(Newswire.net — October 17, 2016) — Quitting your job is something that you will likely do often. The average American will now hold about a dozen jobs in their lifetime, which is far more than the average American used to hold. The concept of the solid career has long evaporated and company loyalty is a thing of the past.
But the way you quit will have a big impact on whether you burn bridges or leave with dignity. This guide is going to show you some of the mental and physical preparations you should make before quitting the job you hate.
1. Banish the Hate
To begin with, just because you hate your job doesn’t mean that you should flip your boss off and turn over his desk before you leave. If you are consumed with hatred, your actions could come back to bite you later on. Make sure that you have banished your hatred before you decide to quit.
You want to make sure that you do things professionally.
2. Start Your Journey Early
You should never quit before you have another job lined up. Begin your journey to resigning earlier than you think so you can assess whether it’s really the right decision for you. This is a decision that you will never be able to go back on, so make sure that it’s the correct one.
3. Is Your New Job Worse?
You already know the importance of lining up another job. What you may not have taken into account is that this new role could be worse. If you vape for instance, find out if your new workplace merely sets do’s and don’ts for vaping or wholly prohibits it. This is why you should check the company culture of your new company carefully. Compare it with your current role before you decide to quit.
4. Search Discreetly
A lot of employers will fire you if they find out that you’re looking for another job. Search for a new career path discreetly. And even when you do decide to quit you shouldn’t go out in a blaze of glory. It may give you a viral video, but it could destroy your reputation.
Your new employer doesn’t want you to leave unprofessionally.
5. Give Notice
Most jobs ask that you give your employer a notice before you leave. The policy on this differs from company to company, but it’s usually about two weeks to a month. You can, of course, just walk out and never come back, but this is extremely unprofessional.
Give notice to your boss and do your best to see out the notice period.
6. Resist the Urge to Slack
Most employers demand you give a notice period before you leave. This is to make sure that they have enough time to find a replacement and to make the transition for you. It may be tempting to slack on your work because you are leaving anyway, but this is going to come back to bite you.
Think about it like this. By slacking you are putting more strain on your colleagues and you are going to leave with a bad reputation. Remember that your new employer can repeal a job offer at any point.
7. Get Your Story Together
Your official story is the story your old boss will tell when someone calls them for a reference. Your old boss could turn into a reference anytime, so you need to make sure that you’ve kept them on your side.
Don’t make out like you hated your old job. Turn things on its head by explaining why you think this is an exciting opportunity you absolutely couldn’t pass on.
Be honest about why you decided to leave, but balance those raw feelings with some delicacy.
8. Offer to Help Make the Transition
Help make the transition easy to foster some goodwill between you and your employer/colleagues. Offer to help hire and train your replacement. Tie up all the loose ends that you have with the projects you’re responsible for.
You may not be getting a raise, but you’ll get that great reference.
9. Don’t Let Your Boss Hijack Your Goodbye
Sometimes bosses can mean well, but it isn’t necessary the best decision for you. Beat your boss to the punch by announcing your farewell to your various clients. That will allow you to communicate with them and to say everything that needs to be said.
Nobody can say goodbye like you can.
10. Clean Up Your Computer
The chances are you are working on a computer given to you by the company. Remember to delete your personal files from it. This includes resumes, photos, and anything else related to you. It should be as if you were never there when you return it to the IT department.
11. Come Up with a Leaving Plan
Earlier on, we spoke about the need to give notice. You can go even further than that by coming up with a two-week plan. This is a strategy you and your boss will come up with to tie up those loose ends and to make sure you don’t leave any unfinished business behind.
It will also leave a good taste in your boss’s mouth because you are showing that you care.
12. Get that Reference
Before quitting your job, make sure you set aside some time for a private meeting with your boss. This is where you should take advantage to collect that reference you are going to need for the future. Try to get a paper copy of it, and don’t leave with just a vague promise that they’ll get around to it because the chances are they’ll forget about it.
13. Say Goodbye
The final step to quitting that job you hate is to actually do it. Make sure you set some time aside to speak to those coworkers and management. You will only get one shot at this, so it makes sense to really take the time out to say goodbye properly.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you are going to make sure that you do things right. Quitting this way will ensure you get to leave that job you can’t stand without burning any bridges.
These people could come in handy years later!