There are many reasons why you may want to leave your current position – it could be that you don’t like the work, maybe you don’t get along with your boss, or maybe you want to work somewhere closer to home – regardless, there is a right way to quit, and there is a wrong way.
Remember, you may need a reference or referral in the future, so you don’t want to give your former employer a reason to decline. It’s important to try and maintain a positive relationship with your former supervisor and co-workers as it’s more than likely that you will run into them again at some point in your career.
Give Plenty of Notice
Although your employer can let you go the moment you put in your notice, it’s still important to try and give at least two weeks’ notice before you quit. Giving notice not only shows that you are a team player, it also preserves your reputation. Some employment contracts may stipulate more than 2 weeks’ notice must be provided, if you have an employment contract, be sure to check the notice period before you hand in your resignation.
Giving proper notice allows your employer to plan for your absence – they may request that you train someone else to do some of your tasks or could request specific items be completed before you leave the company.
Gather Personal Resources Before You Quit
Whether you’ve worked for a company for many years, or have been newly hired, don’t forget to gather all your personal resources before you quit. As stated above, employers may let you go on the spot when you put in your notice, so make sure that you have collected all your career-related information, contacts, portfolio projects, letters of reference, etc. beforehand.
Resignation Letter
We recommend that you tell your employer that you will be quitting in-person, but you still need to write a professional resignation letter. This is a very important step in the quitting process as it outlines important details about your resignation, including when you’re going to leave (unless your employer has already let you go following the face-to-face resignation), how you will help the transition process and your thanks for the opportunity.
This will eliminate any confusion around your resignation and will ensure that everyone involved is on the same page.
Positivity
It’s not uncommon to dislike your boss, your job, the people you work with, or your employer, but don’t let your current co-workers and future co-workers know about your negative feelings. Why? As stated before, it’s more than likely you will run into your former co-workers/employer again at some point in your career. Also, it’s not smart to mention your negative feelings about your former job to your new co-workers, it can make it seem like you were the problem, and you don’t want that.
Leave your job on a good note by thinking of some things that you are grateful for, it could be a new skill you’ve developed, a project you were exposed to or even as simple as the opportunity to work for the company itself, and make sure to include that in your resignation letter.