When is it time to leave work?

Question

So, I have been fighting with myself to go to work every day, make an honest effort to get some work done, and even "care" about the work I do. (e.g. speak out when I see something I don't agree with even though it will not impact me as I am leaving in a couple of months, etc).

Here is the thing. My last day is set for May 30th. My schedule is pretty packed from that point until about a week before school starts, so I won't be bored this summer.

Thing is - every day at work KILLS me. This job is terrible. It is far beneath my skills and resume. For 3 years I worked in high-risk systems in IT in an investment bank in Tokyo. My judgment was relied upon and a mistake could have cost the company millions. I did well and advanced to positions of more responsibility that relied even more on my judgment.

Then I moved here. took this new job. I was taken by surprise. I didn't realize just how entry-level it was. I could have done my current job (been here since april 16, 2007) after 1 year of undergraduate courses. Honestly, no exaggeration. There is NO responsibility, no judgment required. We expected to act as children being fed every little step of what we do.

I don't even want to go into how ridiculous this job is. I stayed through august 07 as that was when my wedding was - not an ideal time to quit and search for jobs. Then in september 07 i decided I was going to do my MBA THIS year.. so no point in quitting/getting a new job. I would try and last until June here.

Sorry if the above is disorganized but I am in a rather poor mental state.. it really is difficult for me just to remain calm at my desk.

My question is this:
Am i better to TRY to last til MAy30th (our previously agreed upon day), or should I move my last day up? 
My fear is that by staying til may30th something BAD might happen to COMPLETELY destroy any chance of a positive recommendation from them later on. On the other hand, would leaving now make that worse?

I am actually hoping to NEVER use this place for a recommendation - how reasonable of a hope is that? I will be career-switching (from IT to VERY not-IT, so my experience is pretty irrellevant).

My fellow gmatClubbers - I don't know if I need consolation or advice more right now. both?

-westsider

p.s. As I get the energy/self control I will post examples of what is SO bad about this place (if anyone is interested).

kryzak · Answer

I'm a little confused about all the dates and stuff floating around. Did you get into b-school already or are you applying for 2009? How did you survive the job you're in right now from April 2007 till now? If you can survive 1 year of it, why not stay for 1 more month?

Also, why are you quitting May if you're still going to apply to b-school? I'm so confused... :?:

kwam · Answer

I was thinking about leaving end of May, but after that, only end of June:

Credits for nick_sun:
****************************************************
Graduates lose special status in jobs market
By Neil Courtis
Published: March 30 2008 16:27 | Last updated: March 30 2008 16:27
Under the latest UK immigration rules, MBA graduates from outside the European Union face a new series of hurdles before they can work in the UK.
MBAs from leading business schools had qualified as highly skilled migrants under a special provision. But this is being withdrawn, meaning MBAs who want to work in the UK will have to provide proof of previous earnings, age and ties to the country.
Under the "MBA provision", introduced in April 2005, MBA graduates from the 50 top business schools were automatically eligible for work permits. Partly as a result, the UK was the destination of choice for many graduating MBAs.
The new rules, introduced with the aim of making the immigration system fairer and more transparent, eliminate the provision in favour of a uniform, points-based approach, which puts the MBA on a par with any other masters degree. Applicants need 75 points to qualify. A masters degree now counts for 35 points. Five bonus points are given for degrees awarded by UK schools. A further 20 points are available on the basis of youth (those under 28 score the maximum 20, falling to five points for 30- and 31-year-olds). The balance of points must be acquired by showing previous earnings.
A 32-year-old MBA without UK ties would need to demonstrate annual earnings of more than £35,000. These must be current earnings and must have been acquired within the 15 months immediately before starting school. Previous earnings are adjusted to account for lower wage levels in different economies. So, for instance, Indian salaries are multiplied by 5.3 to generate equivalent UK wage levels.
But incoming MBAs with a gap in their earnings pattern may find doors closed to them. These cases are already starting to crop up, according to Sarah Buttler, an immigration consultant.
"We have already seen a case of a young woman who had left a job early to travel before studying who now finds she cannot use some of her evidence of previous earnings. If you dig a bit below the surface, I think you would find many cases of people who won't be able to qualify as they previously would have done," she says.
MBAs going to larger companies will probably still find a way in. Businesses can still sponsor staff but have to show they have tested the labour market and cannot find suitable local candidates. However, such visas are tied to the job for which they were granted.
In future, MBAs planning to graduate and move to London to job hunt may need to rethink.
The new rules require applicants to demonstrate sufficient funds to support themselves. A family of four will have to show disposable funds of £5,600.
For those already in the UK, these rules came into force on February 29. For those applying from abroad, the Border and Immigration Agency plans to roll out the new system this year.

westsider · Answer

Wow, that was a jumbled post.. I'll try and clean it up later.

the timeline:
April 07 - start job
July 07 - stay in job since I have a wedding in a month
August 07 - wedding
September 07 - Applying to b-school to start in 08, "no point" in leaving job for a new one
April 08 - Afraid I will blow up at someone and dmage my reputation
May 30 08 - planned last day.

riverripper · Answer

As soon as I sell my house but no later than mid julyish. If my house sells fast then I am going to be quitting right afterwards. I am hoping to enjoy at least June and July without working. My wife will quit too and then we can travel for a few months before settling in Evanston.

kryzak · Answer

westsider, try to move your end date up then. I moved mine from June to May to April to March then to part-time from March till end of April... and the next two weeks (last 2 weeks) will be tough...

Steel · Answer

I am totally dying in my job right now. All I want to do is rent out my condo and find one in Evanston - then pack and get out of dodge. Should have quit April 1st.

gmatclb · Answer

When would you need your employer for a recommendation in the corporate world?

I understand for B School, but I can't imagine a time you would need a former boss to write a letter or say something nice about you for a job.

westsider · Answer

My current employer asked for recs when I joined, and they are a pretty small, regional company (150 employees). I guess they are called "references" and they talk to them on the phone rather than writing a letter, but it was pretty similar. (one of my references filled me in after the fact). I guess that is one part of this - how common is it for them to ask for references? So far I havebeen asked for references for 1 of 2 full time jobs i have held, and I know they did contact them.

trader1 · Answer

By the time I begin b-school this September, I will have been out of work for 1 year.

The UK isn't all that imo. You pay a high price for horrible food, not so great quality of life, and unfriendly people.

kwam · Answer

I agree with the food, not the people though. I'd like to work at an Iberian desk :wink:

. The thing with UK, is that it is the easiest (at least it used to be) place to get a VISA. I'm not an european passaport holder, so the MBA provision would be perfect.

helg · Answer

I will be working practically till the day of my departure to the U.S. I don't have to work, I only do it for money :twisted:

ryguy904 · Answer

LOL - and congrats on the 1000 posts!

VictoryMBA · Answer

What does that UK thing mean for U.S. Citizens in U.S. MBA programs? Will we have to prove a certain salary amount prior to b-school in order to get a visa?

I really want to work in london at some point in my career

kwam · Answer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HSMP

3underscore · Answer

And the winner of the award for classic stereotyping and typecasting goes to...

Come on - even if this is how you see things, maybe you could take the point of not knowing where to go. And obviously your cheery outlook on things really would have helped in winning people over. I find a lot of things strange about my host country, but you have to take an outlook of seeking what you are doing wrong to improve things as you are, as the US kindly phrases it, an alien.

3underscore · Answer

If it is some point in your career, it won't pose much a problem if you join a major company and they agree with your aspirations. My immediate impression is that it is H1-B lite.

westsider · Answer

My point exactly. If I manage to make it a little longer I get the extra $$$. Of course, I'll have to subtract all those $0.10 sodas from my income..

togafoot · Answer

Also, a lot of peoples exposure to the UK is London... London is completley different to the rest of the UK.
People are friendlier outside of London, I've found this to be the same in most countries i've been. e.g. Tokyo is unfriendly compared to Kumamoto etc.

It's also a case of attitude, self-fulfilling prophecies and integration. If you don't make the effort, or you approach people in a certain way, the repsonse will be negative. Certainly, if you go into Central London, you will be hard pressed to find an English accent, because there are so many foreigners working in London. If you're working in London, the main place to find friends is through the workplace and via hobbies.
NB: I'm a British passport holder (born in the UK, Liverpool)

aaudetat · Answer

ws -

First, you probably won't need a reference coming out of b-school. Your MBA really is a game-changer: employers assume that as an MBA, you have a certain level of skill. They spend so much time with you through recruiting that they don't need to call someone else. I haven't heard of ANYONE needing a reference.

Second, you might find that your employer is ready to let you go. When I've had people quit, I have often just wanted to say, ok, fine, get on out. We all know that people with short-timers don't do much as they count their days. The exception has been for exceptional workers and/or when we've been in a crunch and really needed that person.

If you can get by without the money, talk to your boss. don't say you're miserable, of course, but say you've got more to do than you thought to get ready. Math review, career development, finding housing, whatever. Or that you just need a break, as talking with current students has made you realize how busy b-school really is. Finally, throw them a bone: working part time, completing a particular project, or maybe telecommuting.

Good luck.

When is it time to leave work?

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