(Previous thread: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....nal-advice )

After a year plus of working at a solid, frantic pace and 6+ months of utter frustration with my company and job, I've reached a decision.

This week was a bit of a crisis point - the issues with our poorly designed technology system and makeshift processes keep getting worse, we're discovering issue after issue on top of the problems we've had with internal processes for years, and I feel like my concerns and suggestions are getting ignored by the people who actually have the power/ability to implement them. I'm fed up with my company's "pass the buck" culture and lack of support/encouragement/resource allocation for being proactive to avoiding problems. I'm tired of coming home upset and drained and frustrated - and B. is weary of it too (though supportive) because my resources and energy are exhausted, and I'm barely a partner to him by the end of the day.

Originally I'd planned to hold on to the job a while longer, as B. and I were looking to move to the city. After a talk today, B. flatly said "Look, your job is killing you, and it's killing us too - what I want is for you to get out and find a better situation. Do what you need to do, but I think you need to leave sooner rather than later. Moving isn't something we have to do, and we can wait."

He's right, because our current place is great and is in a good location - we were eager to relocate near our friends and nearer to B's job, and to be in a location where we could have pets, but it will not be a huge hardship to stay put for another year. I'm really grateful for his support and encouragement to take care of what I need to do, even if it means our plans together may be temporarily postponed. It's been a difficult year for us both.

So - in spite of some of the wise advice I've received to wait until I find a new job - I've tentatively decided to put in my notice within the next few weeks, so that my last day of work would be in early May. (This would allow me time for some medical appointments and would give me insurance coverage through May 31.)

It's scary. I feel like I'm about to take a dive into the deep end of the pool without knowing how far I can swim.

Some of you have kindly offered to help in my job search, and I really appreciate it and (if you are wiling) do plan to take you up on your offers. I've been job searching a *bit*, but it really takes a full-time effort to do so successfully, and it's also hard to get into a positive mindset where I can "sell myself" as a start candidate when I am so drained by my current job. So, in spite of the prospect that unemployment may last longer than I hope, I do think it will be healthy to have a bit of a breather... and I'm willing to explore temporary jobs or retail as a "day job" to get me by, if need be.

Anyway, that's the update. I am sorry that I have only been YLF sporadically recently - I feel like I pop in for quick spurts but get a lot more than I give - but thank you for being here, for being my virtual support network.