How I know when to quit my design job, every single time.

Stories from a seasoned job-hopper; amidst layoffs, challenging hiring conditions, and the pursuit of professional purpose

Credit: Unsplash

If there is one thing I have yet to master but strongly desire to, it’s flipping a pen between my fingers. There is nothing cooler (to me, anyway) than a creative who can do pen-hand tricks at their desk.

Like wow, they must spend a lot of time with the contraption that dispenses ink on paper. If they do, it means they design a lot. If they design a lot, it means they’re good at it.

While I do use a pen a lot, it’s mostly to jot down my to-dos on a notebook like a caveman. And whilst not the most common thing in my to-to list, one task has appeared on my notebook more often than I would like:

• Write resignation letter

I am no stranger to resignation letters and the process of ejecting myself from companies. The question of many remains as to why, when, and how.

And it’s mostly personal. No two stories are ever the same, but I’ll share mine as always.

My most memorable quitting story

Some employers just have to get the last say. What’s the worst that could happen after you quit? They fire you?

Yes, that exactly what happened for me that one time. And it’s hilarious.

Shame on my ex-employer who thought they could get the last laugh, because guess what, I’m still chuckling.

It’s just one of those days you know you’re burned out and exploited. It had been weeks since I’ve seen any family or friends, months since I got a haircut. I was in front of my computer, day in and day out, grinding for a company that didn’t give a flying f*ck about the promises they’ve made me.

I did not enjoy my life as a consultant, and that is a big understatement. The money wasn’t great and the work was mind-numbing; Being a consultant basically means hand-holding incompetent middle managers at large enterprises who unfortunately, are now your paying clients.

At least they’re not my manager, right?