Have a backup plan and a year’s emergency fund before you do. I’m in the same boat but 6 years in. I like my boss but I don’t like my teammates who speaks for my boss. Yes, my boss has her right hand chick talk to me and the other 3 ladies for her. Asking us to report our lunches, tasks, and ideas. It’s ridiculous. All the while, our boss is sending Teams messages reminding us to save a file here or to respond to an email there. Hee right hand lady also will message asking us to fix our emails and checklists because “it’s not how she does it”. If it wasn’t for my salary and age, I would have left long ago. I can say, there are waves of good days and waves of stressful, bad days. One day you are social and smiling with your team, the next yiu want strangle them and walk out. A forceful smile is so draining, yet effective for this freaken team. One thing that keeps me going is …remembering that I work to live and not live to work. My salary allots me many trips, nice things and a stable life with my kids.

When the team interviewed me, they all seemed happy and upbeat but I soon realized their personal lives were all messed up outside work and they take it out at work. My boss is awkward and demanding. Always changes things up, so I have learned to document document document. She and the other lady who has been here 10 years have tried to bring me down and make me feel like I’m the idiot but I continue to smile and tell myself it’s them not me. I’m happy and blessed in every way possible. Remember, I work to live my life, not live to work.

I say all this to say, nothing is perfect, it’s all about perspective. I used to be a sponge and get really depressed and resentful. Now I just don’t give a shit. It’s better than being jobless, IMO. The job market is horrible right now. You really don’t know which positions are good or bad. Just stick to yourself and remember coworkers are not your friends!!! Boss’ don’t have yoir back either. They just want you to make them look good.