5 Tips for Quitting a Job on the Right Note - CareerAlley

5 Tips for Quitting a Job on the Right Note - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Historically (pre-2010), most employers expected workers to stay at one company for 5 years or more. Frequent job changes were frowned upon. Quitting yourjob to take advantage of new opportunities is no longer unusual. Of course it makes sense to have a new job before quitting your current job (doing otherwise will likelylead to financial instability). Today, views have broadened and an increasing number of professionals are changing jobs every few years topursue their dreams. Some are even doing so in a bid to strike a healthy work-life balance.However, the way you resign is important. You do not want to burn bridges and it is a small world (you never know who you will encounter again in your career). Suggested Reading:Quitting (previously published as Mastering the Art of Quitting) 1. Leave Before You Hate Your Job: You need to be honest and ask yourselfif you still enjoy your current job and if you see a future in your current company. Before you go ahead and change your job, ask yourself if changing jobs really is the best way to accomplish what you want to achieve.Are you looking for additional challenges, more money, additional responsibilities? Define why you are unhappy where you are and ensure that they only way to fix the issues is to move on. 2. Inform Your Manager First: Once you decide to change jobs and you have a job offer (for the job of your dreams), the first person you should inform is your manager. Generally speaking, aresignation is always a surprise but this surprise often becomes a shock when your manager hears it from another employee. He/she may feel insulted that his othersknew before he did. Whatever your reasons for leaving, beconsiderate of your manager (and your company) and resign using the proper protocol. 3. Never Say Goodbye: You know the saying the grass is always greener on the other side of the street. While you may leave your organization for all of the right reasons, sometimes a new job just doesnt work out. When that happens, many individuals look to rejoin the company they left. Occasionally, people rejoin companies many years later in a more senior role. Whatever the case,leave on a cordial note and keep in touch with your former coworkers and managers. You should always leave the door open a crack. 4. Be Professional duringthe Exit Interview: Trashing your organization during the exit interview is not recommended. Your exit interview shouldbe presented in a way to providefeedback and constructive criticism. Dont speak badly about the company, coworkers or your manager. Instead, make it all about you(more responsibility, learning new skills, etc.) rather than the shortcomings of the firm or your manager. Thankthem for having confidence in you and for the wonderful learningexperience youve gained while working there. 5. Focus on Your Resignation Letter While theactual communication of your resignation will be in person (dont ever resign via email!), always write a professional resignation letter addressed to your manager and HR. Keep it short and polite. Its always better to be tactful than to regret it later. There are many examples of resignation letters on the Internet. The world isnt dying to hear why you have been wanting to quit and what issues you have. Neither do they need your list of aspirations on record. So keep it short, professional and simple with an end date and a thank you note. Whatever your reasons for resigning, always do it in the right way. The tips above will help ease the transition and allow you to maintain good terms with the employer you are leaving. Career Tip of the Day:5 Signs That Its Time To Look For A New Job We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ what where job title, keywords or company city, state or zip jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search