Waist up portrait of happy young businesswoman holding box of personal belongings leaving office after quitting job, copy space
You could expect to work at a business for your entire life in the past. Unfortunately, things don’t work that way anymore.
People are switching jobs faster than they ever have. According to reports, 4.4 million workers quit their jobs in August of 2019. For many, it’s the quickest way to advance their careers.
If you’re thinking of leaving your job, there is a right way to do things. Keep reading to learn seven tips that will help you learn how to professionally quit a job.
1. Don’t Talk About Your Desire to Leave
The last thing you want is to create drama in the office before you leave your job. If you talk about your desire to quit, gossip will be the result.
If you’ve decided to quit and are hunting for jobs, don’t tell anybody at the office. This is also true if you’re friends with anybody there.
Once you get your next job lined up, don’t tell just anybody first. Your manager should be the first person you notify. If they hear about your decision from a second-hand source, it could lead to an awkward conversion and exit from your company.
2. Provide Plenty of Notice
You probably don’t work in a role that’s unimportant for your company. You’re needed to make things run smoothly. If you quit work out of nowhere, your company is going to have issues keeping things running.
Two weeks is the minimum amount of notice that you should provide your employer. It gives your employer time to find someone to take over your role. Even if they can’t find a replacement, they can likely create a plan during that time to get things done without you.
Ideally, you should give three to four weeks of notice. Doing this will provide you with time to train a replacement and take care of any outstanding business that you need to handle.
3. Quit in Person
You’ve worked with the people in your organization for a while. You owe it to your managers to tell them in person that you’re leaving the company.
Giving the news about your departure in person is the most respectful way to go about quitting. If you use email or text to tender your resignation, you may end up offending people you want to stay on good terms with.
People don’t like sudden surprises, either. Don’t just pop into your manager’s office to give them the news.
Set up a time to talk about your role at the company. This time is when you should give the news to your boss.
4. Don’t Forget to Say Goodbye
You’ve probably worked with your work colleagues for a while now. The chances are you’re on good terms with most of them. You don’t want to pick up and leave without saying anything.
Talk with everybody you work with to settle things up. If you want, you can also get the contact information to keep in touch with your old team.
A farewell email is also a great option. It’s a way to connect with other employees who you don’t have a more significant connection with. You can use this time to reflect on the work you did together and your happy moments at the company.
5. Train Your Replacement
You’re leaving a hole in the organization you’re departing. They will need to find someone to do your job after your gone.
Unfortunately, this can be tricky if you have a specific skill set. It might take time for someone who doesn’t have your experience to learn everything they need to know.
Work with your employer to find and train your replacement. Your goal is to get them up and running before you head for your new job.
Unfortunately, you might not have the time to get all the training done. In situations like this, it helps to create training materials for your replacement to follow. Your training should detail all the functions of your job and the best ways to get them done.
6. Don’t Talk Down to Others
While you probably have a great relationship with most people at your company, that might not be true for everybody there. There are a lot of personalities in the workplace. The chances are that you’ve butted heads with at least one person in the past.
Don’t use your departure to go after the people you have issues with. You want to leave your job professionally. If you move on while taking shots at people, you’re going to hurt your image and burn bridges with your co-workers.
Focus on the people you work well with and use your last days to enjoy your time with them. There’s more to gain by keeping the peace than there is by causing chaos.
7. Ask for References
Even though you’re moving to a new job, this probably won’t be the last time you change companies. It pays to know who you can count on for references in the future.
Speak to your managers and co-workers to figure out who is willing to provide you a great reference. Try to use people who have worked closely together with you on projects. They will know best the type of worker you are and the value you bring to the team.
It also pays to connect with your colleagues on LinkedIn. They can put in a good word for you there, for everybody to see.
Now You Know How to Professionally Quit a Job
Once you learn how to professionally quit a job, it’s time to move to the next chapter in your life. Use the tips above to make sure you leave on a high note. You never know when you need to reach out again to the people you used to work with.
Once you finish with your job change, you need to make a great first impression for your new employer. Check our latest posts to discover how to make an impression that will last.