Earlier today I received a phone call from my former manager who was apparently looking for my laptop password. It felt kind of strange as it's been more than five months since I left the company, plus I made sure to give them a one month's notice upon handing in my resignation. Looks like it's taken them more than six months to hire my replacement, and I can't even begin to imagine what my former colleagues must have been through all this time.

As a matter of fact, the department has been understaffed since before my departure, and this was one of the main reasons that it took me a while to man up and call it a day. I was literally having a terrible time at the office but wouldn't quit because I knew they would have a really hard time training new recruits while at the same time handling the extra workload my absence would bring.

_{Source: Geralt}

To be perfectly honest, I was not pleasantly surprised by this phone call, as the caller was the number one reason why I walked away and never looked back, even though the Founder and CEO of the company was hands down the nicest, most respectful employer I had ever had the pleasure of working for. They say that people leave managers, not companies, and I can attest to that. Although I loved the company, working with this guy was an absolute nightmare, and no amount of money would be enough for me to ever go back to this soul-wrenching job.

The signs were there from the very beginning but I refused to pay attention. The guy was basically a micromanager with terrible leadership skills, who would make tons of mistakes on a regular basis even though he had been on the job for years, but wouldn't miss the opportunity to ridicule new employees for even the slightest 'mistakes', which were not even real mistakes at the end of the day. He would also quite often mention that he loved the company so much that he really wished he could find employees who have the potential to 'steal' his job. I mean who the hell in their right mind would want that?

Part of my job was to send tens of emails on a daily basis, and it felt like the guy was never satisfied with anything. We were working in engineering software development and, as you can understand, it's a rather technical job, so I would craft my sentences very meticulously, always making sure to provide customers with all the necessary information. Joke's on me, the guy didn't even need a valid reason to turn me into his punching bag. He would just go through all my emails every day and find something to whine about even when nothing was there.

Most of the time it was obvious that he was just looking to remind people at the office he was the one in charge, complaining about things that weren't even there and offering nothing but critical feedback without ever acknowledging accomplishments. Some days he wouldn't even look me in the eyes when saying 'hello' or 'good morning', cultivating a toxic work environment for no reason whatsoever. I began losing my respect for him very quickly.

As soon as I handed in my resignation, everything changed in an instant. Suddenly, I was 'such a great asset' for the company and he was 'devastated' that I had decided to just walk away. The truth is that I could have ruined his reputation by bringing up the true reasons why I decided to leave, but I chose not to. I just came up with a nice story as to why I was leaving the company and didn't let them know my real reasons, mainly because I knew they would try to convince me to stay, which was a big no-no for me - to the point that I didn't even have time for negotiations.

Leaving that company was hands down the best decision I've made in my life, and I'm now in a much better place both financially and emotionally. Life is too short and I do not have time for that kind of drama. It turns out that apart from my laptop password, he was also looking to check if I'd be interested in working for the company again, and offered more money than I'm making in my current job. I politely turned down the offer, asked if there was anything else I could do for him, and terminated the phone call wishing him well.

Money is important, but it's not everything. It cannot buy love, satisfaction or happiness, and no amount of money would be enough for me to choose a job over my mental health. Thankfully, I have a Master's Degree which makes it easier for me to find another job, but the number one reason I felt safe quitting that toxic job was crypto. My crypto ventures have made me financially wiser and, as a result, I've created passive income streams and safety layers that enable me to say enough is enough when necessary and remain satisfied from within.

This is the number one reason why I always advise my people not to rely solely on a job and always look for side hustles. Savings and investments are important for building a sound financial foundation, and put you in control of your future and life. Securing your financial well-being is very important and makes it easier to avoid toxic workplaces. Not having to deal with ignorant, insecure jerks in order to make ends meet is a blessing, and it is thanks to everything my crypto journey has taught me that I now do have an option.

That sums it all up for now.

Never forget!

NFA - DYOR

I'm just a random guy with opinions. This is by no means financial advice. Just my personal thoughts and experiences.

Have a good one everyone,
@lordneroo

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