Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire thinking about quiting - am I nutz?

So here's the deal. I've been working for a small company for about 3 years now. I was recruited into it by an old friend when the company needed help. He happened to get a real good offer about a year later leaving me as the sole inside sales / presales engineer for the company. The company has changed quite a bit and I'm not really doing what I would like to be doing. I also recently I got passed over for a position that I proposed to the owner in the first place before he decided to hire someone else. It seems that the old addage of "if you're not replaceable, you're not promotable" just bit me in the ass.

with all this going on in the background, there is a piece of our business that we literally fell into that has turned out to be remarkably profitable, but the owner of the company refusses to chase it and grow it. The reasons are fluid but bottom line is it's not part of our core business. I find that a rediculous arguement when we struggle to maintain 10 points in our core business but we're falling over 30 points in this side gig to get there.

That's what's got me to this point. I'm seriously thinking about saying screw it and going back out on my own chasing the business that my boss dosn't want. I've worked for myself twice in my career. Both times out of necessity rather than lofty ambitions (I hate unemployment), but neither were real "businesses" as much as it was day labor / sole propriatorship to pay the bills. I'm not afraid to work hard. I know it's never easy, but at 42 I just can't see wallowing in a dead end job for years doing something I don't want to be doing in the first place. That said, this economy and the situation in this country have me a little gun shy. Right now I'm making a comfortable living without having to do more than 45-50 hours a week most of the time. The job doesn't "suck", but it's just not what I want and my efforts to make it more to my liking have gone no where. I know there are a lot of people here that would love to have my job right now and I know I'm blessed to have what I have, but something inside me just want's something different. Better perhaps.

So am I nutz? I have my kevlar on so feel free to flame away.

prolly basically comes down to what your family life is like.....a wife and small kids to feed and cloth likely means suck it up and deal with the sure thing....no kids or they are grown and a wife that works or your on your own and chasing something else can definitely be worth the risk....how much debt you have built up should factor in aswell.......

Can you pursue the potential business on your own while continuing to work the 45-50 hours per week for the comapny you are employed by? That way you could see how realistic that opportunity is before quitting your paying job.

I'd wager to say about 90% of us would like to quit our current jobs. Do more with less and do it our way. And I just love it when they ask me how I intend to help them make THEIR quota. I am sooooo tired of hearing it.

While I am thankful to have a job I might just beat you to it..

Follow your heart.
I'm most envious of the person who tells me they absolutely love what they chose for a career and love their work. I didn't, spent decades hating it, and wish I had all that time back to pursue something I really wanted to do in the first place.

Just grab two beers before you hit the slide!

Pay off your mortgage or pay six months ahead and go for it.

As a friend says: "You were looking for work when you got that job!"

Sound advice right there. Also, doesn't hurt to have a line of credit and 6 months living expense banked if you can get it. Just in case. On the serious side I am waiting to see if this double dip actually takes place. That will likely change everyone's game plan.

If you think it can work out and can take the risk financially, why not? You sound like a guy with a good head on his shoulders who wouldn't even be thinking about leaving his current position if the proposed venture were questionable. Run the numbers and trust your instincts. By all means, ask your immediate family too.

I've been banging my head against the type of company that BYC described above. Unfortunately I'm also the guy that rattler described with 2 small kids and a wife and debt up to my eyebrows.

If it works out, I'll be very happy for you.

Friend, it is cold out there.....and I do not see the current climate warming up.

Stay until all is in your favour, then make your decision.

That's funny

GK

One biggie, if he didn't promote you, he probably never will. You obviously fill some niche in the company that he may feel would be difficult to replace with someone else. I am going through this right now, and just got back from giving a job application to a potential employer. These days, reliability and good performance actually WORKS AGAINST an employee, especially if you are paid well and are in a low to middle tier position.
Its hard anymore to get good employees in those positions. And for a higher promotion type position, they will likely try to find someone who will work for less money than you or what you would want.
I'd start getting stuff together and do a little research for the move. The writing will be on the wall at your current job, and it will likely be insulting to you, at the least. It was for me.

Keep your regular job intil you have all your ducks in a row for the new one, and then make the jump. Working a job where you know you've gone as far as your gonna go and have decades until retirement makes a career look pretty bleak.

Darn right it was!

I was going to type a response, but then I read bruinruin's, and couldn't cover it much better, although I did highlight what I thought were really important points in his quote above.

I'd go after the other job and have a contract before I left. If they don't want it anyway, shouldn't be an issue.

If you can afford to have little or no income for awhile then do it. If you don't you will always wonder "what if". Good luck, Ken

In this environment, any job is a good job. It is VERY TOUGH out there. I'd stay put and keep drawing a check while searching.

I negotiated a divorce from a high-level PR position due to corporate relocation, and am finding it very tough sledding.

Double dip that SOB. Get you company set up on the side, get a few deals, then dump the current gig. The worst that will happen is you fired. The best that can happen is you get your company set up without taking on a huge risk.

R.