SINGAPORE: A woman who has been working a corporate job for 1.5 years took to social media on Monday (March 10) to share her reasons for considering a resignation. Among her reasons were being burnt out, having to do unpaid overtime, and even being so stressed that she would get nightmares of her job. However, she also shared her reservations.
“I have been thinking a whole lot about quitting my corporate job,” she wrote, asking Singaporeans what they would do if they were in her position. “I have been working for three years since my uni graduation, 1.5 years in a corporate role, and I feel really burned out. I’ve had to work unpaid overtime, I’ve constantly been having headaches, and for a whole week, I had nightmares about my job (even during my holiday).”
The woman shared that she now finds herself missing her old contract-based job, where she had a research role at a university. Despite being on the lookout for such positions, she shared that she has only seen a few postings. “I have no idea when I’ll be able to work in a research role at a university again. Or any other exec/lab job at a university, really, just not a corporate one. It could take more than half a year to secure one–it’s very uncertain.”
In recent news, Singaporean job seekers took to social media in separate posts to share their concerns over the job market, with some of them claiming to have been jobless for months. However, despite the woman being extra cautious due to the uncertainty of how long she would have to spend looking for a job, she couldn’t help but admit how seriously she was thinking of quitting.
“I really want to quit my job now as it’s taking a toll on my well-being,” she said. “I’m quite prone to anxiety. Just for context, I currently have almost S$90,000 in cash savings, no plans to have kids, and my BTO (build to order) with my boyfriend will only be completed in 2029 (maybe 2028 if it’s early), and I’m frugal as I barely have a social life (very introverted). After three years of work experience, I realise that work-life balance (peace of mind, essentially) is way more important than career progression.”
She also shared her father’s sentiments, saying, “My father is convincing me not to quit my corporate job, his reason being no one would hire me anymore if I only stayed at a job for 1.5 years. A part of me also worries about that. I worry a lot.”
A handful of Singaporeans responded to her post, with some encouraging her to put her well-being first and to go ahead and quit. However, others cautioned her against leaving without securing a job first so she won’t risk diminishing her savings. “Since you have the savings, just quit,” said one. “You only live once, just be happy. Explore other areas, such as a non-office hour job.”
“Your job seems to be giving you a lot of distress,” said another. “As someone who’s been through a similar phase in life, I’d say quit if you want. At a certain point, it’s just not worth it anymore. You also say you’re frugal, so S$90k in cash savings should last you a couple of years if you have no major commitments coming up.
“But before you throw in the towel, just consider if you’d still be better off in the event you are unable to land jobs for an extended period of time. Some people quit without a job and potentially end up more stressed when they’re unable to find jobs over a long period of time. Weigh the pros and cons and choose what works best for you.”
According to Nerdwallet, it is wise to aim towards building an emergency fund that amounts to three to six months’ worth of expenses. This fund can come in handy for sudden expenses or emergencies. While the total amount can be overwhelming, it’s helpful to start building this fund one small step at a time.
Featured image by Depositphotos/ DavidGyung (for illustration purposes only)