Has anyone quit a job without one lined up before? I did it last Wednesday…gave them two weeks though and the CEO was ooo. All of my close coworkers are thinking leadership is going to try to convince me to stay. I’m getting anxious about going to the office tomorrow as I imagine I have CEO conversations in my future. My quitting without a job started with me sending an email to the CEO for completely changing my deck for a 9am client meeting without telling me…didn’t noticed until I woke up…

Protecting your mental health I feel was what you did here. You're bound to have those convos and should prepare to provide some background to your decision. My advice, if I can offer any, would be to avoid burning bridges. Would you have the option of freelancing for them until you find the next opp? Maybe that's the way forward, say that you need more balance in life and that you would want to explore freelancing.
You have colleagues and clients... Get the word out there and see what lands. Best of luck.

I quit a few weeks ago! 🥳 You don’t have to have a reason to quit or explain yourself. Put your physical and mental health first, always!
I think right now is a great time to quit, could be a moment to stop and think what you really want out of life and career. And explore the fears and anxiety, what’s really causing the stress?
This could be a great pivotal moment and a chance to reflect on everything.

If they want you to stay, consider staying, but quiet quit until you find your next job. Times are tough in most markets.

Agree with Creative 1 - even if they fight for you to stay, if they have to fight and give you more $, etc that doesn’t mean your life there will actually improve and any time you get a counter to stay it does leave a bit of a weird air afterward regardless. No matter keep looking.

I quit without a job years ago. We had two incomes and it was fine but I quit while in the midst of interviewing and looking. I didn’t have anything in the bag yet. Was still just starting to look. But rage quit (not in a dramatic way burning bridges, but my own emotional rage internally) and it felt so damn good. It took me a month or so until I got an offer. Still felt amazing and I’d do it over again every single time. I was miserable.

Don’t go back once you’ve done it. You can freelance to help them with the transition, or accept a counter to stay. But keep interviewing and applying to find your next spot. Don’t get stuck in an unhappy spot for long.

And don’t be afraid of a Monday meeting. You’ve quit. You own them nothing. And based on your story and their behavior in the past, they clearly don’t feel they’ve owed you anything either. Be professional, clear, stick to your guns, and get the f out.

At 6am missing creative assets I told the client they would see. Anyway…share your stories please! I can’t really afford to walk without a job….but the stress at this place is next level. Looking for stories to help calm anxiety. If you are going to make a comment about “in this economy!!?” Please don’t…I know.

Certainly there was a bigger reason to quit than simply because your boss changed your deck?

I have quit every job I've had before having another one lined up. When it's not working, everyone knows, and there is no point in lingering in a situation that won't change. Know your value and confidently take control of your situation.

Yes I have done this a few times and the universe always pulls through. Try to take on a freelance gig either at your current place or otherwise and disconnect, get clarity and something better will come along. Nothing is more important than family so if the job is causing that much stress and you have financial means then I would 100 percent leave and not look back.

There has to be a balance between your health and your work. We should be working to live, not living to work. You know it's right when the fear of not having a job is overpowered by your desire to get the f*** out. Don't second guess yourself. Unless they are willing to make changes or improvements. People always underestimate how much stress creatives people are under. Realistic expectations should be practiced and if they are not, that's a failing in leadership, not you.

When my wife went on maternity for our 1st, I could just see how important it was for her to be home. She quit and stayed home for the next 4 years (we also had a 2nd), while doing PRN (healthcare) to maintain her license. It was the best decision we ever made. On top of that, I've been working remote for the last 5 years. We both got to be home and be there for every milestone with our children. It's stressful, financially tight, but I always look back and feel incredibly happy we did that.

Like others have mentioned, if possible, try not to burn a bridge. If there's a chance to have an open conversation with the CEO or leadership before leaving, take it. You never know when paths might cross again, and leaving on good terms—no matter how things played out—can make a big difference down the road.

I did it a month ago as my work environment was very stressful. I had to think of resigning as it was non stop over working and weekends and no work life balance. I had extremely high cortisol levels and my life was very stressful. The day I decided to hand in my resignation I felt sooooo good.

Despite not knowing what my next move would be or where the rent for my home would come from and would need to delve into our savinings a bit ( we are a 2 income couple).

I did speak to my director in person and tell her I was going to resign and despite her convincing me to wait ( this way i did not burn bridges as i had a couple of in person conversations) and then I put the resignation in. After that I had so much clarity and had a very successful job search.

There are people getting laid off now by email at 6 am with immediate effect. By that standard you are being supremely gracious. If the CEO asks, stick to the facts, explain your choices only as much as you want, and enjoy the time with your kids when they’re young and need their parents the most.

Yes big mistake. I don't recommend it despite the prevailing situation. Line all your ducks up in a row before making a possibility catastrophic bad decision that could trigger undesirable consequences . Calm down, think things out throughly before making a decision based on situational impulse.

If you are set in your decision, trust your gut. You dont owe a job anything but the time they pay you for. You have issues with leadership and if your choice is to leave, do it. If you can be swayed by remote work and a huge increase, that is another option. I know folks in similar situations and they take an FMLA leave first to get a mental break and either find something or go back refreshed before really quitting.

I was in a similar situation a few months ago and had my resignation typed up and ready to go, but then my husband convinced me not to. I’m a mom with a 2yo and 4yo and we’re also a two income family and would’ve been fine too. Instead, I quiet quit, got a reason not to come into the office for a month, hit the job search hard and had 3 offers at the end of 6 weeks. The paychecks during that time I considered their punishment for treating me so badly and seeing it as a win for me. Even bigger win was when I handed in my notice, my boss laughed and said not surprised and had me pack up a day later and said he’d pay out my two weeks. F the toxic bosses. Take their money and run!

What did you end up doing?!

I did so 1 month and 1 week ago. I gave them 30+ days' notice because of how intertwined my work was, and leaving it unfinished left me with too much anxiety.
I had a meeting with my former supervisor, who expressed concern about me quitting without having anything solid lined up. I was completely nonchalant about not having anything.
They seemed genuine enough to offer to send small contractor-like work my way, but at the same time being willing to part with someone who was so deeply enmeshed in the company and you claim to have been building a department around, I've come to accept that sometimes they want you to stay out of their benefit rather than your own.
Put yourself first. A job will come. A new opportunity to explore will show up.
Especially if you're someone your company relied on.

I quit last year w/o a job lined up (got an in house offer but I rejected) and explored everything from freelancing, doing pro bono works for non profits, teaching, doing a podcast, etc. because I knew my saving will be enough for at least 8 months of no income. There will def be anxiety because you feel free and happy for a few weeks and then realise there’s no guarantee of anything. But always try to find the pros of that uncertainty now you’ve already made that decision. Good luck!