Waking up at 5:30 am sucks. Waking up at 5:30 am to go to a job that you hate is even worse.
The only thing I could actually stomach that morning was a cup of coffee with an extra shot of attitude. Despite my obvious grumpiness and half-hearted attempts to call off, I showed up to work at 7:00 am. I had just been diagnosed with acute bronchitis and given antibiotics, so I had to mentally prepare myself to make it through a hellish day at work. Huffing and puffing, I was told that I was not, “moving with a sense of urgency”, even though they were fully aware of my fresh case of bronchitis. I worked as fast as could while struggling to keep my breath, coughing obnoxiously loud.
Quitting my job was something I wavered with but I never acted on it. I would talk to my mom about it a bit, to vent. But just like Sam Smith, I had money on my mind. It wasn’t until the day I was horrifically sick and heard my name being yelled from the back stock room that I decided I definitiely needed to quit. At the end of my shift I headed upstairs towards Human Resources. Finding the first manager I saw, I pulled her aside and whispered, “Where do I put in my two weeks?”
As a poor college student living in New York City, deciding to end a source of income is kind of insane. Rent is close to being due, books still need to be bought, and I hadn’t bought groceries in the past few weeks, yet I couldn’t wait to grab my last paycheck and run out of the door.
The reason why I was so eager to leave was because of the way that they treated their employees. For the last month and half I was ridiculed, embarrassed, and I often left work on the verge of tears. I hated it. In the last five years that I have been working, I have never hated a job. I always found a way to enjoy something about where I was working; whether it was my co-workers, the customers, or even the crazy retail situations which turned into great stories.
I usually connect with the other employees which eventually makes work no longer feel like work, but a community. Yet with this job it was impossible. The dress codes, the stagnant breakroom, and the cliques that emerged between each floor made it an unfriendly environment and I couldn’t work in it. As young adults we are expected to take almost any job as long as it is paying so we can transition into a “real adult” and have work experience. However, we often don’t know when enough is enough.
Now, I do.
Although I’m scrounging together loose change and working extra hours at my other job, I’m a lot happier. Whenever I leave work, my voice is lighter and I seem to have a smile instead of a grimace on my face. Instead of selling clothes and disdain, I’m selling sunglasses with a DJ playing in the background and co-workers who love to do the Harlem Shake while talking to customers. It isn’t my dream job, but it’s a lot better than working in the corporate equivalent of hell.
From this experience I learned the value of my work and most importantly, myself. So it’s okay if you want to quit your job. You’re not the only one who has ever felt that way. Maybe it will get better with time or maybe it won’t.
Know that it’s okay to know and own your self-worth and that putting your two weeks in can give you a peace of mind.