‘Counted down the hours’: Young worker reveals wild reason she quit ‘well-paying job’

A 23-year-old has revealed the reason she quit her job and why she “counted down the hours” when she was there.

Generation Z might be afraid to answer phone calls but they certainly aren’t afraid to quit their jobs.

Ally Hallahan, 23, is based in Melbourne and she quit her job as a receptionist because she didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk.

Plus, as a confessed “foodie”, eating out of tupperware containers wasn’t her thing either and she wanted more time for herself.

“This decision had been in the back of my mind for the last six months as I had been assisting as a social media manager for my brother’s tech start-up on the side of my receptionist role,” she told news.com.au.

“I have always had a passion and drive for content, social media and marketing and I found myself unable to dive completely into this passion due to being stuck behind my desk for nine hours every day.”

Ally Hallahan didn’t want to be stuck behind a desk all day. Picture: Instagram/allyhallahan

The 23-year-old wanted to find something she had more passion for. Picture: Instagram/allyhallahan

The 23-year-old found that working full-time was really beginning to affect her personal life, and she wanted more freedom.

“My full-time job was leaving me with very little time for myself, my family and my friends,” she said.

“I was maintaining a great routine with the gym. This has always been a non-negotiable part of my day, but aside from gym and work, I was left with a tiny window at the end of the day.”

She was trying desperately to fit everything in, but it was leaving her exhausted. There wasn’t enough hours in the day.

“I started resenting my day to day. I was leaving home at 3.45am and returning at 6pm,” she said.

“I decided this is not how I wanted my everyday life to feel. I knew something had to give if I was going to open up the space for new opportunities and get back to doing the things that I love.”

Ms Hallahan didn’t feel “defined” by her work as a receptionist because it wasn’t her passion, but because she was there so much, it had started to “consume” her.

“The industry I was working in wasn’t necessarily a passion of mine, but when you spend nine hours a day, five days a week in a space, it’s hard not to feel like it’s all you do, all you talk about and all you think about,” she said.

“The environment was not somewhere I wanted to be every day and I could liken the feeling to homesickness. I literally counted down the hours on a piece of paper before I could finally go home.”

She wasn’t enjoying her work. Picture: Instagram/allyhallahan

She’s glad she quit because it was a choice she made herself. Picture: Instagram/allyhallahan

Her decision to quit might sound rash, but the Gen Zer has no regrets because she loves not working a 9-5 job.

“The best thing about this period of unemployment has been knowing that I actually put me first. When something didn’t feel right and I didn’t feel happy with the way my life was going, I actually did something about it,” she said.

“It’s a scary leap and I understand not everyone would have the ability to do this. One of the best things is that I now have opened up space for new opportunities to come my way.”

It was also something she knew she could afford to do and she’s actively trying not to be “stressed” about money and to enjoy this period.

“I have set myself up for a couple of months where I can afford to not have anything coming in. It’s not lost on me that I am very privileged to still live with my parents so the stress of rent being due or mortgage repayments is not there,” she said.

Financial security means that she’s not “frantically applying for jobs” but is, instead, focusing on work opportunities in the content and social media space.

“I feel like I am cashing in on some of that missed holiday time in a way. I do, however, really want to give the content and social media space my all when the time does come to search for work,” she said.

She’s set-up for a few months so she can afford not to work. Picture: Instagram/allyhallahan

She’s enjoying her time off from working. Picture: Instagram/allyhallahan

Recruitment expert Roxanne Calder previously toldnews.com.au that she’s noticed a trend of Gen Z being more comfortable quitting jobs.

“A candidate was offered a job on Friday, only to call on Monday and decline. They had just got a puppy on the weekend, and that had to be their priority for the next three months,” she said.

When it comes to quitting, Ms Calder has seen some pretty unique reasons from the youngest working generation. In fact, she has a list that she can rattle off.

“Quit because they couldn’t get home in time for their football training on a Thursday night. Quit because they wanted to take a four-week holiday and enjoy it fully they couldn’t have the pressure of thinking about the job they were returning back to. It would ruin the holiday experience,” she said.

So why are they quitting? Well, Generation Z doesn’t see work the same way previous generations did.

“The job is not central to their identity. Rather, they see the job as a must to support their already well-established view on life and might look for more affirmation regarding the authenticity of workplace culture,” she said.

Ms Calder said this means that the younger generation expect their working culture to suit them, and if it doesn’t … well, see ya.

“This means that the culture should reaffirm and align with their beliefs and ideals, much more than with other generations. If the job doesn’t meet the criteria or live up to what the values pertained to at the interview, they are more likely to leave the job,” she said.