: way to have a legitimate sounding explanation for why you 32 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 2: are leaving your current job, well maybe time to think 33 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: this through. Grad School tends to be expensive, especially when 34 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 2: you consider what you pay intuition and the loss of 35 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 2: your previous salary. Grad school is often stressful as well 36 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 2: as for staying home with your kids again, you are 37 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,839 Speaker 2: losing income, and, as any professional childcare provider or stay 38 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 2: at home parent will tell you, taking care of kids 39 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 2: all day is hard, unrelenting work. If you are choosing 40 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:50,399 Speaker 2: these paths, you want to truly be choosing these things 41 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 2: for their own sake, not as something that just seems 42 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 2: better than what you currently have. Because here's the thing. 43 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 2: If you hate your current you have a lot of 44 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 2: options besides leaving the workforce all together. For instance, and 45 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 2: I know this seems obvious, you can get another job. 46 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: Very few people have truly optimized on the job front, 47 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 2: so don't assume that you will need to trade off 48 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 2: something you value in order to get something else. It 49 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: is entirely possible that you will find a better paying 50 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 2: job with more flexibility or work life balance if you look. 51 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 2: If you could find the time to apply to grad school, 52 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 2: you can find the time to research and apply for jobs, 53 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 2: have informational interviews, do career counseling, or whatever it takes 54 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 2: to figure out your next steps. If you would be 55 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 2: willing to quit entirely to stay home, maybe take some 56 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 2: PTO or even unpaid time off first to figure out 57 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 2: all the options that are out there. If you are 58 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 2: desperate to leave your job immediately but haven't found the 59 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 2: right new job yet, consider getting a temporary job or 60 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 2: take short term contracts while you look for your next 61 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 2: full time gig. Just be sure you think through health 62 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 2: insurance and have a solid emergency fund. Even if you 63 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 2: earn less in your transitional work than in the salaried 64 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,239 Speaker 2: job you leave, you are still pocketing a lot more 65 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 2: than if you left the workforce all together. Before you 66 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 2: decide to leave your job, you might also consider job crafting, 67 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 2: particularly if this isn't a good time for you to 68 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 2: find a new job, or if you've struggled to get 69 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,720 Speaker 2: a new job that's the right fit. Try refaming your 70 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 2: current job. Can you focus on the aspects you enjoy 71 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 2: most and spend less time on what you don't like? 72 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,479 Speaker 2: If you are working really long hours and experiencing a 73 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 2: lot of stress, is there a way you can dial back? 74 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 2: Pay attention to how colleagues with similar jobs who seem 75 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 2: less pressured navigate your workplace and see whether you can 76 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 2: learn from their examples. In many larger organizations, it might 77 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 2: be possible to move to a different department or team, 78 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 2: or to work with a different manager for a while. 79 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 2: You keep your seniority and benefits, but you might be 80 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 2: able to change your day to day experience a lot. Again. 81 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 2: If you want to go to grad school or be 82 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 2: a stay at home parent, those are wonderful choices, but 83 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 2: both can be challenging. If you want to take on 84 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 2: those challenges, be sure that you are actively embracing them. 85 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 2: You are running toward them, You are not choosing them, 86 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 2: Because that seems like a good story to tell for 87 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 2: why you are quitting your current job. The world of 88 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 2: work is larger than your current job, and if all 89 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 2: things consider, you'd like to continue to work for pay, 90 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 2: then no doubt you will be able to find something 91 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 2: amazing in time. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks 92 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 2: for listening, and here's to making the move. 93 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: Of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 94 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 95 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 96 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod. That's b the number four then Breakfast pod. 97 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,280 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 98 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,239 Speaker 1: podcast at iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast is spelled 99 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:51,720 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much. Should I 100 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a 101 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: put up action of iHeartRadio. 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