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Taking a break from work - guilt


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I am a recent college graduate, worked my way through college working weekends and some weekdays. Looked for a better job post graduation. I had gotten my own place, and needed something full time, so I opted for what I could get: a call center job. I spent nearly six months working at this hell of a job. I won't get into how call centers are, as I am sure most people know the hellish work they entail - especially for the product I was serving. The amount of dread was horrible. Never have I felt that way about a job before. One day, I just couldn't do it - I just quit. It was so uncomfortable and miserable that I just couldn't do it, or else I would end up reaching a breaking point I didn't want to reach.

 

Luckily, I had a decent amount of savings, where I was able to take this "break" and be okay financially. My unemployment insurance claim just got approved today, and I am left feeling guilty and selfish for not working. I am not someone who doesn't want to work: I enjoy work, but have never felt so horrible about any other job I had and never felt like quitting a job. But with my unemployment claim being accepted, I feel like such a loser, someone who should have "had a thick skin" and just continued to work. And I did look for something actively while I was still working at the call center, but all I was offered was other call center positions and hardly had any time to myself to job search due to the insane schedule. My question is how to stop feeling so guilty and selfish. I am currently seeking new employment, and being very picky since I don't have to get a job right away, because of my savings. I just don't want to be in the situation again where I hate my job so much, that it makes me quit. Thank you

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My question is how to stop feeling so guilty and selfish.

 

Try using your time off to volunteer for a worthy cause. You can still feel useful and contribute to society that way. It's something to keep you busy as well, so you don't sit at home all day feeling crummy.

 

And, think of it this way: You've pretty much earned the right to take a break from working. You were wise enough to save your hard-earned money. That's not so easy for a lot of people. And your unemployment benefits were approved by someone, so something about your situation is deserving of that money. Also, your mental and emotional well-being are important, so try to appreciate that you have the luxury to quit a ****ty job that was driving you nuts.

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If you need a break, you need a break. No-one should work long at a job they dread.

 

I do have a question though. You say you quit, yet you were granted unemployment? May I ask how? I work in payroll and with unemployment claims, quitting for pretty much any reason other than a hostile work environment, does not allow one to claim benefits. This is in the US of course.

 

 

I'm not saying quitting is wrong, I'm just surprised the state granted you unemployment.

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CautiouslyOptimistic
If you need a break, you need a break. No-one should work long at a job they dread.

 

I do have a question though. You say you quit, yet you were granted unemployment? May I ask how? I work in payroll and with unemployment claims, quitting for pretty much any reason other than a hostile work environment, does not allow one to claim benefits. This is in the US of course.

 

 

I'm not saying quitting is wrong, I'm just surprised the state granted you unemployment.

 

I was wondering the same thing.

 

OP, I was in your shoes as a recent college grad many moons ago. I was not able to collect unemployment (didn't try I'm sure) and temped for a while until I found something permanent. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Taking a break is ok :).

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To answer your question on how I got my benefits, I guess my quitting was considered just cause. What happened with this job and why I think it got approved because there was a major change in my work duties. They trained me on one product, and then a month in, I wasn't even comfortable with the one I was trained on originally, they switched me to a new product which had major differences. I spoke to someone from Unemployment on the phone and they explained that because of the major and sudden change in duties, it helped the benefits get approved. I had also explained that I did everything I could not to be unemployed (spoke to my supervisor about not getting switched over to a new campaign so early, looking for jobs as I was employed).

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As someone who has worked as an agent in call centers, you have earned a break!

 

That said, take the experience you gained in a call center and apply for better jobs that use that experience. I started in a call center and HATED being an agent, and now I work for a large call center "in the cloud" for the last 10 years and have done everything from account management to programming (which is what I do now)

 

Having call center experience can help get you in the door to the corporate jobs available within a call center without having to be an agent anymore. Look for account management jobs, call center director, forecasting, anything like that could be the start of a great career. There is a lot of opportunity outside of being an agent that can use your knowledge of how call centers work!

 

Good Luck!

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My question is how to stop feeling so guilty and selfish.

 

First and foremost - be kind to yourself! Give yourself permission to take a breather... especially since you've spent the last 4 years working your way through college. That is no small feat. Honor your drive to seek something better in life than the miserable hell of a crappy job.

 

And there's no reason to feel guilty/selfish about collecting unemployment. You have already paid into the system by working, and you will spend the rest of your working life paying into it. As a wise person once told me when I was unemployed, "Do not let pride or shame keep you from getting your money."

 

I've always found that taking practical steps to move forward helps eliminate the negative residue of a previous experience. It sounds like you are already doing that with your employment search.

 

As someone else posted above, do consider working through a temp agency for awhile. It's a great way to pay the bills while "getting the lay of the land" to discover which companies/industries you want to work for in your area ... and which ones you don't!

 

Just be careful not to get TOO picky about your next gig. Building a career is full of twists and turns, and it'll go nowhere unless you step out of your comfort zone every now and then. Fortune favors the bold.

 

Good luck - but I know you'll do well, because of your work ethic. Most decent companies highly value that.

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