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How do I leave my job?

spinfive

Banned
Long story short I have been working at this job for 4 years for a family business earning below minimum wage, no contract, and it is the only job I have ever had. I have no worthwhile education or qualifications to land me a good job.

I am looking to do an Apprenticeship (UK based scheme that offers qualification & a job) in something before I turn 25 (I'm 23) and am no longer eligible to do one. Or should I do another job in a similar field?
I've done interviews before but the feedback has always been I am very nervous/shy and lack the skills/qualifications they need.

Also how do I word it to my employers that I no longer want to work for them?
 
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AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
Give notice, and have a job lined up to go to. Tell the new place when you want to start. Some places require notice in writing if that is the case send it in an email.
 

20cent

Banned
Long story short I have been working at this job for 4 years for a family business earning below minimum wage, no contract, and it is the only job I have ever had. I have no worthwhile education or qualifications to land me a good job.

I am looking to do an Apprenticeship (UK based scheme that offers qualification & a job) in something before I turn 25 (I'm 23) and am no longer eligible to do one. Or should I do another job in a similar field?
I've done interviews before but the feedback has always been I am very nervous/shy and lack the skills/qualifications they need.

Also how do I word it to my employers that I no longer want to work for them?
No contract and paid below minimum, you can just leave without a word. Or just tell them what you just said, you want an apprenticeship and while they're nice they can't help you. Refuse to "stay a little more" too.
 

feynoob

Banned
Do that to your coworker. Works Everytime.
Episode 17 Love GIF by One Chicago


Side note, you might get a girlfriend in the process.
 
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Let's ask GPT...

It is important to be honest and direct with them. Schedule a meeting with your supervisor or employer and explain that you appreciate the opportunity to work for them, but you feel it is time to move on and explore new opportunities. Thank them for the experience and training they have provided you and express your willingness to help train a replacement or assist with the transition. Be prepared for different reactions and responses from your employers, but remember that it is your right to pursue better opportunities for yourself.
 

DKehoe

Member
An apprenticeship is probably a good way to develop skills and experience if that's not something you have a lot of right now. So that sounds like a good plan. Do you know what kind of apprenticeship you would like to do?

Wait until you have your apprenticeship lined up before you hand in your notice. No point in leaving a job when you don't have the next step sorted. Once you're all set write up a letter giving them notice (two weeks is probably a decent amount in your position) and hand it to your manager and let them know. You can find examples of ones online, just copy one of those and slot in the relevant info.

Also, if they've been paying you less than minimum wage then they've been taking advantage of you.
 
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Nankatsu

Member
You should only quit if you have some money saved or have some other job lined up.

If you don't have any of those, and you are a nervous person as you previously said, you're only ending up more nervous.

You could also try a medical leave to buy some time, but you can't extend those unless you really have some health problem going on...

Bottom line is: don't try to rush things without actually having a plan. That shit usually backfires.
 
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Don't leave without suitable employment. As many have already stated, it's never too late to change career paths in your 20/30/40s and so on. Tonnes of people do it. The worst thing is dying and having "What If" chiselled onto your gravestone.

For bonus points, pull a Dave Chappelle:

quit-chappelle.gif
 
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LordOfChaos

Member
Line up a new job first, and then give them two weeks written notice and book a meeting to give it to your manager. Don't quit before you have something lined up and potentially screw yourself if you can't find anything.
 
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AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
People want to hire people that are currently employed. Be employed until you have a job to go to.
 

Cyberpunkd

Member
Long story short I have been working at this job for 4 years for a family business earning below minimum wage, no contract, and it is the only job I have ever had. I have no worthwhile education or qualifications to land me a good job.
Let's start with the basics, clusterfuck of a situation aside - what did you learn over the past 4 years related to the work you do?
 
We need info on the field you work in etc.
My gut feeling is you should look into apprenticeships seriously, though. When the boomers retire there will be nobody left in this country who can even fix things, let alone build them.
 

DosGamer

Member
Golden Rule: Never Burn Bridges. You never know when you may need something.
Rule #2 dont quit your job until you have something else unless you have no other option. Some money is better than no money.
Rule # 3 Work a proper notice. It speaks volumes and if you ever need a reference it will go a long way.
Rule # 4 Pay somebody to make you a proper resume.
Rule # 5 Do what you love and look for what you like.


Good luck!
 

Umbasaborne

Banned
Im in the same boat. I hate my job so much that its actively affected my mental health and at one point suicidal (im seeing a therapist now). Ive been applying like crazy to other places, but its hard to feel motivated when your current job makes you feel mentally and emotionally drained
 

LordOfChaos

Member
What was the joke?

I thought you had replied in the Nvidia market cap thread that "There is good money in trades. Welding and other work like that." I thought funny joke, like trades, rather than trades, so I said

I love stocks

Chicken, vegetable, beef, you name it
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
I thought you had replied in the Nvidia market cap thread that "There is good money in trades. Welding and other work like that." I thought funny joke, like trades, rather than trades, so I said

I love stocks

Chicken, vegetable, beef, you name it
I should have had Options, and not Put so much effort into shorts.
 

Adapting

Member
Tell them you have better opportunity elsewhere and want to grow a career. I'd give them a few weeks to find a replacement need be.
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Long story short I have been working at this job for 4 years for a family business earning below minimum wage, no contract, and it is the only job I have ever had. I have no worthwhile education or qualifications to land me a good job.

I am looking to do an Apprenticeship (UK based scheme that offers qualification & a job) in something before I turn 25 (I'm 23) and am no longer eligible to do one. Or should I do another job in a similar field?
I've done interviews before but the feedback has always been I am very nervous/shy and lack the skills/qualifications they need.

Also how do I word it to my employers that I no longer want to work for them?

UK here and I was in the same boat at your age (now 37).

I'm sure this is obvious, but don't quit your job yet. Not until you find a new job or decide what you want to do.

First, you need to build on your confidence and your oratory skills. I know this will be difficult, but this will really help you nail interviews and stand out.

Next are your options. When I was in your situation I decided to take control and went back into studying. Yes, it took a few years, but it paid off and I'm now work in a senior quality analyst role which also involves training/coaching managers. I'm earning more than I could ever dream of earning, thanks in part to my studies and grinding away at entry level office jobs and jumping on every promotion opportunity possible.

Maybe you don't have the time to go back into part time studies or don't want the student debt. In which case an apprenticeship is a great option if your looking for a long term career path. The money is low to start off with, but if you stick with it it'll pay off, especially if it's an apprenticeship in a trade like plumbing or brick laying.

Third option. Join Her Majesty's Armed Forces. At 22 I was very close to joining the navy on the subs. The only thing that stopped me was I found out my then GF (now wife) was expecting and I didn't want to be months away from them.

Fourth option. The wild card. Become an escort. Good pay and I assume paid sex from older people with decades of experience.

Good luck, OP.
 

Rival

Gold Member
Definitely pursue the apprenticeship if you have the passion and the means of survival while doing so. As for your current position just give them two weeks notice AFTER you have something else lined up. How much you tell them beyond that is up to you.
 

spinfive

Banned
Let's start with the basics, clusterfuck of a situation aside - what did you learn over the past 4 years related to the work you do?
I have been getting better at the job in terms of communicating with people, solving problems and such but skill wise nothing has changed.
We need info on the field you work in etc.

have been in the same position of Office Administrator managing the office and doing property management. A small business Estate Agent of 6 people
 
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jufonuk

not tag worthy
An apprenticeship is probably a good way to develop skills and experience if that's not something you have a lot of right now. So that sounds like a good plan. Do you know what kind of apprenticeship you would like to do?

Wait until you have your apprenticeship lined up before you hand in your notice. No point in leaving a job when you don't have the next step sorted. Once you're all set write up a letter giving them notice (two weeks is probably a decent amount in your position) and hand it to your manager and let them know. You can find examples of ones online, just copy one of those and slot in the relevant info.

Also, if they've been paying you less than minimum wage then they've been taking advantage of you.
This post right here. OP it’s not all about qualifications. But experience get the apprenticeship get the experience.
 
have been in the same position of Office Administrator managing the office and doing property management. A small business Estate Agent of 6 people
What's wrong with being an office administrator? I guess it's very boring and routine in terms of managerial and paperwork, but there are much worse professions out there.
 
I have been getting better at the job in terms of communicating with people, solving problems and such but skill wise nothing has changed.


have been in the same position of Office Administrator managing the office and doing property management. A small business Estate Agent of 6 people

Do you enjoy working at an estate agency? If you can work on your confidence you can earn a good living doing that. You could parley your experience into a higher level role elsewhere. Plenty of office admins move up the ranks.

You could even study and gain a Cemap qualification and become a mortgage broker if you want to stay within the property sector and earn more. Costs about £1,000 and you can self study from textbooks. It’s three separate exams and a lot of info to take on but it’s more about information retention that it is working stuff out.
 
Is ChatGPT really that threatening to workers?
Yes.

I fully expect to be out of my job (copywriting) within a decade.

I also think that eventually the jobs will come back because copy produced by humans will be seen as something premium, but it’ll take another decade for that to happen.
 
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Yes.

I fully expect to be out of my job (copywriting) within a decade.

I also think that eventually the jobs will come back because copy produced by humans will be seen as something premium, but it’ll take another decade for that to happen.
Nah, for the most part. Unless you're a paralegal or copywriter.
Pahahah. Sucks to be you gaming_again gaming_again but I'm sure you can apply that skillset to another vacancy. I believe the AI overlord talk is exaggerated, we're still going to need high level programmers to push the boundaries further where AI can't.
 
Pahahah. Sucks to be you gaming_again gaming_again but I'm sure you can apply that skillset to another vacancy. I believe the AI overlord talk is exaggerated, we're still going to need high level programmers to push the boundaries further where AI can't.
I’ve been slowly collecting certs in other industries over the last two years as backup plans (I saw this coming a while back). I’m a qualified PRINCE 2 practitioner and a qualified mortgage broker - with zero experience in either field. Not much else I can do but get certs and stack cash and wait and see what happens.

Been copywriting professionally for 22 years now…I have no experience doing anything else. Shit is wild lol.
 

Davesky

Member
Don’t leave your job without finding something else, sure sometimes you might get lucky but most likely it will set you back for years, and it’s ramifications can be felt in all areas of your life for much longer. That’s from experience.

The last time I was rejected at an interview I used it as motivation and found myself a job less than one week later. It’s all learning experience, don’t let it get you down, the more job interviews you attend the more confident and unfazed you are going to eventually be infront of prospective employers.

Edit: have you thought about UK Access courses? Perfect for mature students, don’t even need to sit exams at the end of the year and almost guaranteed entry into a university degree of your choice as long as you do all the work.
 
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AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
Have you asked for a raise?

Also do you know other people in your industry that are looking for your skills?
 

Pelao

Member
I don't know, man. My first job was also without a contract and the pay sucked. I was young and dumb. I put up with it for five months. One day I let them know I wasn't happy with that anymore, they said they couldn't pay me more for the time being, but that yadda yadda yadda, so the next day I simply decided not to come back. Don't let them take advantage of you.
 
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Northeastmonk

Gold Member
Seek out certifications - those go a long way if you don’t want to go into major debt with colleges. Get a job in a field you enjoy, see if there’s any certifications, and find an employer who will pay for your education.

A lot of the jobs I had where they gave me crap reviews were the food and telesales industry. I never took those seriously.

If I had to redo things at your age I would have sought out an entry level job, had the employer pay for certifications, and I would have used a couple years to gain experience before moving on. I have two degrees, but honestly college might been the last thing on my list. In the IT field there’s people making six figures and all they got were certifications with an impressive work history. That’s not easy, some of those certifications are brutal and the tests are probably harder than a lot of college tests. You probably get my point.
 

Cyberpunkd

Member
Long story short I have been working at this job for 4 years for a family business earning below minimum wage, no contract, and it is the only job I have ever had.
Once you find a new job - you realise if what you wrote is accurate it’s illegal and they are probably cheating on their taxes + you did not get any retirement fund contributions for the last 4 years?
 
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