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Quitting your job
The lowdown on moving on.
Maybe you hate your job and are delighted to have gotten a new job offer. Maybe you love your job, but aren’t happy with the hours, perks, office politics or money, so felt forced to go out and get a new job. Maybe you don’t even have a new job, but are gonna hand your notice in anyway. No matter what, there are certain things to bear in mind before you quit your job. You definitely need to give it a real think.
Issues to think about before quitting:
- Do you really want to quit? Think about this before it is too late. Could the problem be sorted? How do you know you won’t run into similar, or worse, trouble in your next job? Seriously, you might still be stuck doing certain tasks you hate or run into trouble with your new colleagues. Also, ask yourself if you are you contributing to your work problems in any way. For example, maybe you think your boss is mean and hates you, but are you constantly late to work or texting your friends all day when you should be working?
- Is the new job moving your career forward in the direction you want? Many people don’t take the time to think about stuff like this and instead pick jobs that offer good money or seem handy for commuting. That’s all well and good, but if your dream is to work as an art teacher, then taking a job as a computer programmer is actually moving you farther away from where you want to be, not closer. Maybe you’d be better off taking a job with less pay/benefits if it will get you where you want to be in the long term. Think about future plans, not just current situations.
- Look at the new job in detail, not just the salary and position, but your colleagues, flexibility, work atmosphere etc.
- If you don’t have a new job, be very careful. If you really hate your job and can’t stand another minute, you’re still better off sticking around until you find a new position. Firstly, employers don’t like gaps on CVs, which can make getting a new job difficult. Secondly, it sounds very bad to say that you quit a job, as it makes you look flighty. Finally, on a very practical level, you won’t be entitled to the dole for nine weeks if you quit your job “without a reasonable cause”.
Dos:
- Work out at least one week’s notice. Two is better and a month is best. It may be reasonable to consider working out that one month’s notice, as this gives the employer more time to hire someone else and also leaves a very good impression with your employer. This is important, as your new employer will generally want to get a reference from your current employer.
- Ask for a reference letter from your employer. It will be very useful to you in future years.
- Attend the final meetings/do any other duties that your company wants you to. Many companies like to have what is termed “an exit interview” when an employee resigns. Basically, this is an interview where you sit down and go over your job in the company. Your manager will generally ask you a variety of questions about your experiences with the company and what you feel could be done to improve things, what you liked etc. As hard as it may be, this is NOT the time to bitch about your boss, the crappy pay etc. Remember that these people will be your referees for your next job!
- Clear out your office space, computer etc. Leave your desk tidy and clean and make sure the crossover is smooth for your replacement. Make sure you remove any personal files from your computer and that your passwords are not saved on the work computer!!
Don'ts
- Don't leave in a huff. Even if you have to bite your lip and take a vow of silence, do not storm out of your job in a temper and make a scene. No matter how much you hate it. You will regret it.
- Don't rant and rave at, or about, your boss or colleagues. Even if you quit with a letter in a nice polite way, you can undo that good work by spending your notice period bitching about how much you hate your boss.
- Don't wreck stuff. Seriously, messing with company systems and deliberately ruining documents will just leave a bad impression with everyone.
- Don't steal stuff. If you steal stuff, you could not only ruin your reputation, but even get into legal hot water.
- Don't be nasty in your resignation letter. Resignation letters are meant to be formal documents that let your company know you are leaving. They are not supposed to be venting tools. Vent down the pub instead!
- Don't go on and on about your new job while working your notice period.
Further Information
Bullying at work
I hate my job
Unemployment
