Why do people quit their jobs without having new jobs?

I think there are a lot of factors. With the extreme availability of the workforce, as in too few jobs compared to how many people are seeking work, employees are not treated like they used to be. I’ve seen this happen a lot with my family members.

Secondly, due to increasing competition, many businesses have tried to improve their bottom line by making employees work harder and for longer hours, for generally lower wages compared to the rate of inflation. The result of all this is more burden on employees and a sense of not being valued.

What’s more, it’s a universal fact that everyone’s life is getting busy, and there has been a decrease in the level of patience among the average person. Most people live a life of instant gratification, and are eager to quit at the first sign of difficulty. As a result of this new, easily placated, easily upset culture, employees and bosses lose their control more often, and due to impatience with situations like that, employees decide to quit, or bosses force them to do that in every way they can without actually firing them.

What I’m getting at is we cannot blame just the employees. It’s an issue of workforce size, company behavior, and general culture, and how those have changed over the decades. As a result, lots of people, many I know personally, have quit jobs due to anger or dissatisfaction, rather than rationally deciding that it was the best choice for them currently.

Let’s discuss more.

There is always a reason to quit a job. Quitting without options in hand is not advisable usually, but, at times, situations arise such that an employee is left with no alternative. In my view, one should always be prepared to quit and have a backup job ready if at all possible. If we see the present situation, there is an undeniable shortage of jobs, especially after the onset of COVID-19. Well, one thing has happened from this, that now the traditional culture of nine to five jobs has reduced, and a new way, one that has existed for a decade or so, has come much closer to the forefront, and that is working from home.

If you have skills and believe in yourself, you will get another job, sooner or later. Most people approach job hunting in a very slapdash way, so those who take it seriously go straight to the top and have an advantage. It is important to remain strong until you get a new job, as in such situations, people usually crack and give up right before they were about to find something new.

While in a difficult job or if someone has to suddenly quit the job, one should remember 3S. Those 3Ss are: become Skilled, do Smart work, and Stay Strong. I have made a post: I’m Ready to Quit My Job YESTERDAY, How Do I Do It? That post covers those 3Ss in detail and has proved helpful to anyone who is planning to quit a job or has already quit, especially if it was due to impatience and frustration.

In conclusion, I’d like to add that most people do not quit jobs, they quit their bosses and companies.  The work was something they applied for and had at least some passion over, else they wouldn’t have applied.

It is advisable to constantly work on 3S when in a job, and also practice patience, so as not to lose control, and visualize the financial and social consequences of leaving a job at the current time.

You are right that many people quit without options, and that is because they 1: usually are reacting out of a sudden spike of emotion due to some kind of final straw moment, and 2: have not been making improvements to their situation and seeking other options since long before things got that bad. Most people simply don’t play it cool and think that far ahead.

Please feel free to leave me a reply if you need any clarification.

Good Luck!

Thanks,

Cleo