Guys i am 40 years old, with a 2 year old and another on the way this year. I am exhausted of the grid. Thinking about quitting without a job offer. Tell me your stories if you have anything to share, how long it took for you to find a job, were to able to get the same pay or better pay, was it in the same Field? or tell me i am stupid for even thinking about this in this Market

Don’t do it, the job market is really bad right now. 200+ applications per opening. I was looking around myself just to see what is out there and it’s very competitive. If you have a nice nest egg that could get you through the next 6-7 months while you look that could work but having 2 kids with no job seems more stressful than grinding current job while looking for a new one. I also just had my 2nd in September so I feel the exhaustion with you. Just keep grinding!

Stay until the baby is born and you can take parental leave.

Make a decision on whether to return during the parental leave.

Take some time off before you quit. Take a weekend to sleep. Talk to valued mentors and get perspective. Think about ways that you could ask for more flexibility at your current job.

You may have hit your limit given sleep deprivation and your young child, but quitting just because you’re tired will not look good to your next employer. Long term, aim to become financially independent by living WAY below your means. Having a big goal of having enough money to walk away on your terms will help you rationalize the daily sacrifices.

Don’t quit a job until you have another job to work lined up

Use parental leave to apply around. That’s what I did. Got a new job in industry in about 4 months. Pay is a little less, but still good, but it’s sooo good to spend more time with kiddo and wife. Worth it.

I am an MBA holder whom worked in various areas in the industry. I call it survival of the fittest - I would say the health industry is the most saturated at this point of time. I take care of 12 people monthly and I am always looking for that career opportunity that will allow me not to work three jobs to survive. I would advise that you don't quit until you find something stable. Also, sometimes the grass is not greener on the other side, so use wisdom when moving into another company or job.

Take a vacation asap, do so before you endanger your children

Get a client first. At least an LOA for services before you bolt. Even in good markets, it's hard to start. It doesn't mean you can't, but if I were going to just jump in and start my own consulting service today, I would want to have a minimum of 2 two years' personal and business expenses in reserve. You can do it, but there is still a grind, and the competition for clients is brutal.

You need your insurance if you have a baby on the way, it is time to think about your family 1st right now.

can you take FMLA it’s really tough 🙏 see what’s available first it’s uncomfortable with all these layoffs try to stay positive and find joy in your passion it will lead you to what you’re meant to do

You answered your own question! Are you independently wealthy or sitting on a s ton of cash or have other investments??? If not stay put and start looking

I wouldn't quit right now...unless you have a very particular specialty that is in high demand. While it is possible to get a job right now, expect one month of looking for every $10K of compensation you need.

Just wanted to comment as a fellow mum, given some of the naff comments you've received….

Firstly, you are overwhelmed and this is an EXHAUSTING period of your life. You don‘t mention how long you have until your mat leave starts, but honestly given you probably have a decent Mat pay, I wouldn’t quit now. Use the leave of absences you have available to you. If you are feeling exhausted and unwell, get to the doctor and asked to be signed off for a couple of weeks, also look at unpaid parental leave options.

I’ve been in the job market for the last 6-12 months and it’s honestly not great so I think quitting without a job if you need the income, is risky. however if you have a partner who can support you and you’re not in a rush to find something else, that’s different . maybe you just want to prioritise time with your babies now and that’s fine too if thats why you want to do. Just don’t quit without exploiting the options you have from your employer.

Ps it gets easier and one day you’ll get more sleep again!

DO NOT DO THIS. I thought I was in a tough spot but if you have two kids you have a responsibility and bills to continue paying.

I left voluntarily quitting just like you were thinking about doing and two things happened over the 6 months that I was unemployed... The first thing was I drained all my savings on bills and ended up having to contact all of my creditors to postpone payments for another couple of months and also ended up having to pay a few thousand dollars once I did end up getting the job. It took me at least 3 months to build my savings back up and then it took me another 3 months to pay off the rest of my cards.

I think the unemployment rate then was like 4.4% or 4.5% but I'm pretty sure it was lower slightly than it is now which means that more people were employed now but the market is similar. I would say scary similar and I would also say continue to do your work and a minimum viable product to keep your job and then use as much time as possible aside from work to update your resume and every single place you submit your resume you want to make sure your resume is tailored perfectly for that job with the qualifications and everything. What ended up getting me considered was my resume being redrafted both times I got job offers.

So here's the funny part was I got another job offer while I was starting the new job so I tried it out and didn't like it and then quit it because I was already on a contract hourly and this new job was salary. Just understand that you have a lot of options when you're employed. Not so much if unemployed. Every single recruiter was pissy about my 6 months off but just hope you are voluntarily terminated and not let go or laid off because it'll put a ding on your background check with your other employers you want to go to later on.

All that said , even if you have to go on to like Fiverr or some kind of app to pay somebody 20 bucks to update or finesse your resume, do whatever you can. Now I will say that everything is more fortunate now because I was able to build up my money and savings but let me tell you how much I wanted to leave every job I've been at the last 5 or 6 years because my work is very technical it website development type work and can get very monotonous and boring but more importantly we keep getting more and more expectations due to all the Privacy changes accessibility etc etc so just make sure it's not a career change that you need instead of a job change because getting a new job ain't going to make a dent if you're in a bad place with your current employer. Chances are you'll carry that over and it'll seem great at first but you'll just find reasons to want to leave there too.

If I had a chance to leave my job again , probably wouldn't have left in the beginning even though I was making a lot less and even though I was able to bounce back and save up even more because that job was so damn easy when I sat back and thought about it. I just didn't want to do the nature of the work anymore so I'm making as much money as possible to get out of this career and get into a new one. I want you to consider every possibility before you decide to do that and that should at least take weeks or months to figure that out but you should look back and think damn I made the right choice.

I would quite quit and hopefully take the payout from layoff then look for a job, or it’s too hard to look while you’re drowning right now. Sorry you’re going through this, but it sounds like you work for leaders that aren’t leading , but burning you out, and that’s not a good long term job for your growing family.

I’ve been there. Its not easy but if you can financially manage it will help you recharge and focus on yourself before hitting the ground again.

Do not do it!!!!

I was interviewing for over a year at tons of roles to escape my toxic boss and I ended up being fired in Nov. I am getting unemployment but it's minimal, and I have begun building a consulting firm but it's a learning curve and 6 months in, im just now finally getting leverage.

If you can consult on the side to build a way to get out of the job you hate then great. Don't forget about your family needing health insurance.

It's not a “just quit your job” on a whim type of market. Literally the most stressful time of our 10 year marriage. I'm sure your wife would lose her mind on you.

You need to deal with it and man up for your family. Please don't put your pregnant wife under this type of stress. She already probably feels stressed with a 2-year-old and being pregnant. This was me and my husband and I were basically on the brink of divorce. In 2022 we sold our house because we could no longer afford to heat our drafty house. We lived at his parents for a year then I couldn't take it so we moved to my parents without him.
I felt stuck with two little kids felt stuck etc. I was literally writing pros and cons of divorce and had attorneys names and numbers lined up. We have recovered but those three years were rough.

You’re not stupid for thinking about it. Burnout with a 2‑year‑old + another on the way is a lot — and being exhausted doesn’t mean you’re weak, it means you’re human.

That said: quitting without an offer is usually trading “tired” for “terrified.” This market can drag, and the stress of no paycheck + benefits + a baby coming can hit harder than the job.

If you can, I’d strongly recommend this order:

Try to “downshift” before you detonate: take PTO, set harder boundaries, stop overperforming, coast where you can.

Explore leave options (medical/stress leave, parental leave timing, FMLA if applicable). Even a short reset can change everything.

Job search while employed: it’s easier to negotiate, easier to be selective, and you won’t be forced into the first thing that shows up.

If you’re still considering quitting, do it like a plan, not a moment:

Know your runway (ideally 6+ months cash), especially with healthcare + childcare.

Align with your partner on worst‑case scenario.

Decide your “must-haves” (pay floor, remote/hybrid, hours, benefits).

Set a hard date: “If I don’t have X interviews by Y, I change strategy.”

Re: timelines/pay (based on what I see people reporting): 3–6 months is common, 6–12 happens a lot, and 12+ isn’t rare depending on level/field/location. Pay can be equal or higher, but many people take a cut to get stability/less stress.

So no — you’re not stupid. But with a baby coming, I’d be very cautious about quitting with nothing lined up unless your health is truly at a breaking point. If it is at that point, prioritize health first and use every leave/resource available.

Why are you exhausted? Seems like a WLB issue. Are you understaffed or overworked?

No, time to lock in bro/sis

Surely this is rage bait?

I am surprised. Deloitte has remote-type openings, at least they do in Tennessee. What do you do for a living? It has taken upward ot two years to find a job when I was between jobs. You could consider independent consulting and find your own clients. Keep your job until you secure another income, or you risk going without.