How to Quit Your Job

Have you been thinking about how to quit your job in a professional way?

We spend most of our time at CareerResumes.com offering information and advice on how to get a new job! Things like, how to conduct a successful job search, perfecting your resume, and acing interviews. We don’t really spend much time on how to quit your job. 

Today is the day to tackle this stressful situation. There are definitely right and WRONG ways to quit your job. Here are some tips to ensure that you remain professional, don’t burn any bridges, and maintain good relationships that will help advance your career–not hinder it.

Related: How to Choose the Right Professional Resume Writing Service

How to Quit Your Job Professionally

1. List Your Reasons for Quitting

It is important that you understand exactly why you are quitting. General boredom with your job may not be a compelling enough reason to quit. Perhaps you just can’t get along with your boss. Maybe you are worried about the company’s financial situation. Is the stress from your job effecting your health? It can be easier to make the decision to quit an unhealthy work environment if you list out the reasons.

2. When should you quit your job?

There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding WHEN you should quit. Ideally, for financial security, you should have another job lined up. This also gives you an easier way to tell your boss that you quit. “I have taken another position,” is very easy to understand. Sometimes, you may not feel you can wait until you have another job, or you just don’t want to.  Be sure to have enough money saved to survive on in the meantime.

Traditionally, career coaches told employees to try to stick it out at least a year. However, in today’s job market, it might not make sense to stay in a job if you are miserable. It just doesn’t make sense anymore. Job hopping looks bad on a resume though, so don’t make a habit out of it.

Other considerations include:

• bonuses
• health insurance
• 401(k) matching and vesting

3. Try to Give At Least 2 Weeks Notice

Before you pull the trigger and announce your departure, investigate your company’s policy and your employment agreement (if you have one.) If you plan on giving 2 weeks’ notice and you find out that company’s policy is to let people go immediately–you might want to plan accordingly.

4. Inform Your Boss/Manager

You may be dreading the conversation or you may not care at all what your boss thinks, but be professional anyway. It is also good practice to write a formal resignation letter, even if it isn’t required. Be sure to stay positive with your boss or manager and thank him or her for everything you have learned and your experiences at your job.

5. Would you consider a counteroffer?

You are preparing to leave, and hopefully know what you are going to do after you quit. Then your job throws you a curve ball with a counteroffer. Will you take it? Is it enough of an incentive to stay? Go back to your original list of reasons why you are quitting. Before you quit, think about the possibility of a counter offer and what you require to stay. That way you aren’t surprised by it and can negotiate more effectively.

6. Finish What You Started

Be sure to give yourself enough time to tie up any loose ends, finish projects, and wrap up business relationships. You will feel much better about leaving and your company will be in a better place too. This allows you to finish strong and go out on a high night. After all, your current coworkers and boss will soon be part of your network and you never know when you may need to call on them. Keep good lines of communication open.

Good luck and happy job hunting–or quitting!  We are here for you.

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