Quit Your Job Properly

There are proper ways to do everything and that includes quitting your job. The manner in which you leave your job has professional implications. In addition, you must consider personal matters, especially regarding finances and your health care.

It pays to think about your exit strategy as part of your overall career plan, now and at future steps along the way.

Determine when to inform your boss. When you decide it is time to move on, and you begin the job search and application processes, the first step in your exit strategy is deciding whether your search is clandestine or public. More to the point, when do you inform your boss? We can break this down into two parts.

First, when do you tell your boss that you are actively looking for a job? Generally, it is advisable to not inform your boss that you are on the job market, even if your relationship with them is great. Doing otherwise can risk damage to that relationship, as they may question your productivity, commitment or dedication, among other things. Furthermore, if you inform your boss, and your job search takes longer than expected, general knowledge of your desire to leave may limit or prevent other opportunities with your current employer. It may also open you up to retaliation, however illegal that may be.

Second, when do you tell your boss that you have a new job and you are resigning? That decision is easy: not until you have received and signed a written offer letter from your new employer. Until the ink is dry on the offer letter, anything can happen, minds can change, and offers can be rescinded. Granted, this is worst-case scenario, but do not quit your current job before accepting the new one, as you do not want to end up with neither. When you do end up resigning from your current position, it is professional courtesy to do so verbally and in person with your supervisor, in addition to providing a letter of resignation?

How should you give your resignation?

If you work in the same location as your boss, sit down with him/her and explain you have some news. Say something like: “I’ve really enjoyed working here, but I was recently offered another job that I couldn’t pass up. After a lot of thought I’ve decided to accept it, and so my last day here will by February 5.” (If you can’t credibly say you’ve enjoyed working there, you can leave that part out).

If you don’t work in the same location, you can do this by phone. But do have a face-to-face or voice-to-voice conversation; this isn’t something to announce via email unless you’re in unusual circumstances and there’s truly no other way to reach your boss.

What if your boss is always busy?

If your boss is normally difficult to reach, especially on relatively short notice, you’ll need to change your normal approach. You shouldn’t wait days and days before you talk, since that will either cut into the amount of notice you’re able to give or delay your start date at your new job. Instead, leave your boss a voicemail or send an email explaining that you have something important and time-sensitive to discuss and ask to talk with him/her for a few minutes today. (Yes, this may sound ominous. Yes, he/she may suspect you’re about to resign. That’s okay. That’s just what you have to do in this situation, and most bosses will understand that, especially since it’s in their best interests to hear the news as soon as possible).

If your boss is completely unreachable for example, if he/she’s on vacation for the next two weeks, it’s okay to give your resignation to HR or to your boss’s boss.

Do you need to write a resignation letter?

In the movies, you often see people resigning via a printed letter left on the boss’s desk. In real life, a letter isn’t the way you’d deliver the news (and generally, that would be an odd thing to do). But your employer might ask you to write a letter after you talk with your boss, so that they have your resignation documented for their records.

If you’re asked to write a letter, keep it short and sweet. This isn’t the place to get into why you’re leaving or what would have convinced you to stay. This is just a formality, and it only needs to say something like “After four years at ABC Industries, I’ve decided to move on, and this letter is to confirm my resignation, effective February 5. I wish the organization all the best.”

Should you disclose to your boss the real reasons you're quitting?

In most cases, you’re better off not getting into negative reasons for leaving, like that you hated the culture or felt treated unfairly. Those things may be true, but you risk leaving things on a sour note, and changing the type of reference you get from your manager in the future. (An ethical employer won’t give you a bad reference simply for being candid, but you do risk changing their recommendation from highly enthusiastic to more tepid, even if it’s only unconsciously done).

Generally, you’re better off attributing your decision to an opportunity that you couldn’t pass up, wanting more challenges (“as you know, I’ve really been wanting to move into web design”), or better pay or benefits (it’s hard to argue with “they offered me a 40 percent raise”).

What if your boss reacts badly?

Your boss may be disappointed or even frustrated to hear the news, resignations can be inconvenient even under the best of circumstances. But if your boss is at all reasonable or professional, he/she will quickly pull it together and recognize that it’s perfectly normal for people to move on, even if it’s not ideal for him/her. However, occasionally some bosses do handle resignations really poorly and take them as personal betrayals. For the record, this is ridiculous. But if it happens to you, the best thing to do is to stay professional and stay focused on the logistics of the transition, like what to prioritize during your remaining time and who to hand things off to.

If your boss’s behavior is really over-the-top and she’s being openly hostile (which is rare, but it happens!), you always have the option to say something like, “I’d like to stay and help with the transition, but it’s clear that you’re upset with me. Would it be better if I left now?” (Obviously don’t offer that if you’re not willing to forego being paid for the days remaining in your notice period — but it’s an option if you just want to get out of there).

What if your boss makes a counteroffer?

If your boss offers you more money to stay, you might be tempted to take it. Think carefully before doing that, because there’s a reason you started job-searching in the first place, and those factors will remain once the high from the raise wears off. Plus, the fact that you needed to be walking out the door in order to get paid what you’re worth isn’t a great sign, and it’s possible that it’ll be harder to get raises in the future. In fact, the next time you’re seeking a raise, you might be told, “We just gave you that big increase when you were thinking of leaving.”

When and how do you tell your co-workers?

Usually you should wait and tell your boss first, so that she doesn’t hear it through office gossip. But once you’ve done that, you’re generally free to tell your co-workers. Depending on the norms of your office, you could let people know individually or you could send out an email announcing the news. You don’t need to get into all the details about why you’re leaving; it’s generally enough just to explain you’ve accepted another job and when your last day will be. (You can of course share more with people you’re especially close to if you want to).

How much notice should you give?

In most jobs, you’re expected to give two weeks notice. In some jobs, you may be expected to give three or four weeks. In the U.S., it’s very unusual to be expected to give more than that. Some people choose to give more notice than that, if they particularly like their employer, want to help with the transition, and trust the employer to handle the notice period well (as opposed to, say, pushing them out earlier). But most people give two weeks.

How should you spend the time during your notice period?

Notice periods are designed to let you transfer your work or leave it in good enough shape that someone else will be able to eventually take it over. So it’s smart to write up documentation of your key processes and contacts and where key projects stand, organize your files, and generally do what you can to ensure that whoever replaces you won’t inherit total chaos.

How honest should you be about why you're quitting?

You may want to be honest in your exit interview because it's important for the employer to know about problems and be able to fix them. While that might be in your employer's best interest, it may not always be in yours. It’s usually fine to give honest feedback about things like salary and benefits. But candor about management isn’t always welcomed and may be passed along to your manager rather than held in confidence. It’s not your job to risk your relationships and future references to provide that input. And if your company truly wants to hear employees’ input, the time for them to solicit it (and listen to it!) was before you were already leaving.

That said, this is a situation where you should take into account what you know about how your company operates. If you know them to handle feedback well and with discretion, it might make sense to provide some. But if you’ve seen evidence that they don’t, it’s not a risk you need to take.

I could no longer work at my last company because I was scolded for helping out the packagers whose line was so backed up, due to a problem with box taper, that product was falling to the floor from the conveyer. Once I noticed, I immediately ran to aid in organizing the boxes to prevent them from falling to the floor. At this point the supervisor yelled to me to stop helping them and that the line was not my responsibility. He then pointed to the other material handlers and said that they were my team members. My belief is that everyone in this building is my team member. Then when I did reluctantly stop helping the line... The other material handlers were in the warehouse standing around talking and preparing for a cigarette break. UNACCEPTABLE. I'm not employed to do only MY job. I'm here to do THE job. Any job that I see needs to be done. PLEASE HOLD YOURSELF AND EVERYONE AROUND YOU TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD. You'll be surprised at how they step it up.

I just I just turned 57 and decided to walk out of my job. The place I worked treated people like crap they didn't pay unless you were family and anyone started got the worst jobs in pretty much were made to stay there making nothing or quit I've never left a job in my life I finally couldn't take it anymore. the deer walked out I thought was the best day of my life well it's been 4 months I'm looking, being depressed, I'm trying to survive I finally turned the corner this week head for good interviews two offers and this received a third that is going to pretty much put me better than I've ever been in my life all I want to say is never quit just keep looking to stay happy and rely on your friends. Keep your spirits up, keep looking, and call me I'm in charge of hiring for new company and give me a month to get settled you give me a call I'll talk to you have a wonderful day move on.

So I took a job in a big chain fast food joint just to have a little bit of money coming in to help my family. I worked there for a total of 3 days. Now my pride is not too big for a fast food job. A big world wide company was my very first and only job for 15 years. And I started as crew and worked my way up to where I was and made really good money. But it was taking over my life and getting between my marriage because of how much time I was spending forcefully at my job and lack thereof at home. But at this new job I was never trained with an actual trainer. I watched videos on a tablet in lobby for 3 hours and forced on register.everything I was doing at this new job was all based off my experience from mickey D's Or me guessing. Now it's a different company and the way they do things is totally different and I was being ridiculed for asking questions and screwing up 2 orders. I walked out.the day I walked out the GM who hired me was up front asked me to hand the order out in drive thru so I did I handed out 2 drinks that was wrong and I got cussed out by a crew and GM did nothing Am I wrong?

I really enjoy helping people and I do it well. Left a job for another job and that job didn't work out was given incorrect information. I been sending out application to ever site you can think of. My work ethics are fantastic can sometime come off strong but it's for the well being of others. a true team player willing to go the extra mile to get the job done. I been applying for the last 3months and still haven't found anything but I can't give up for those who are still looking for job Keep Going don't give up.

I have applied to so many jobs. Jobs that I am well qualified for. Only 4 interviews and have yet to be chosen for 1. Going into target tomorrow since I’m not good enough for administrative duties. As a previous leasing consultant who quit her job without notice. I feel it may be time to be honest about why i quit. Since simply lying and saying “ I was looking for new opportunities” isn’t working. The truth is that for the first time in my career I had never been treated so badly by a manager. I went through the correct supervision about the issue. Nothing happened. I still had so many great connections and friends from my last company that I decided to quit instead of bringing in HR. It’s biting me in the behind now though. In so many ways. I honesty feel worthless with this job search.

I left the job that I was on for three years, to save my life pretty much now I can't find a job where I moved to. The job world is a mess don't want people that are willing to work or want to work.

As I look at the length of time I've stayed at these jobs I see that its 2 months here or 3 months there or 6 months there (if accurate). I believe this is the reason Im not getting any call backs. I hate listing the jobs where I only stayed a few months. Its embarrassing. I even fill like not even applying anywhere. What's the use? How can I make MY resume still stand out? How can I fill in the application if I was terminated or quit?

I have an in-person interview this afternoon and I'm nervous. It's a panel interview which means a couple of people will be in the room at the same time asking you questions. I've tried to prepare the best I can but I've never done a panel before. I'm currently unemployed (I resigned a horrible job) and really hoping I can find something before we head into the holidays. That's usually when companies tighten up. I have anxiety which is not making this situation any better. Trying to keep distracted and focused. Hopefully won't mess it up!

My new employer seems like they don't have good management because the man who hired me told me it was his last day cuz he got a new job the same day I was hired in. Plus he didn't explain to the new manager what my schedule would me for my first week on the job and everything got mixed up and I tried to explain to em but they still put me on the wrong schedule. It took a few days of going back and forth with them and I'm hope they get it right . other wise Idk what to do.