Stuck In A Bad Job? Watch This | The Work Hotline with Sho Dewan

Añadido: 2026-05-14

[00:00:00]Corporate America and the job market is broken. Too many people stay stuck in bad jobs, but I don't want that to happen to you.

[00:00:07]>> [music] >> You're tuning in to The Work Hotline.

[00:00:11]With Shodewan. Right now, someone you know, maybe even you, is sitting on their couch on a Sunday night, stomach all messed up with butterflies, already dreading work tomorrow. And you know this, they're not alone. LinkedIn found that 75% of working Americans feel this way every single week. That means if you have four friends sitting in a room, three of them are spending their weekend anxious about Monday. So today we'll talk about the question most people are too scared to ask out loud, should I quit and when is actually the right time [music] to do it? Yo, what is up my friend? My name is Shodewan, your work hype man, and welcome to The Work Hotline podcast, where you call in with your real career questions and I pick up and give you my take. So you might notice the new setup because I feel like this podcast needed a lift up, man, and now we're here. Today I only got some calls lined up for should I quit, but if you've got a work, money, or career question that you want me to tackle, you can call in here or email us at workhustle.com.

[00:01:05]Link is in the description. First, a personal update before we get into calls, I just finished writing my book.

[00:01:10]I know, it's been a long time coming, but I just want to say thank you in advance for supporting it and buying it and gifting it and all those good things because I'm telling you right now, we didn't hold back in this. This book is probably going to cost less than a Chipotle burrito and it's going to make you tens of thousands of dollars. So it comes out in August 2026. All our best stuff is in here and I can't wait for you to get it. But today we're getting into the topic quitting your job and I don't just mean should you stay or go? I want to talk about what it actually looks like to make the decision right now in 2026, when the job market is one of the weirdest it's ever been. So first, let me tell you my own quitting story. I know mine don't look like it, but I don't think I'm the riskiest guy.

[00:01:43]I know you might see my work app content and my other stuff, but I have never quit a job without something else lined up. Every single time, when it was consulting to head hunting or head hunting to HR or something else, I always had an offer in hand before making my exit plan. But what I've seen for me and a lot of clients is sometimes the biggest payoff comes when you do have to take a leap. So even for me, when I left my HR role to go all in on work app, I had about $10,000 in savings and I gave myself a runway of 6 months.

[00:02:12]If I didn't make any money, can I survive for the next few months? Because I knew that if it didn't work out, I could always go back, I could always get another corporate job. But that was enough cushion for me to make that jump.

[00:02:21]So we're going to talk a lot about quitting and should you go, should you stay, should you leave? But I think some questions you got to ask yourself is what is your runway? What is your overall long-term plan? What is your financial situation? Because those questions are going to be very important to you, my friend. So I'm not going to go out and say you should go start a business because this episode isn't about that. Quitting can mean taking a break, it can mean jumping to a better role, it can mean you leaving a a toxic situation or a bad boss. The what doesn't matter as much as learning how to make the decision clearly, without panic, without guilt, and without a plan. Before we get to the calls, I want to give you some context first because quitting in 2026 is a different conversation than it was 2 years ago, 5 years ago, 10 years ago. The market has changed, the math has changed, and a lot of people are making decisions without looking at their own data and looking at the market data. So let's look at what's actually going on right now. So first, on burnout, according to LinkedIn, 60% of workers see the biggest trigger is worrying about their workload and 39% are anxious about tasks that they didn't finish the week before. Another survey of over 2,000 people found that 68% said they were at least somewhat happy at their job and yet 70% of those same people still experience the Sunday scaries. This isn't just people who hate where they work and they just want to leave, this is people who are stretched too thin and running on fumes even when things are mostly fine. So I just want you to know, my friend, it's not just you and the grass doesn't always look greener on the other side. Yes, if you're in a toxic place, please, please do leave, but if you're feeling some pressure, if you're feeling some Sunday scaries, there is some normalness to that. Here's the facts.

[00:03:58]The quit rate in February 2026 dropped to less than 2%. This is the lowest we've seen in years and you might think, great, then that means people are happy at work, right? I wish it was happening, but the reality is people are scared.

[00:04:11]Since the beginning of this year, over 1,600 companies have announced mass layoffs. You already heard about Oracle just recently, Amazon, Meta, they're all cutting corporate roles and it's not like just back office, HR, finance, it's tech, it's operations, it's program management. Right now, with all this talk, all this murmur, no one wants to be the person who voluntarily walks out of a good thing. If less people are quitting, that means less openings. So I'm not telling you this because I'm trying to scare you, but I just want you to know the facts. And next, on job hopping, for years the advice, if you want a big fat raise, you change jobs, right? And at the peak of the Great Resignation in 2022, people who were switching jobs were seeing a 9% wage growth compared to people who just stuck around. But that gap has been closing ever since. By early 2026, the wage growth tracker showed only a 0.5% increase from people who leave versus people who stayed. So obviously, a much slimmer margin. With that, people aren't moving as freely because they don't feel like they have as much leverage and they're right. It's an employer's market through and through right now. So what does this mean practically for you? It means quitting for a slightly better salary alone is just not as strong of a case that it used to be. I think if you're going for another role and it's just marginally higher, the smarter question isn't will I make more money here? It's more about is this the right move for me? Will I grow faster, learn more, gain something that I can't in my current role? Those are the questions that I want you to start thinking about and not just the money alone. All right, you've heard my take, now let's hear from the people who are actually living it. The Work Hotline is open. Let's hear.

[00:05:46]The first call is from Lawrence and Lawrence has to say Hey Shodewan, I don't know if it's just a big problem or it's just me, but honestly, man, every Sunday I get this terrible feeling in my stomach about Monday. I'm already dreading the coming week, dude. I feel like I'm a hamster going around in circles. And honestly, I thought I'd be happier once I got my raise, but the company wants more out of everyone and I'm so, so burnt out. I know I don't want this, but you know what? I also need the money. So I just want to hear your take on it. Oh, man, there's a lot of ways to unpack that, but I think the first thing we got to call out is you got a raise, right? And I think most times when I hear people who get a raise, their first immediate reaction is like, hell yeah, I got a raise. But when more money doesn't change the feeling, the problem isn't the money, it's something internal. It's something within the company itself or your role that's not working. It might be your environment, it might be your boss, it might be your role, but more money won't change that. I think there's a lot of ways to look at this, but before I tell you to quit, I'd actually ask you some questions back. How long have you been actually feeling this way, man? Has it been a few weeks? Has it been a few months? Has it been over a year? Cuz if it's only been a while, I think you should already have that answer of what you should be doing. But if you're telling me, Shodewan, it's been like 2, 3 months, my gut feeling is telling you don't rush into a decision just yet. It might just be a bad phase and things might get better. The second question I'd ask you, what is your runway? Do you have a few months of expenses saved up?

[00:07:08]Do you have some savings? If it's not that big, that's when I think it's a smarter move for you to actually stay and then look. Instead of quitting and then looking elsewhere, maybe stay, maybe take on a little less on for the projects and then keep looking. And the last question I want to ask you is you said that your current state is not the best, but is there anything that you can do that doesn't revolve around you moving ship? Maybe an internal move, maybe a new team, a new project. So Lawrence, I think there's really two main ways to look at this. If I were in your shoes right now and I had a ton of runway, it was killing my mental health.

[00:07:36]If your mental health sucks, your confidence sucks, you're not going to get another better job, either.

[00:07:40]Lawrence, if I'm you, I'm quitting right now. Quit, take care of yourself and then reset and look. So that's option one. But if the situation's not like that and you don't have the runway, you don't know what's out there, sometimes I feel like it's okay for you to just take a little bit of a step back in your current role and then keep looking elsewhere. So this would look like you messaging old coworkers, this might you be looking on LinkedIn, brushing up your resume. It's all about you building a game plan while you're still at this current company collecting a steady paycheck cuz again, you might need it.

[00:08:09]If there is something internal that you can move to, fantastic, but don't put all your eggs there. But I think now is the time to scale back your effort and increase your effort in the job search.

[00:08:21]So the next call I have from Shushti about a competing offer, let's hear what she has to say.

[00:08:24]>> Hi Shodewan, so currently I'm working at this company for almost 11 months now and I don't really have any issues here.

[00:08:29]It's just that I know that my market value in the role for the role that I have and the experience that I have is significantly higher. One external offer that came my way, they're offering me about a 80% higher. The brand value is really good, however, my current company is also matching it to retain me. Should I stay or should I not? The classic we will match it move, right? Shushti, thanks for calling in.

[00:08:52]Oh, man, I have lots of thoughts on this. I think my first thought is your company probably knew your value is higher. The company is probably scrambling right now to match that number because they know you're damn good. But that's what companies do, right? It's like in their company's eyes, if I can get you cheaper than your value is, then it's a good business deal for me. You got to remember this, the only reason why they are offering to match it is not because they're nice, it's not because they're the most understanding company in the world, is because they're scared to lose you.

[00:09:22]Remember that, you have leverage here, okay? But I will give you a story here.

[00:09:25]I I had a really good friend, Joseph, who had a very similar situation. He was a software engineer, getting paid well, but a little under market. The same thing happened to him. He was at the company for about a year, got a competing offer that was, I don't know, maybe 50% more. When he gave his two weeks, he didn't tell about the offer, he just said, "I'm giving in my two weeks." His boss then came in and said, "Hey, you know, we we like having you here. Why are you looking leave?" And that's when he said, "Well, I got another offer and they're paying me XYZ." So Joseph's current company then said, "Give me a few days and let me see what I can do." They came back and matched it and then So, fast forward a few years, Joseph is still at that current company and loving it. I think some career experts will argue against this and say like, "Well, no, you should leave for the one that gives you more now." But, as you said in your response, you like what you do.

[00:10:11]There's no problems there. You have a good boss and they're just underpaying you. So, what I would ask you is, if both offers were exactly the same today, if you got offer A and offer B in exactly the same thing, but they're just different companies, what does your gut feeling tell you? Because if you're saying, "Oh, I actually do like where I'm at and I do like my commute and I do like my team." Dude, you should stay. I think that's I think that should be the answer. But, if you're like, "Well, I'm not really treated that fairly. I really want to get into this industry. I think this has better opportunities." Then you got to take that move. It really depends on your situation, but I won't go out and say that this company is much better than this because like I said at the beginning, the grass isn't always greener, my friend. Okay? So, only you can make that call.

[00:10:54]Let's hear from Camilla. Hey Show, I've been watching you for a while now. I was wondering if you could give me some work advice. To give you a bit of context, I graduated with a bachelor's degree in urban planning last December 2024, but I didn't start applying for jobs until April when my father sadly passed away.

[00:11:12][music] So, I didn't finish in school. I actually failed a couple of classes and left for a while. So, I don't have the best GPA and I don't have the strength to look for a good internship. I finally got an entry-level position in September as a zoning specialist, but not a planner job. It's 55 miles away from my house. It was the only job that called back. I moved to the area in January and I know for sure I'm going to stay in this job for at least a year. The pay is super low for starters and I don't like the new location I'm in. My boss and I also do not get along that well. I've been doubting if I can get another job in the area where I'm originally from. I just don't know if 1 year is good enough experience, but I really can handle this job for more than a year anymore. I made sometimes double as much when I was a server and every day feels super heavy.

[00:12:06]Any advice? Ooh, Camilla.

[00:12:09]Thank you so much for your call, my friend. And I think that's tough. Before we get into career, before we get into any of this work stuff, all of this is is just work. The stuff that you went through, I mean, that's that's heavy. That that's real life. I see this a lot in my clients and I see this in you, too, Camilla. You're being so hard on yourself that you feel like, you know, you're in this job that you should have everything figured out. You should be making this money. Sometimes things take time. So, I would encourage you, if you haven't already, please reflect on all the stuff that you've just been through. Your your dad passed and and all the things that you've been going through and and give yourself some grace. Give yourself some love because no one goes through that and is exactly the same and the most confident self.

[00:12:51]The fact that you went through all that, still graduated, still got a job in the same industry and it's 2026, dude. Like you got to give yourself a pat on the back. Please acknowledge how far you've already come. You have experience and not just any experience, you have relevant experience. I think that's the first thing. Please look at the pros from this. Okay? It's good experience.

[00:13:13]It's in the same field that you're going into and it's a job in 2026. And now let's look on the not so good. You got a long ass commute. The pay is not great and your boss is shitty. That's kind of like the trifecta of death. I'm not going to lie to you. We shouldn't say that all of the hard work is not for nothing. You still got good experience.

[00:13:29]It's still a job, but I can see why you're calling in because that's not a good place. There's a couple of ways that I think you can tackle this, but first, I think you have to really think about what is it that you really want.

[00:13:40]You mentioned a lot about not being in the same city. You mentioned that it's not in the same industry. So, what I would recommend for you is before even thinking about money and the benefits and the companies, first think about what's most important to you right now. I'm not saying next year or 5 years or 10 years. Like write down three to five things you would love to have in your ideal career. Is it close to home? Is it working on certain skills? I don't know, whatever it is, but you got to make that list first. And then, after that list, now think about where you want to go. Because it seems like you're already in this realm already. You have that transferable skill set. You studied this, you got a role here. Yeah, it's not urban planning yet, but it's still close enough. And then from there, once you get clear on where you want to go, now I want you to start taking action steps. Call people back home. Reach out to old coworkers or old students that you've studied with.

[00:14:32]It's about finding those people while still working in this role. One thing you mentioned is that you haven't been there over over a year and I think that's okay. But, right now what's most important for you is understanding where do you really want to go? Cuz right now it seems like you just hate where you're at. Instead of thinking of what's pushing you out, I want you to actually be pulled to this new thing. And and that's really what's going to be the difference maker. So, that's a wrap on today's episode. Big shout out to Lawrence, Shushi, Camilla. I think if you're listening in or or watching this, remember, you got to do what's best for you. I know quitting can feel like this scary heavy thing, but it can sometimes also be the best thing you've ever done in your career. But, what I recommend you do is to think about it strategically and then make your move.

[00:15:18]You're tuning in to The Work Hotline with Show To Wan. So, next [music] week we have a brand new episode for you, but if you want to be featured next, send us your questions here or call us in here.

[00:15:27]But, with that, I'll see you next week in The Work Hotline. See you, my friend.

[00:15:32]>> [music] [music]