Feeling guilty for quitting a new job after a month
Leaving a new job so soon creates intense anxiety because of the personal relationships built with coworkers and the investment leadership put into onboarding and training. This emotional burden makes the prospect of giving notice feel deeply awkward and leaves people questioning whether their distress is unwarranted.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Resigning via email on the first day of the new job instead of giving two weeksDid this help you?
- 2Leaving the short-term job off the resume entirelyDid this help you?
- 3taking medication like Valium to get through the workdayDid this help you?
- 4increasing alcohol consumption to unwind after workDid this help you?
- 5working long hours including Saturdays to try to keep upDid this help you?
- 6Staying at the new campus to give it a tryDid this help you?
- 7Attending the public school job fair to see what opportunities are availableDid this help you?
- 8building some succession planning materialsDid this help you?
- 9working 45-50 hour weeks while going to school full-timeDid this help you?
- 10putting health to the side and sleeping 6 hours a night maximumDid this help you?
- 11listening to lectures at work and sneaking in homework at every free minuteDid this help you?
- 12Just submitting notice anyway and recognizing that companies would fire employees without warningDid this help you?
- 13Realizing that everyone is replaceable and the team will manage without youDid this help you?
- 14Starting therapy to help process the transition and the feeling of owing the company loyaltyDid this help you?
- 15continuing to work as a substitute teacherDid this help you?
- 16Talking to friends or colleagues for validation and adviceDid this help you?
- 17Making pros and cons listsDid this help you?
- 18Considering telling the supervisor early before an offer is securedDid this help you?
- 19Advocating for yourself and trying to get supportDid this help you?
- 20Leaving the job despite the guiltDid this help you?
- 21Quitting extra duties and focusing solely on standard job dutiesDid this help you?
- 22Taking a break and transitioning to private tutoringDid this help you?
- 23Keeping all resignation communications strictly in writingDid this help you?
- 24Reporting any administrative retaliation to the school district or unionDid this help you?
- 25holding on until ready to look for senior opportunitiesDid this help you?
- 26taking time to find a new role so they don't leave immediatelyDid this help you?
- 27Reminding yourself that a company would lay you off without hesitation if neededDid this help you?
- 28Exploring options to transition to remote workDid this help you?
- 29Working the entire notice period to ease the transitionDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I’m resigning because I have been drowning in work with no director support.”source ↗
“I am so ready to be done but have anxiety about it because they’ve planned an in person retreat, paid for two nights hotel and I feel bad….wtf is wrong with me.”source ↗
“How do I resign knowing that I’m in a director position so my departure would be a big problem because of the sheer volume of what I cover on a daily basis?”source ↗
“My job has been causing me severe burnout and depression and I feel like nobody is hearing me when I try to set boundaries or advocate for myself.”source ↗
“I grew up extremely poor, so this feels like a really stupid move because it’s a move my mother would’ve made and I would’ve resented her for it.”source ↗
“I feel like I’ve sucked it up before so I should just continue to work that job and pocket all the money, but I’ve never been at such a mental health low.”source ↗
“The thought of not working as much as humanly possible is so out of my element.”source ↗
“Finally have my golden ticket out of public and feeling guilty”source ↗
“I genuinely would feel bad leaving. They’re all super nice to me and have put a lot of effort and cost into my training and onboarding.”source ↗
“Also I’ve never had to put two weeks in to an accounting job before and it feels like it’s gonna be super awkward. Am I stressing for no reason?”source ↗
“The biggest con is that it feels like leaving mid-year is a shitty thing to do. I really love my supervisor, and I would be putting her in a difficult position by leaving.”source ↗
“I just feel like a crappy person for even applying for the position, even though objectively, it would put me in a much better position financially and would make a difference in my quality of life”source ↗
“So, despite the amount of anxiety it has caused me, I applied yesterday.”source ↗
“I guess I’m posting because I feel like I should tell my supervisor that I applied so it doesn’t completely come out of left field if I do get an interview or an offer. But is that a bad idea?”source ↗
“I recently started a new job at another charter school after being at my previous one for four years. I just started at this new campus on September 14, so I feel a little guilty even thinking about leaving already. 😅”source ↗
“I would love to go and see what opportunities are out there, but at the same time, I feel like I’m going to look bad for leaving a job I literally just started. Lol.”source ↗
“It feels shitty to get hired, then immediately turn around and resign, especially after going on leave.”source ↗
“However, the main thing that has been eating at me is the guilt of leaving the program, especially in the middle of the semester.”source ↗
“I’ve been feeling really stressed out and overwhelmed by this whole situation to the point where it’s starting to affect my health outside of school and my performance during my regular classes, so at this point I have my mind set on quitting my job on the program by the end of October or beginning of November.”source ↗
“I’m worried that they’ll have to go through it again and blame me for it.”source ↗
“Considering leaving but my TL has put so much work into me and I feel really guilty and a disappointment (I really need advice)”source ↗
“I know moving is the right decision for us, but I can't stop thinking about having to sit in front of her after I tell her I'm leaving work.”source ↗
“I need advice on how to broach the subject with her without me sitting there apologizing for the money spent.”source ↗
“I have been in my current role for four months but there are a few red flags and a couple of incidents that have made me feel uncomfortable”source ↗
“I was hoping to stay until I was ready for a senior level role but I want to look for other roles at my level now. Would this be a red flag for future employers?”source ↗
“I also started in my current role on a contract before they made me permanent so I'm not sure if it leaving soon would burn bridges or be problematic in another way.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3How to deal with guilt when quitting a great team
- 16How bad is it to quit a job without notice?
- 9How to get fired from a public accounting job without legal consequences
- 9Will taking a temporary break ruin my career?
- 2Should I quit my job right after getting promoted?
- 5Quitting my job before finding a new one