The “Right” Way to Quit your Job

As a staffing company in Tulsa, we obviously deal quite often with individuals who are leaving their jobs.  We have seen very many acceptable and also “colorful” ways in which people have elected to depart from their previous positions.  It is always our recommendation to treat their previous boss the way that they would want to be treated and to consider the position that they may put them in with a rapid departure.  However, even after our advice, there are many who just choose to leave with no notice and I have no doubt that they will eventually regret that decision.  I have some thoughts that I would like to share with you on things to consider if you are ever faced with the decision to leave your place of employment for another career opportunity. According to the Harvard Business Review, in their article titled “How to Quit your Job Without Burning Bridges”, the average employee stays at their position for approximately 4.6 years.  Because people are so used to employees leaving their positions so often, there is usually not going to be an automatic negative reaction to someone leaving for another career opportunity.  However, it is always a good rule of thumb for anyone to remember that the way that you begin and end your position is probably going to be what others remember.  If you make the decision to leave on a “colorful” note, there is probably someone within that company that you may run into at some point in the future that will be a decision maker regarding your career.  It is important to consider this if you are going to be parting from your current position. As a general rule of thumb, it is recommended that you leave at least a two week notice, anything less than that is generally considered “bad taste” to most people.  Even though this is a general thought, you may want to consider offering more notice to your employer.  By offering this, you are letting everyone in the current company know that you are not leaving on bad terms and you are a very considerate person.  Also, by offering this, you will let your new employer know something very important about your character.  It will help you to get off to a great start. You might be thinking……Why would I leave more notice?  I think that most people do not think of the impact that they might have on their employer’s business with their absence.  Of course the more significant the role that each position plays can change the impact on the company.  So if you play a significant role in your existing company, your absence is not easily replaced.  You may leave not only your boss in a bad place, but also everyone around you scrambling to pick up the pieces.  Let’s face it, it is almost impossible to replace someone that requires a significant skill set in two weeks.  The hardship on a company losing one of their most valuable players is significant. Some general things to consider are:  Tell your boss first, be transparent (with LinkedIn everyone will eventually know where you are going), don’t gossip, be strategic with your timing and show gratitude.  These are just some simple things to consider when going through this process.  It is always good to remember to just do the right thing as so many people just eliminate this from their thinking.  If you do, it will be a mistake.  Show good character and be the person that you would WANT to be remembered by and not embarrassed by.  Good luck to your in your career!