HomeCultureQuitting My Job During a Pandemic Culture Quitting My Job During a Pandemic I’ve been at my current company for almost 8 years. It was my first job straight out of college. I’ve been promoted several times and my skillsets grew tenfold. I knew everyone in the office, their story, and was known as the company’s social butterfly. This week, I put my notice in that I would be resigning from my position and leaving the only company that I knew…in the middle of a pandemic. People talk about quitting their jobs, but it feels almost impossible during a pandemic. I never thought that the last day I was in my physical office would be the last day I would ever be there forever. Why I Decided to Leave I work as a consultant in procurement as a Logistics Specialist for a client. It’s exactly what I wanted to do 5 years ago. However, like most jobs, I wasn’t feeling challenged, and there were frustrations that came with the position. Frustrations that would not exist if I were to move to a different team or even, a different company. Frustrations that were not easy to change on my end. The next big reason was the option for career advancement. I’m far into my career that I don’t want to make lateral moves. I wanted to keep moving up the ladder. This was a big one for me since my company was not able to offer that to me in the procurement department. How I Found a Job I searched the career sites of companies that I wanted to work at. I also used job sites like LinkedIn Jobs and Indeed. I found a couple of positions that interested me with companies that were good. I had calls and even a couple of interviews lined up. Then the pandemic happened. On March 16, 2020, the City of Philadelphia shut down and ordered a city-wide stay at home. I got nervous because I had an interview lined up that week and some of the companies I applied for had already said that they were either delaying or even freezing their hiring process. When another recruiter reached out to me, I had a bad feeling he was going to cancel on me too. He actually asked if I was okay to change my interview into a video call. I dressed up for my video interview (dress shirt on top and sweats on the bottom) and within a week, I was contacted for a second interview with the rest of the team. I was told that the start date would be in three weeks, but then two weeks came and I had not heard anything. I reached out for an update a couple of times, with nothing but a “non-update update”. You know, the “we are still working on it and have not come to a conclusion yet”. Typical HR response. I didn’t get an offer until a month after my second interview with the team. How I Set My Up My Future When I finally heard back, the recruiter gave me an official offer letter, but the start date had moved 2 weeks from the original plan. This was perfect because I wanted to give my manager enough time to look, interview, and hire my successor. This process already takes a while under normal circumstances but is more difficult in a quarantined world. When I put my notice in, it was close to 4 weeks. I didn’t want to burn any bridges in case things don’t work out and I find myself back at my company again (Trust me, it happens more than you think). The logistics industry in Philadelphia is pretty small, and you will never know who you will end up working with in the future. I wanted to protect my connections and working relationships with my current company. I told my manager and reassured him that I was already working on a plan to smoothly transition my responsibilities over and set up the company and my replacement for success after I am gone. When you quit a job, your health insurance usually doesn’t kick in until after a probation period. During these uncertain times with a viral outbreak, it was scary to be uninsured. Luckily, my new company’s health benefits go into effect on my start date. Lastly, the smart thing to do was to make sure my savings would be enough to cover any expenses that I would need for at least 3 months, just in case. Things to Think About If You Want to Quit (Pandemic or Not) Options for career advancement Have at least 3 months of savings Not burning any professional bridges by doing everything you can to make the transition as smooth as possible Job security – how stable is your new company/industry compared to your current one I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders after resigning from my job. I’m grateful to my company for all the opportunities it gave me, and for all the connections I made. I am excited to close out this era and look forward to a new post-quarantine era at a new company. Hung Nguyen Hung is a Logistics Specialist in the Greater Philadelphia area. She is passionate about helping young working professionals succeed in the workplace. She is a peer mentor for young professionals and assists with obtaining the skill sets needed for career development and growth in the workplace. Share This Previous Article10 Ways to Cure Boredom in the House During Self-Quarantine Next ArticleThe Return of Dunkaroos May 12, 2020