Quitting Your Job in Style

The Wall Street Journal reports that Americans are quitting their jobs at the fastest rate since the internet boom 17 years ago. In fact, there are more jobs available than there are unemployed people.   Here are some thought about leaving a job. 

1) Make sure you have a new job before you leave the old one (unless you have an alternate income stream.) 

When you are accepting another position, make sure all the conditions such as references, criminal check and drug tests have been completed and no outstanding conditions exist on your offer. It must be airtight. 

Repeat: Don’t quit your old job until you have a new one. 

2) Think about how you will transition a new person into your role as smoothly as possible. A number of your projects will be unfinished so putting them into priority with items that need doing will help the new person immensely. Try to make the transition as seamless as you can. 

3) Prepare a formal resignation letter which should be in the form of a thank you note. It should express your gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the group and the things you have learned and friends you have made. Most important, your last day of work should be mentioned.  

4) Schedule a meeting with your boss with the resignation letter. Telling your boss you are leaving is the most difficult part of the process. (Yes, there are exceptions.) Thank him for his guidance and leadership and the many friends you have made but the time has come to move on and your last day of work will be in two weeks. Give him the resignation letter and ask him how he prefers others to be told. 

5) Avoid doing anything illegal. Taking confidential company information or destroying databases or removing training material or proposals that belong to the company could endanger your career. The only items you take with you are your personal property. 

6) Consider a counter offer. Should your boss make you a counter offer to keep you how will you respond? Under what conditions would you consider staying? 

7) If your boss is in a different geographic area and you can’t resign in person, make a telephone appointment and mention that it is important. After you resign over the phone, follow up with a short email and attach the resignation letter. 

8) Staying professional in all of these steps is critical to ensuring that you leave the company in a very positive manner. Good references and possible future re-employment with your company means that you don’t burn any bridges no matter how strongly you feel.  Things change as do you.

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Herbert Hess is the founder of Hess Associates, a recruitment firm involved in placing contract and permanent staff in the IT, Medical Device, and Biotechnology sectors. The website is www.hessjobs.com

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