My officemate nags me everyday about quitting. Should I?

[sum.mer]

I need your advice please.
I love my work but I can't say the same for my workplace. People tell me I'm overqualified and terribly underpaid but the reason why I accepted the job in the 1st place and why I'm staying is because my boss asked me personally and convinced me to stay. I wasn't really looking for big money plus I didn't know my value at that time so I accepted.

I said that I don't like my workplace and here are the reasons:
1. My officemate who is my teammate nags me everyday on when I would quit. She says it as if she's just concerned like "You deserve so much more, a higher salary etc" but really she's just threatened. She was hired first but her incompetence is the reason why I got hired in the 1st place (someone to help her).

2. Our office setup sucks. Our space is so cramped and worse, we have an open office setup. No cubicles and you will really feel as if Big Brother is watching and judging your every move. It's inefficient and draining for the employees especially for me cos I got the worst spot of all.

3. I take all the dirty work. As in everything. There was a time when my teammate couldn't meet the client's deadline & she wouldn't admit it until the last minute. When things got really messy, my boss asked me to finish the work, and I did (I worked til past midnight). The crappy thing is, after all that drama, my teammate took the credit for it & as if my boss had amnesia he forgot what I did to save their asses.

4. The compounded stress is taking a toll on my health. I get sick more than twice a month. I couldn't eat healthy meals because I don't have time to cook anymore. I will just always order fastfood. I don't have time because of the projects that get dumped on me plus the work I do goes totally BEYOND my job description. I write press releases etc, I negotiate with clients when those things are totally out of my work.

5. My teammate (the same one in both reason 1 & 3) sabotages my work and tells lies to our boss about me. One of my officemates told me about this although I already know before.

Why do I still stay?
Aside from that time my boss asked me to work for him and stay. I'm still in this job because I'm still learning a lot, I like that my boss is not so strict about the working hours (we can clock in late) and because honestly, I'm not too confident and I have so many fears like if I move to another workplace things may just be worse. Plus, I also question if having a toxic teammate is enough reason to quit.

I've turned down several job offers already because I thought I still need to improve my skills. But now I've come to the point when I think maybe it's time..I'm just not sure.

[purple.strawberry]

Your story reminds me of an officemate. He has previous experience naman and is really good, but he still opted to join the bootcamp which is mainly for fresh grads or career shifters or generally people without experience. Bukod sa mababa ang sweldo meron pang bond. Ang reason daw niya is he wasn't confident and gusto niya maensure na kaya niya ang work niya so pumasok siya ulit sa training. But he was obviously overqualified.

TS if you know this as well why don't you try applying to other jobs? Not because of your toxic officemate but because you know you can do it and you deserve to be in a better workplace, have a higher salary etc. Forget about your fear, wala naman pumapasok sa trabaho na alam na kaagad how everything works, meron din yan learning curve.

[sum.mer]

^Thanks sis for the advice. It helps me think more thoroughly. Actually fear ko din na baka sa paglipat ko, same rin maranasan ko. I realized na hindi ako gaya ng iba na madali mag-ignore ng negativity in the workplace. I really get affected especially yun nga everyday my teammate would nag me (push me?) to quit. And she does things to sabotage my work and make me feel na pabibo ako if I do my work really well. I admit, sanay ako sa high quality output & I would always push myself to exceed expectations ng boss at clients but I feel sad na my teammate hates me for it because I also help her & make sure na maganda din outputs nya. I fear na there will be more people like her sa ibang office & I wouldn't know how to deal. I haven't tried working in a big office with lots of people. I'm willing to overcome my fears though.

[freelancer_babe]

Parang you like to be there for the sake of your boss! Your boss sounds like he is a great boss to work with!

I could see that there may be things that you might want to do without quitting... yet!

Baka naman you need to air your concerns about your toxic officemates with your boss so you don't have to quit. Maybe your boss can provide suggestions on how to deal with them, or give you a better assignment as to avoid them... malay mo.

And the pay. You can always ask a raise.

I hope you did the above before thinking of quitting - which you seem afraid to do.

[mysterioza_me]

Sis why don't you try to talk to your boss before considering to resign. Baka akala niya kasi ok lang sa iyo. Maybe he could do something about your increase lalo na if you deserve it naman plus you're doing work beyond your job description. With regard to your officemates just let them be and ignore them, magsasawa din mga yun.

[lovely_carrot]

What does your inner voice tells you? Sometimes all you need is a time to think and re think. No matter what anyone tells you, you're the only one who can say if you should or shouldn't leave.

But based on your story, I would suggest that you find another job first, one that you think you will help you grow, a company that values their employees, etc, do your research. Then when you think you found your right/better employee, file your resignation.

[aquacharly]

Sometimes, the underlying reason for Indecisiveness is lack of Confidence & Fear of the Unknown.

Face The Truth to address The Fear:   Will your Core Competencies really get you a better salary elsewhere?  Really??
Or, you are not sure to-date,  thus you run back to your comfort  rationalization:   I still need to learn more/improve my skills.  How will you know when the time of learning is done???

It is a known truth too that:  History repeats itself until The Lesson is learned. 
So, if you do not realize to-date what initiates and sustains your colleague's user-friendly/toxic treatment of you --  & your boss's unfair assessment of your performance ---   Yes, your fear of landing again elsewhere in a no-win work set-up has valid grounds.   

You can blame anyone, or anything, for what you perceive is a universal attack on you & your worth.  But bottom-line, you allow it to happen to you.  We reap what we sow.
Perhaps, a proactive approach to your deer-caught-in-the-headlights current indecisiveness is to stop acting like a victim.  Be more assertive.  Insist on your boundaries - learn to say "no". Stop being the one who "catches all the sh1tty work" -- meaning, work wise. 

Take better care of yourself. --  that includes not being shy about getting hold of what you deserve.  Do not ever be shy about that.   

[sum.mer]

Thanks for all the replies I really appreciate reading different views.

Yes my boss is an understanding person but his managerial skills..medyo sablay talaga. There have been several instances when he couldn't communicate well with the clients and it almost cost us the project. He asked me to step in and help.

Competency..I'm competent but yes I'm not confident. My friends often tell me they envy how I can talk casually in front of many people etc but the truth is I'm as afraid as they are, even worse! That's why I never brought up the subject of a raise to my boss but he did give me one recently. The thing is, he can't really afford to offer what I think I deserve. Sablay people management AND money management. Also, kung afford man nya, I don't know..I agree with what I read in Quora na the moment you ask for a raise you should be prepared to leave already.

I'm torn about leaving also because my boss allows me to explore projects beyond work. Ok lang kaya ito sa ibang companies? I think hindi. I can accept projects on the side & those projects are actually the ones sustaining my lifestyle. It's weird but I earn more in one project than I'd earn at the office in 3 months!

I think I know I eventually have to leave but I haven't found a job that will really make me say ito na yun. That's why I said I turned down job offers cos most of them offer nothing else but a higher salary. Meron ba talagang tao na truly happy with the general aspects of his/her job? I can live with negative people in the office wag lang that I have to deal with them always, pwede naman iwasan. But good management, healthy environment, flexible time, good pay, amount of creative work (where we are not mere robots who execute crappy ideas), yun mga bagay na I feel must be present for me to say I found the one. Anyone from the creative industry here?

[Drax]

Why not start your own business on the side?  Then if it takes off, maybe you can quit your job and be your own boss.

[sum.mer]

Update 

I quit my job & it has been the most wonderful thing that happened to my career life. I never thought I would experience yung "habulin" ng mga company--but I did! Dati I thought I'm not really that good..sabi nga ng isang commenter dito maybe I fear that I'm not qualified. It's true naman, I have doubts about the quality of my work pero I experienced validation na ok yung output ko when I left my job.

I applied to 4 companies & got accepted to all. I chose this job that interests me talaga and even after 2 weeks on the job, this other company na inapply-an ko kept bugging me to consider them. And it's not a small company ha. I will not name drop na lang.

So there, I'm so happy! To those na nakaka-experience ng frustration sa work nila, go out, explore. Find yourself. Yun lang.

[mysterioza_me]

Good job sis! I truly wish na maging happy ka with your new company

[naddie99]

Hello, there comes a time talaga noh? ako medyo doubtful na din ako, I'm thinking of quitting pero I don't really understand the reason why I stay. As in, pero alam ko sakin I'd really want to quit. ang hirap madalas gusto ko na mag switch ng cereer pero di ko pa din alam if kaya ko sa CC.

[TomHansen]

^ anong industry mo and ilang years ka na? Why CC ito ba yung calling mo or may opportunity na nag-open para sayo?

[naddie99]

^ anong industry mo and ilang years ka na? Why CC ito ba yung calling mo or may opportunity na nag-open para sayo?

Feeling ko lang kasi sa ngayun sya yung practical job for me. I want to earn better na kasi para din medyo mabigyan pa ng mga bagay abagay ang family you know? Tapos nakikita ko pa yung mga site ng mga CC kagaya nung sa IBEX global sabi ko nalang sa sarili ko sobrang nakakatempt na ..

[TomHansen]

^ if gusto mo na talagang magshift then you can start applying na, just make sure meron kang enough savings para sa mga gastos habang nag-aapply ng work. Mas ok din if wag ka munang mag-quit hanggat wala pang nag-hire sayo. Nakakatempt talaga sa CC laki sahod.

[naddie99]

^ if gusto mo na talagang magshift then you can start applying na, just make sure meron kang enough savings para sa mga gastos habang nag-aapply ng work. Mas ok din if wag ka munang mag-quit hanggat wala pang nag-hire sayo. Nakakatempt talaga sa CC laki sahod.

oo nga eh, I need to plan it out ng maayos kasi I might end up na puro absent or something. Diba? Are you from a CC would you know if ok yung IBEX global? it's my top prospect na kasi talaga

[TomHansen]

^ no sis malayo ako sa CC pero marami dito and meron din thread na tungkol diyan so basahin mo rin. Sana swertehin ka rin sa company na mapasukan mo kasi hindi lahat tumatagal sa CC.

[milafernz]

oo nga eh, I need to plan it out ng maayos kasi I might end up na puro absent or something. Diba? Are you from a CC would you know if ok yung IBEX global? it's my top prospect na kasi talaga

Hi naddie99. I would like to know if sa IBEX ka na nagwowork. I'm planning to apply kasi doon