How to Quit a Job with Class

No matter the reason. Quitting a job is a huge step. Something may have come up recently or you’ve been pondering this for a while. Some reasons that might cause you to quit your job include:

 – You’re underpaid.

 – You feel unappreciated or your ideas aren’t being heard.

– There’s no growth or ways for advancement for your career.

– There’s tension among you and co-workers or between you and your superior.

These are very common and if you feel this way, you’ve come to the right place! It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or fifth job, here are some tips to quit your job without burning bridges.

Resign in Person

Sending an email or calling to resign is unprofessional and looks a bit cowardly. If you want to maintain a professional relationship, request a sit-down meeting with your boss to discuss your resignation. For filing purposes, you may want to write a professional resignation letter.

Be Honest, but Circumspect

When you give your reason for leaving, be honest (but not too honest.) Be aware that if you badmouth or complain about a co-worker, the company, or your boss, it will not speak well about your professionalism. Explain the reason in basic terms without going into too much detail.

Give 2 Weeks and Offer Help in Transitioning

When quitting, the standard rule is to give your boss notice of your resignation 2 weeks before your last day. This is courtesy for the company to allow them time to find a replacement. It’s to your discretion to give them more time in case your position may need more time to fill or train.

During this time, offer help in the transition, such as creating manuals or a binder with info for how to do your job. If you want to, you can even offer to help train the person who will replace you.

Be Prepared for a Counter-Offer

In some cases, when you bring up your resignation, your superior might offer you a promotion to stay. You have to be cautious about accepting a counter-offer, no matter how nice it might sound. Here are things to look for and reasons to not accept a counter-offer.

Get Feedback and Request a Letter of Recommendation

Request feedback of your performance. You have nothing to lose at this point when you are leaving and they will give you the most honest feedback. Just be prepared for the worst and be willing to accept it. You don’t have to defend anything. Just accept the feedback with a grain of salt and learn for the future.

Ask for a letter of recommendation. Again you have nothing to lose by asking. It is better that you ask now, instead of several months or years in the future when they may not remember you.

Don’t Quit out of Rage

Be professional. If something happened that makes you want to quit, take a day or two to calm down and rationalize your feelings before you go to your supervisor with a resignation letter. You want to leave the company without burning bridges because you never know what might happen in the future or who your future employer might know.

Avoid Going to a Direct Competitor

Leaving a company for their direct competitor is just rude and if you think that they won’t find out, you’re wrong. Unless you’re working in a field or specialty in which you can’t go very far without going to a competitor, then you are likely to create legal or ethical concerns. You also prove that you can’t be trusted.

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