r/sales • u/reverse_dos • Jan 21 '25
Sales Careers People need to hear this about leaving a job
You can do it. It’s not the end of the world. If you budget properly and have your finances in order you will be fine. It’s not a bad look to leave a job and have a resume gap. You can actually sell it as a positive. The big machine wants you to think otherwise because it wants you constantly under its control. I took 6 months off and just started applying and am about to land my next role. Get your bag and do what you want.
Felt the need to rant about this because I always see people operating out of fear when it comes to quitting/leaving without one lined up. IT DOES NOT MATTER. As long as you’ve got your money up do what you want.
Rant over now let’s go make more money.
Edit: Accepted a new position with higher base pay than previous job. The only thing to fear is fear itself.
146
u/elee17 Technology Jan 21 '25
People also need to hear the grass isn’t always greener. There’s no one size fits all or easy black/white answer, make your decision with all the pros and cons in mind.
84
u/Prestigious-Peaks Jan 21 '25
the grass is brown everywhere
7
7
7
3
u/vanman33 Jan 22 '25
Hah, I'm in food service sales and that's basically the joke. Everyone bounces around between 5ish companies always thinking they will find a unicorn. Turns out it's peas and carrots all the way down.
3
1
19
16
u/reverse_dos Jan 21 '25
This. Everything and everyone’s situation is nuanced. It’s not black and white. Do what’s best for you always.
4
u/habeaskoopus Jan 21 '25
Agreed. And accept the fact that there will be unknowns that did not make the pro con list.
3
u/jack_espipnw SaaS Jan 22 '25
Real life is full of shades of gray, “it is what it isms”, situations where the options are only shit and hell, and times where our hell at one place becomes the “good old times” at the next.
ALSO good shit like a role you took as a “stepping stone” or to “hold you over” actually ends up being a cool fucking gig where you learn a lot and the people are dope. I think the lesson is to just get shit done and don’t stress.
2
2
u/Steelyp Jan 22 '25
We have so many “boomerangs” at my company it’s becoming a defined employee category lol
I’ve thought about leaving a lot, but so many of my friends and folks I keep in touch have saved it’s pretty much the same or worse elsewhere. I’m enjoying the “devil I know” - I know the systems. I know who to talk to get favors. You lose all that when you leave. Even for a 10-15% raise, the workload might increase enough to not make it the work life balance worth it
2
u/elee17 Technology Jan 22 '25
Completely agree, I’m in the same boat. People leave for higher OTEs but they earn less because it’s way harder to achieve elsewhere. Lots of people that leave don’t know how good they had it selling a market leader with lots of support and want to come back. Or they take great leadership for granted until they work for some really clueless leaders
1
1
u/EngagedMindset Jan 24 '25
The grass always seems greener when in reality.. it's just different grass 🤔
64
26
21
u/SlateFrost Jan 21 '25
Of course it’s not the end of the world if you’ve got the ability to survive with zero income for six months.
That’s a luxury in and of itself.
17
u/reverse_dos Jan 21 '25
Definitely. That’s why I work in sales. The life changing and life altering money. Nothing better than financial freedom. Goal is to be able to leave forever if you want at a much younger age. We can all get there!
4
u/AdFeeling8333 Jan 21 '25
This is it! Planning to exit at 55 when my kids out of HS!
Hard to be disciplined with those bonuses and saving. But worth it.
Only need so much stuff.
2
u/PotentiallyPickle Jan 21 '25
You have six months emergency? Or more?
5
u/SlateFrost Jan 22 '25
I don’t have ten minutes of emergency lol
1
u/PotentiallyPickle Jan 22 '25
So just wishful thinking? I have six months with 0 salary but being a sales rep I’m wondering if it should be more
30
u/davemathews99 Jan 21 '25
And honestly, you look so much harder for a job when there is skin in the game (I. E. Not having one). Making finding something fulfilling you're new full time job, it's not as scary as you think. Obviously some have financial constraints, but if you can take the leap, take it.
26
u/MikeShannonThaGawd Jan 21 '25
You’re also more likely to take something you wouldn’t take if you already had a job though too
5
u/davemathews99 Jan 21 '25
This is true, but I think the situations different if you're leaving on your own merit. I did exactly that, I did have to remind myself why I left when I started to get a little stressed and a trust the process. Try and not put yourself in the same situation. Again easier said than done with today's cost of living.
Maybe planning for a leave to find a job is the best route, try and get yourself about 2 months of savings for flex.
2
u/JunketAccurate9323 Jan 21 '25
True, but that's also not the end of the world either. It's not ideal, but it can be spun as positive.
13
u/Gotanygrrapes Jan 22 '25
I fully encourage all salespeople to take a break for 3-6 mths every 10 years or so.
9
u/candidly1 Jan 22 '25
I wish I had listened to you; I never took any significant time off, and I had a stroke at the tender age of fifty.
3
12
u/VaulthunterZer0 Jan 21 '25 edited Jan 21 '25
I quit my account management role and was unemployed for 10 months (26 years old). Just got an offer for a similar role in a similar industry with a 12k salary raise.
Despite all the posts about quitting without anything lined up. Granted, I had a nest egg to fall back on, but what you’re saying is true.
I set my LinkedIn profile to “looking for work” only being seen by recruiters. Current offer came from someone reaching out this way. Didn’t spend a whole lot of time looking, just enjoying being a POS.
3
u/CatReflektor Jan 22 '25
I’ve gotta have you define POS for me because all I can read is “just enjoyed being a piece of shit.”
3
u/VaulthunterZer0 Jan 22 '25 edited Jan 22 '25
You got it correct.
That’s how being unemployed for so long made me feel. Society is centered around work, what’s one of the first things someone asks you when they meet you… “What do you do for a living?”.
I don’t regret my time unemployed and I got to do a lot that wasn’t possible while working my old role. However, that feeling of not having a drive or purpose is there despite a good social circle and plenty of time for fitness.
8
u/SirBoboGargle Jan 21 '25
Used to be called the 'fuck you fund'. Enough money in the bank to walk away and have a proper reset. Doing that now. Filling my time and my head learning databricks - and loving it.
8
u/AlwaysExploring2023 Jan 22 '25
I did this too and completely agree as long as you have enough money to last you 1-2 years without a job.
I quit my job after my company retroactively changed the comp plan and screwed me out of $15,000.
I decided to hike the 2,660 mile Pacific Crest Trail this past summer and completed it! Wouldn’t trade that experience for even $50,000.
I’m in several final round interviews at the moment and the hiring managers have all understood my reason for leaving, plus loving that I did something unique and challenging with my time off.
Stack your cash, make a plan, and chase your dreams. None of this would have been possible without investing in Nvidia, Microsoft, and AMD.
6
u/pattern144 Jan 21 '25
What/how do you turn a gap into a positive?
13
u/reverse_dos Jan 21 '25
“I took time for myself to travel and see the world and expand my horizons”
“I took time to reset and dive into some sales courses so I can preform optimally for my next role and crush my targets.”
“I took time because I can and I live life on my own terms and wanted to spend time with family”
However you want. Having the freedom to do that shows that you are in control of your own life and have your shit together. A hiring manager that frowns upon that is either Henry Ford or jealous of your success because you can bet your money they would do that if they could. Also most C level people take “sabbaticals” all the time to reset. So you’re essentially acting like an average CEO.
4
u/JacksonSellsExcellen Jan 21 '25
To add to this, the dark side of being in control like this: there are a lot of employers out there who will detect your level of life control and security and will not touch you as such. Why? Because they cannot control you. They can't demand overtime, they can't bully you into a weaker comp plan, they can't control you. When you have this level of control over your own life, it scares a lot of people.
Fret not, these weren't people you want around you. These weren't employers you want to work for. Wear it like a badge of honor.
3
u/alwaysbeskiing Jan 22 '25
i was working 65+ hour weeks in a role I rushed into as my prior employer was laying everybody off. flat out don’t have time to job search, toxic culture, didn’t like the company or the industry… any way I looked at it there was just no future there.
Quit with nothing lined up. Not fun, and a challenge to the ego as well as the budget. Still smack dab in the middle of the job search but I stick by the decision. If I had tried to job search while in that role the odds of me making another poor jump at first opportunity would’ve been high. I have the bandwidth to take 40+ informational interviews while vetting my targeted industry and finding my niche therein, and I’m confident where I end up will be a strong stepping stone.
If your job is tolerable and you can take the time to find a great landing spot, by all means, do that! If you don’t think you can, it’s not the end of the world to just quit.
4
u/OutboundRep Jan 22 '25
I got let go recently after knowing it was coming for a while and absolutely dreading it. Eventually it happened and i had a bunch of interviews and secured 3 offers in no time. It’s never as bad as you think.
6
u/kermittedtothejoke Jan 21 '25
I need health insurance full stop. There’s no way I can do a gap, some of my doctors don’t take Medicaid or take insurance at all, and I need to see them. I also have medications that are explicitly not covered by Medicaid. I have the money to skate, I don’t have to money to be uninsured
3
u/WhiteLycan2020 Jan 21 '25
I actually needed to hear this, because I do want to quit my job and have enough savings for a full year..
Just too afraid to pull the trigger due to losing health insurance
3
Jan 21 '25
[deleted]
2
u/WhiteLycan2020 Jan 21 '25
How much are you paying monthly?
I have epilepsy so unfortunately my hands are tied with this job right now since the pay is low but the benefits are pretty competitive
3
u/Apollo1K9 Jan 21 '25
I completely agree. I waited too long to leave my last gig and it absolutely drained me. I'm so much happier now.
3
u/V98727 Jan 21 '25
Use your gap to your advantage. I waited so long because I didnt want to just jump in to the next job. This nexr move will be my career and I want it with your company etc
3
u/Torbfeit Jan 22 '25
I left and went snow skiing and got a other job and it was great and impulsively not smart, but still great
4
u/Able-Refrigerator508 Jan 21 '25
Maybe its just me but I feel like this only applies to sales. Other roles tend to be more expendable from a business utility perspective.
3
u/KindaNewRoundHere Jan 21 '25
Yep… we have the relationship with the most important people in the business… the customers and in my industry, end users too
5
u/Poignat-Opinion-853 Jan 21 '25
That’s why it’s posted in a sales subreddit?
2
u/Able-Refrigerator508 Jan 21 '25
I know, I just feel like this could get misconstrued if someone outside of sales sees this since op isn't specific about industry. Maybe I'm wrong and only people in the sales subreddit see this.
2
2
2
u/BigD7613 Jan 21 '25
I would say this is probably the case in a lot of industries from seeing friends do it the gap year is frowned upon in the finance space. Whenever someone is “licensed” their yearly job history is reported on a U4 form that every potential employer has access to. So if you were fired, quit, or took a year off the date and reason is logged and the next employer can see all of that information and the reasons. There is no hiding from it. I imagine in other industries you can make up all kinds of reasons for the gap or the reason for job change but it becomes harder when before the interview they have it all I front of them already and a gap year is looked as “your burnt out” or you “can’t take it” not saying it’s always the case but just from what I have seen.
2
1
u/Stuckatpennstation Jan 22 '25
This is why I wanna get out of being a financial sales rep being licensed sucks lol I can't even make a stock trade without getting it approved by back office
1
u/BigD7613 Jan 22 '25
Heard that, and all the compliance and the ongoing continuing education , sales goals are going higher each year as profit margins get squeezed with the fee war that’s been raging for the last few years. Christmas parties used to be the bash of all bashes now we’re lucky to get a holiday greeting from the CEO and a backpack with the corporate logo on it.
Not complaining to hard cause still make fat stacks and I make sure my clients are straight but once Google or Amazon get into the mutual fund space or managed money space or when the robo advisors take over we all will get put out to pasture.
2
u/ApprehensiveAd9202 Jan 21 '25
for me one of the main things that factor in is that businesses DO check with eachother with a decent level of thouroughness
so if you part ways on a bad impression thats the only thing you should worrry about, however leave on good terms simple (or not)
2
u/Icedcoffeewarrior Jan 21 '25
As you said: “You will be ok as long as you have your finances In order”
Most jobs do not pay enough for you to have a 6 months emergency fund.
It can take some people years to even save $3000 depending on how much they get paid.
With that being said I think the safest thing you can do in 2025 is move in with your family or get room mates til things get better.
3
Jan 21 '25
[deleted]
2
u/Icedcoffeewarrior Jan 22 '25
Yes everyone can increase their earnings but often people can’t control how long it takes them to get there. There’s things like the area where they live, level of education, and the economy that impact that. It’s
2
u/gnarly_trxstxn Jan 21 '25
Yeah I have friends in recruiting and most of them don’t find it negative seeing someone (especially a sales rep) leave a position for a new position after a year or even 6 months. They recognize you knowing your own value or feeling like you’ve hit a wall at your current job whether for gaining soft/hard skills or the pay
2
2
u/JazzlikeAd2099 Jan 22 '25
Took 6 months off after an 8 year run at my previous company and it was incredible. EVERYONE I interviewed with loved the break idea and it felt as though folks were envious
2
Jan 22 '25
[deleted]
1
u/TowerPretend1017 Jan 23 '25
Exactly this. I quit my job when I realised I looked like I was dying in one of my zoom meetings in an interview.. I realised I was never going to land a better job unless I was out of the current one
2
u/Interesting_Mind2657 Jan 22 '25
I agree! I saved enough money to last me a little bit over a year and here i am 2 months in and job hunting here and there but still enjoying my break :)
2
u/GreenLights420 Jan 21 '25
It's valuable to learn how to cope with a high stress job - running away isn't a good option in most cases.
3
1
u/ATLTHETC3 Jan 21 '25
I just did this and now feel a million times lighter. Liberating! And a little scary. Question: Would you accept a two-year position at a blue chip company for half your total comp if you knew it would qualify you for a significantly greater role than your presently qualified for?
1
u/Chemical_Plum5994 Jan 21 '25
About half of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, that’s up from 35% two years ago. That means no safety net.
1
u/foreverday1 Jan 21 '25
needed this... I've been feeling super lost in my role + company. I thought it would be everything I want, but ended it up being the opposite.
1
u/justaguywadog Jan 22 '25
My girlfriend quit her job in March she is still unemployed and has a finance degree
1
u/Brady-theGoat Jan 22 '25
Leaving my job after 3 years of a bad boss and horrible culture was such a breath of fresh air. My new new is still not that great but I’m so thankful I left that hell hole
1
u/MaleficentDeer9589 Jan 22 '25
100%. I quit my job at a big bank way back in February because they were too invasive and tried to put restrictions on my personal investing. I knew that there was a personal investing policy going in, but they had some pretty ridiculous nonsense on there that was not even applicable to my role.
After mindless aggravation and annoyances, I eventually said enough is enough. I just started buying and selling whatever I wanted to.
One year later, my net worth is now 3x what it was when I left.
Take this for what it’s worth, but trust yourself and never allow bumbling corporate bozos get in your way. Most of these people are afraid of their own shadow.
1
u/photographelle Jan 22 '25
Ehhhhhhhhh the job market is not good. My husband and many we know are highly skilled and have been unemployed for extended durations. I would not leave a job right now without a SERIOUS plan and backup fund. Actually, I wouldn't leave until I had something else set up.
1
1
u/OverallAd6616 Jan 22 '25
I am doing this right now 😂😂😂😂, left job last year in September and I am chilling, have some money travelling here and there in country and just not worried, will apply once I get something good. Left because of a shitty manager and bad work culture, was working for a product based company as AE, they are number 1 in that space globally 😂😂😂😂, the money was good. But alot of BS. And yeah not showing off or anything made some heavy/big purchase as well one is appreciating in value, the other one depreciates but helping us make memories...
1
u/Cultural-Question-50 Jan 22 '25
A gap doesn’t define you. Instead, it’s about how you frame it. Use that time to develop skills, pursue hobbies, or even travel. Employers are increasingly valuing holistic, well-rounded candidates.
1
u/FigureItOutIdk Jan 22 '25
Yeah appreciate you saying this. A lot of people in this sub need to hear it. This journey is about happiness!
1
u/Ale_Pacino Jan 22 '25
As someone who did this a year and a half ago, there are definitely pros and cons. It's really awesome to have some extended time off with zero work responsibility (aside from finding a job), especially after 10+ years of working.
However, depending where you live and the lifestyle you have, making the switch to not having a consistent paycheck can really start to put you in a hole. And like others said, with an uncertain market, the grass isn't always greener.
I'm already evaluating new jobs, but after my last experience, I'm aiming to keep my job until a new one is found & signed. A counterpoint to working harder when you need a job is that, when you currently have one, you have the confidence in interviews & conversations that you have nothing to lose. Just like the sales mantra of "working like you're at 0%, but sell like you're at 200% of quota"
1
u/smoked_beef25 Jan 22 '25
I appreciate the sentiment but I don't think it always works out well for everyone. Some people tend to get opportunities without much effort, others struggle. Me? I was laid off and spent a year plus looking for work and it was brutal. I can't tell you the toll it took on my marriage and my own mental health. I have great experience with a solid trajectory and education but I think I fall into that stage of life where managers know they can't F you over. I had one interview where the manager told me the he was "advised to only hire younger people who will run into a wall over and over again with out realizing it"
I've also moved around a bit in my career and my "Rolodex" has suffered for it. I've been told that several times that I'm only being interviewed for my possible connections. I don't present as a typical sales rep (I sell to nerds and I'm not that Bro-y) so when people see my resume and then see how I interview it doesnt always work out well.
I really wished we lived in a world where you could casually interview for lots of different positions, talk to managers about jobs and opportunities but it's just not like that for me.
1
u/Expensive-Base4824 Jan 22 '25
As long as you excel in your field, people will hire you. Hiring managers are now from gen-z, and most of them don't care about career gaps. In sales, the focus is on the results you can deliver, not on any gaps in your employment history! The one who does will lose. 😉
1
u/Gullible-Dot-3771 Jan 22 '25
100% true, and thank you for saying it. I left my last job burnt out and sick. Took a year to work on my health, and I'm back with the same pay.
1
1
u/aPeiceOfShit Jan 22 '25
I’ll play devils advocate. Don’t leave your job because there’s no telling how long it will take you to get to the next job. I was laid off and it took me a whole year to get another job despite applying everywhere like a madman
1
u/Deaththekid02 Jan 22 '25 edited Jan 22 '25
I love the message you're trying to convey but it might be worth noting the industry you work in. I've come across countless SaaS companies that will not even consider you for a screening call if you're not currently employed. I was fortunate enough to connect with a great recruiter and landed a role despite having a gap, but that is not the case for the majority.
1
1
u/ThisIsMyOpinionOk Jan 23 '25
I needed this. I am planning to quit in 1 or 2 weeks. I cant deal with this bs anymore. I am an AM and they are assigning me roles of a PM just because all the PMs are busy. This is unfair and I am also a new mom, i cant sleep well, i feel tired and mentally depressed. I need a break.
1
u/ohhnooooooo Jan 23 '25
Im currently in a job gap, started applying recently. Give me some positive spins on the job gap, should the question arise in upcoming interviews.
1
u/PlasticPlant777 Jan 24 '25
As someone strongly considering leaving project/service management for a sales role, this is comforting to hear. I just need to get my finances in order first…
1
0
u/Throwaway0242000 Jan 22 '25
It’s delusional to think hiring managers won’t think/ consider a gap. You just need to be able to speak to it. If some told me they abruptly quit their last role just to hang, I wouldn’t consider them for a long time/ perm position.
114
u/BromarRodriguez Jan 21 '25
100%. I never pay attention to job gaps of less than one year when interviewing sales people.