Your pay is poor, your colleagues hate you, your boss treats you like his personal slave, and your office resembles a cupboard, you want to leave right now, as you really can't take any more. Before you jump in with both feet and tell your boss where to put his cigar ask yourself a few questions:

• Is it really so bad you can't wait till you have another job to go to?

Might you need a reference from this guy who you told to shove a cigar up his ****? Is the pay reflective of that type of job role generally? Your own office might be better than a communal office? Your colleague?s hate you?have you made an effort to get to know them? The slave duties are they part of your job description?

• Can you afford to be unemployed right now?
• How is the job affecting your health, home life, relationships and self-esteem?

When you are in a calmer more relaxed state of mind, sit down with pen and paper and draw up a list of pros of cons. If a chat with your boss and colleagues is unlikely to alter anything, or you've tried and nothing has changed consider the impact that your current job is having on your life.

• Do you spend your free time fretting about work related events?
• Are you suffering from sleepless nights due to worrying about work?
• Are you depressed due to work?
• Do you get frequent illnesses and find yourself taking a lot of sick days?
• Is your work life making you miserable?
• Is your work having a negative impact on your home life and relationships?
• Do you feel the pay is poor compensation for what you have to do or endure?

If this is how you feel about work, then the time has come to move on!

Shall I resign now or wait until I find another job?

You need to weigh up the pros and cons of staying on while you find another job, or resigning now and working your notice period. Things you may want to consider include:

Resigning now ? without a job offer

• If you resign now and work your contracted notice period, you may experience an immediate sense of relief as if a great weight has been lifted. This could have immediate beneficial effects on your health and overall sense of well being. You may feel empowered and positive.
• You can look for a new job while you work your notice period and let new employers know when you are available to start. Having someone who can start right away is very attractive to new employers.
• Can you afford to be without a salary while unemployed? Some countries do not give benefits to workers who leave their jobs voluntarily. So you will need a back up pot of money to pay the bills during the weeks and possibly months that you are not in work.

Resigning when you have a job offer

• Employers tend to like taking on staff that are already employed rather than unemployed as they like all gaps in employment to be explained.
• You won't have to worry about lack of salary, as you remain employed while you look for work.
• Looking for work in itself may improve your morale and help you to feel more empowered. You are taking positive steps to correct your unhappy situation and that's bound to make you feel good.
• You could feel more disheartened if you are not offered a job as soon as you hope and that coupled with your job stress could make you feel worse.

There is a lot here to consider. Consider it all carefully before making up your mind, but if your health is adversely affected, some action is better than none at all!

To summarize:

If you can afford to be unemployed for a few weeks or even months, then it may be a good idea to hand your notice in right away and save further damage to your self esteem and health. Leaving a job when you feel utterly defeated by it can be very empowering and give you an immediate lift. This may be just the lift you need to feel positive about finding alternative employment. Do not be afraid to resign if you have the means to do so.

Make sure that you observe the correct notice period as per your written or verbal contract and resign in a civilized positive manner. Regardless of how you feel, you may still need a reference form this employer so it is better not to burn your bridges with a dramatic tantrum. Though it would feel so good if you did. It is better in the long run to be as composed and dignified as possible and hope that the results benefit you in the long term.