Career Ch-ch-ch-changes

Published on by Amanda C

Continuing with my apparent 2022 theme of Major Life Changes, on Monday I quit my job.

pro: more time to do fun stuff like this!

It wasn’t something I had planned. I’d worked there for almost 18 years, but recently they’d made some changes that I just couldn’t stomach, and treated me in ways that I just will not accept. Obviously I’m not gonna go into the very lengthy and boring nitty gritty details publicly (the Patreon facebook group knows the whole story but I don’t want to put it on blast to the entire world) but short version: managerial changes over the past few years made it unrecognizable compared to the company that existed when I started. The way I was treated the past couple months would never have happened 5 years ago, and the direction they’re headed just… isn’t for me. It was quickly getting toxic.

Alas, while quitting wasn’t something I wanted to do, at some point I realized that no one else was going to look out for me except for me, and I had to put myself first. Life is too short to feel like your soul is dying a little bit more every day, and I care about myself too much to put up with being constantly disrespected. Having to walk away from a career you’ve dedicated your entire adult life to, though… it’s a big step, and it’s scary, no matter the circumstances.

Once I actually ripped the band-aid off, I’ve mostly just felt a sense of relief. First the first time in months, I feel like I can breathe. I slept better last night than I have in a long time. I feel lighter and in a better mood already. Between that and literally all of my former co-workers (including my manager) saying “you did the right thing, I’m proud of you”, I feel like I definitely DID make the right choice, even if it was a hard one. I will miss the friends I made there, but I know we’ll keep in touch. I hated leaving some of them behind, especially knowing that my absence would make their jobs harder, but ultimately I had to do what was best for me. Everyone I care about was very supportive and understanding of that.

I have nothing else lined up yet. I’m going to take some time to focus on Breed.Ride.Compete. and I’ll be taking on a few more social media clients as well. Mostly I’m going to see what kind of opportunities present themselves. When I took that job in my early 20’s I sure never intended to dedicate my life to the corporate 9-5, so in a way this feels a lot like freedom, and a chance to find something that I find more fulfilling. I do live in Ocala now, after all… we’ll see what happens! If you hear of anything that you think might suit me, feel free to send it my way.

12 thoughts on “Career Ch-ch-ch-changes”

  1. Good for you! As a fellow corporate america horse girl my last job was super toxic. It takes a huge toll on you. Also I don’t see this on my patreon feed…is it a different tier level perhaps?

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    1. I talked about it in our Facebook group. If you haven’t joined yet you should have gotten a message with a link to the group… if not, let me know and I’ll send it. The group tends to be the place for the venting. 😂

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  2. I am thrilled for you! I worked for a bank for 9 years straight out of college. Women are severely underpaid in that industry. In human resources terms… “you and I became rocking chair employees.” We continue to take the punches and perform without complaint. When I was being forced to change a 15 minute commute to an over hour commute, I put my foot down. I was paid 9 months severance and went back to college for a second degree. My life took off. I am so grateful for the kick in the butt they gave me in order for me to make good changes in my life.

    You will make some wonderful things happen in your life. I KNOW IT!

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  3. Congratulations! As a current corporate employee/horse person here, I’ve been enjoying permanent WFH after covid, and I don’t know how I commuted and gave myself all the horse time I wanted. I’m not sure I can ever quit-quit, and I don’t have the cajones you do to quit with nothing new lined up but fingers crossed that I can go part-time soon, and in the mean time, I’ll be living vicariously through you 😉

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  4. Good for you for standing up for yourself! In my life, I have always noticed that when we break from something that we need to break from, it opens doors that otherwise would have not opened and as we step through those doors, we find things we never knew we were looking for. I have confidence in your resourcefulness and you will land firmly on both feet. Meanwhile, breathe and enjoy your ponies! 💞

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    2. So true about opening doors. Otherwise when the awesome opportunity comes along, it thinks we are already committed to that other thing because that’s where our focus and time are going.

      A year from now I’m betting you’ll think this is the best decision you ever made. Well maybe second best after Florida … or third best behind Henry and Florida … or maybe 4th behind … well anyway, a very good decision.

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  5. Good for you, Amanda! Nothing worse than being in situation you don’t like. Take your time and find what works for you. Wishing you the best for all your future endeavors.
    P.S.: DH just turned in his resignation (he’s 78 & deserves to do so). The day after his last day we head to Corpus/Port A for few days. He’s counting down the days and feeling good about his decision.

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  6. My best life paths emerged after quitting something. Happened so many times its no longer a coincidence. You are making room for something new, and it will be awesome! Takes courage and you should celebrate your boldness! 🥰

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  7. My best tip is to update your LinkedIn profile, and turn on that you’re looking for a job (you don’t have to put the stupid banner thing on your profile photo, just turn it on so recruiters can see you). After I was laid off a third time (I swear I don’t suck, I just have bad luck, 2 of the 3 were company wide and the third was a budget issue caused by poor planning on the company’s part), I tweaked my profile and I had 2-3 recruiters a week reach out to me. My current job was one of them, and while it is corporate America/the world, I really like both the company and what I do.

    You are wise to take some time to do you though! As long as the finances are there, I’ve most loved my time between jobs. DO NOT feel guilty if you’re enjoying being unemployed, it doesn’t make you “lazy”, “unmotivated”, or “useless”.

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