Why I Quit My Post-Grad Job On My Third Day (And I Don’t Regret It)
When I was graduating college I had no doubt in my mind that I could find a job that would work. I had low expectations when it came to salary and benefits, and I was ready and willing to take the first job offered to me because “it was a job.” I spent weeks prior to graduation sending my resumé to everyone. There wasn’t a single hiring manager in my county who didn’t know who I was. I had interviews for a few positions ranging from social media marketing (which I had experience doing at my student assistant job) to administrative work. The interviews went well and when I was offered one of the positions, I accepted immediately. By accepting, I deprived myself the chance to interview for a position that sounded perfect for me, but I had prepared myself to take whatever was given to me first, rather than waiting for the perfect job.
I knew right away that something felt off at my new job, but I chalked it up to starting a new phase in my life. I excitedly prepared for my first job: (frugally) getting my office-appropriate wardrobe in order, researching the company, etc. I forced the memories of the interview, which was approximately ten minutes long and taught me very little about the company, out of my head. My friends told me how proud they were of me for lining up a job before even leaving my student assistant position. I reveled in the fact that I was going to be getting paid a lot more than I had planned to be.
My first day finally came and I was immediately thrown in. There was no orientation and no explanation of what my position was actually responsible for. I just hit the ground running. I asked every question under the sun, muddled through what I could, made it through the day, and cried in my car on the way home. I knew that I was a hard worker and I could do any job that I set my mind to, so I planned to politely ask them to slow down the next day so I could get a grasp on things and do my job efficiently. The next day didn’t go as planned: I was handed a stack of work that I didn’t know how I could be responsible for. I cried again on my lunch break and admitted to my mom that I hated the job. After work, I stopped at my best friends’ house and talked openly about the work situation I’d gotten myself into, and what my concerns were. Both of my best friends told me to do the same thing: quit.
Luckily, I live with my parents so I was able to get their advice too. They agreed with my best friends. I emailed the manager asking if I could talk with her about some of the concerns I had about the position and typed up my letter of resignation. I knew no matter what was said, I didn’t want to stay there. On my third day in the office, I quit. It was awkward, but went relatively well considering the situation.
It’s not easy to quit a job that you’ve only had for two days and it’s not exactly a course of action that I’d recommend, but I realized that I had set aside all of my concerns about the job not being the right fit and took it just because I needed a job. I ignored all of the warning signs and never asked the questions that I should have asked, and I was never given the information that I should have been given. I thought I wanted to work in a new industry to gain varied experience in the working world. I thought I needed to take the first job that was offered to me, and I ignored everyone who told me not to.
The best part? I don’t regret any of it. I’m not stucking wishing I hadn’t taken the job and avoided the awkwardness. I now know I should have been more selective, but I’m glad I have the experience of quitting before the first week is done. I’m back on the job hunt which is the only non-ideal part of this whole situation, but I’m only applying for jobs with companies that have a culture I agree with and have a position that I could truly see myself being happy in. I’m lucky to be in a position where I can afford to be slightly more selective because I live at home, and I’m prepared to find a part-time job to make ends meet if this hunt lasts longer than I expect. I probably won’t have another time in my life when I have the privilege of not needing to take whatever I can get, so I need to take advantage of it now.
Devyn is a recent college grad who is surviving on inspirational Instagram posts, ramen, and best friend cuddles. She is on Twitter and Instagram.
Image via Flickr
