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Quitters never win and winners never quit – Hmm not exactly, but quitting your job is one of the most difficult life decisions you ever make and should involve a great deal of soul searching and planning.
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
The next best thing to quitting your job is fantasying about quitting your job. I have never met anyone who at some point in his or her career has not quit a job or explored the possibilities of doing so – not surprising since our business is the task of finding and attracting the top talent to our clients. If everyone was perfectly satisfied with their job, we wouldn’t have one!
Some tips before making this hugely important decision: Make sure it is really what you want to do. Weigh the options of a new job (and we absolutely recommend you have one before you quit), with your current one. Warning: if you have no new job on the horizon, you will mostly likely have a lengthier search. It is true that is easier to find a job when you have one. Consider flexibility, salary and benefits, responsibilities, opportunities to advance and not just salary when evaluating a new opportunity.
Once you have made sure that resigning from your job is really what you want to do, do it the right way with class and professionalism. Sure part of the job leaving fantasy involves telling off an obnoxious boss, going for the dramatic exit (You won’t have me to kick around anymore you arrogant, incompetent, airhead, bastard/biddy, bonehead, ding dong, jerk, zilch, zero, windbag. Oh man, the names you could use but DON’T DO IT.
Getting it off your chest feels so good in your fantasy, but again, DON’T DO IT. Have the fun of thinking it, and then consider the necessary steps to leaving your current job in a professional manner that will insure you receive a positive recommendation and leave bosses and coworkers alike thinking you are a “class act.”
Todd Defren, CEO of SHIFT Communications writes an open letter to workers who are planning to quit a job. Defren thinks that a graceful exit from the workplace is a lost art, particularly among millennials. His suggestions include making a plan to be positive. Try to put yourself in your employer’s shoes when choosing timing. Give appropriate notice. For most positions a two week notice is customary. The only exception to that typical two week notice would be for those leaving C-level positions or those where a longer expectation for separation is spelled out in the employment contract. A hasty departure can be seen as a lack of integrity and it can come back to haunt you. Do not spend your last days on the job complaining. Leave a full account of your projects with a memo of “to dos.” Lastly, Defren recommends that a person stay in touch –really. Consider your soon to be previous boss to be part of an extended professional network. Remember that your last impression can be as important as your first.
Consider the necessary steps to leaving your current job the right way. In addition to offering appropriate notice, for your position and write a formal resignation letter. About Dot Com has a good resource with advice and sample resignation letters. Remember to not say too much and to emphasize the positive as well as your gratitude for the opportunity and how the company benefitted you. Depending on your situation, you can offer to help during the transition caused by your resignation.
BEFORE YOU PUT ANY OF THE RESIGNATION STEPS INTO MOTION make the decision to leave when you are not acting in the grip of emotion and reacting on adrenaline. It can be a smart move to discuss your plans to resign with a close friend, family member or therapist, and/or a colleague if you are certain you can trust him or her completely.
The thing to remember is that sometimes a company will fire an employee and sometimes an employee will fire their employer. If you think it is time to give your employer the boot, involve a recruiter. He or she can offer good advice from years of experience advising people who are transitioning to the next step in their career. The team at Strategic Recruitment Solutions is always ready to assist and guide you to opportunities that will take YOUR career to the next level.
