h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Not leaving h2g2 (I prefer to softly and suddenly vanish away whenever I leave h2g2 rather than go off in a huff).

I am seriously considering looking for a new job.

I've got two reasons for leaving; the big one is that I feel they expect too much in terms of hours and work. It's not junior doctor stuff, but it's felt relentless. The sheer number of hours expected in any given week has been harsh (I tend to be first in and am often last out, though I know other people work even harder, doing phonecalls at silly o'clock because we're a multinational). On top of that, I've had very little time time off since I started in September. (I did take time off over Christmas, but ended up working two of the days to do my performance review - no time off in lieu, of course).

The whole thing has left me feeling burned out, mistrustful and resentful. I am aware that one of the reasons I want to leave is that "then they'll be sorry". Not adult.

That said, the individuals are some of the best people I've worked with, and I'm worried I will jump out of the frying pan of long hours with decent people into the fire of long hours with complete shits.

So - two questions really - what do I give as a reason for leaving this job when I apply to another company for a new job? And should I just get over myself - am I just being a wuss?

Ben

If you are unhappy in you job and can get another one then do it.

Book some time off, long weekends something, no work, none, and no hootoo stuff unless it's fun. You'll feel better and be in a better position to be confident that you really don't like this job and not just feeling a bit burnt out

On what to say to the company, say, while you still enjoy the job you are doing and will miss the relationships you've built up with your work collegues, the job you are applying is better because...
That way it's all very positive



Love Peanut

<>

that indeed is what w*rk is all about .. and furthermore ..

If you are unhappy in your job then the term "selfishness" has no meaning.

and in love, war, and job interviews everything is allowed.

Question: Are you burned-out only because of the job? (I'm thinking of one or two other things here...)

What's that latin saying ... Post hoc ergo propter hoc
(for anyone not knowing: this happened after that therefore this was because of that)

I'd say take a break, get back into routine for a week or so THEN rethink.

Deep regards

Rod

The getting actual down time's been part of the problem, Peanut.

We're away for a few days, so that will be a real break, rather than failing-to-catch-up-with-chores which is how I've spent my weekends since August, when I've not been moving, unpacking, dissertating or saving hootoo.

The question is not what to say to the company I want to leave, but to any I want to join.

More replies tomorrow, I've been told to walk slowly and carefully away from the internet.....

B

Well that lst at least is easy - you tell them that you want to work for them not that you don't want to work for the lst lot. You applied for this job because of xyz - you admire their culture, you feel the position is good fit for your skills, it is fresh and interesting challenge etc etc etc.

Sounds like you need a week or two of time awy from home so the chores can't nag.

If you are unhappy at work, then why stay? You spend so much time there, it's not worth it. Some of the jobs I hated most were the best paid, while the jobs I've stuck to longest because I've been happiest are the lowest paid, and at the moment, the longest ever hours!

the people do make a difference yes, but only you can decide if you want to stay or go, there's nothing to stop you looking to see what's about - you don't have to leave your current job if you go for an interview and are offered a job! Just make sure you ask for a tour so you can see how the office is working.


Depending on what type of job you are going for, you could try something like 'current job is good, lovely people, but no room to grow/learn more/improve skills/gone as far as is possible'.

Does your boss, HR, 'company' not know that the role is burning you out...i.e. stressing you out?

Your company does have a duty of care to ensure what they ask you to do does not harm you you in anyway.

Is this 'stress'? I'd say yes. What is your companies policy on stress. They should have one.

Problem with stress is the stressed person isn't in the state of mind to sort things out at work and hence usually either just carries on or looks for a new job....

Have 2 weeks holiday from work. I find that much better than days or a single week.

Hi Ben,

Weirdly, I'm recruiting right now - just e-mailed you.

Icy

Hey Ben,


I meant that's what you say to potential new employers, slating your ex-employers is not a good look, you are applying for your new job cos it's better than old job, so your new job offers you opportunities which you'd thrive on, the hours or location are more appealing, while you and your husband are still career driven you'd nevertheless like to spend some quality time together and the company you are applying is just so fabulous of course you'd prefer to work for them.

Something along those lines

Hope you are enjoying your down time

Love Peanut

What Rod said. In fact, the hours and workstyle you describe seem incongruous given the amount of parallel time you've obviously put into h2g2.

Only you'll be able to be honestly critical about this, but I'm amazed that you're doing stretched hours for an employer too. I'd have guessed that you'd have to be hiding from your employer to be putting in that h2g2 effort. Obviously not. And wasn't there a Masters in there somehere as well? Wow.

You'll be mindful of some of the inevitable drawbacks of a new job. Even with the most understanding employer, it's never the time to be immersed deeply in an outside-work project. If you do move any time soon, do you intend to work just as hard for hootoo? Assuming you’re committed to finishing the noohootoo journey (and it certainly seems like it), isn’t this exactly the wrong time to switch job?

If you’re resolved to leave (seems you are) then that message for job-hunting is certainly tricky to pitch. At the same time, you seem to possess:
- a super-human appetite for work
- an extreme susceptibility to distraction
Some of us get away with this kind of thing to a degree, for instance if we’re hired for blue-skies research. Even for those in that privileged position, though, care is needed if the boss provides one train-set but the temptation is to play with a different one.

You always come over as if you should be working as a stand-back orchestrator in a creative/strategic role, ie you should be having the ideas and somebody else should be implementing them under your supervision. Isn't it like that with you, Ben? Can’t you shape the job? Though come to think of it, when directing others and not just oneself, in some ways it gets even harder to work outside the authorised zone.

The ultimate is to go self-employed, but then the Ultimate Catch is that the distractions then tend to subtract directly from the money that one could make for oneself. Maybe the difference between the really clever people who are either materially-rich XOR intellectually-fulfilled is that the former resist the stimulating distractions while the latter transcend their jobs.

Being both those nice things is beyond most of us. We make a choice to be one. Being neither is something we need to recognise if it happens, and to move on fast - so applause for that much. (I take it you’re not rich...)

If I were you, I think I’d tell a prospective employer that the moving motive was a sense of staleness. I’d be open and honest about the extra-curricular stuff (it’s impressive in every respect except the incredibility of a claim that you were also delivering what you were paid to do), but I’d also say that all this outside interest was sought because of a lack of an inside challenge. I’d then invite a new employer to stretch me, and I’d try to mean it. I’d certainly set out to shape the new job. But I wouldn’t even start looking until I felt I’d finished and moved beyond that extraneous project.

Oh yeah; those other Qs. Do you need to get over yourself? As ever. Are you a wuss? Probably not...