Quitting A Job Gracefully - How To Resign From a Job - Career Sidekick

Quitting A Job Gracefully - How To Resign From a Job - Career Sidekick Quitting A Job Gracefully How To Resign From a Job After Your Interview / https://www.edenscott.com/blog If youre wondering how to resign from a job, then youre in the right place.If youre wondering, Do I need to give two weeks notice?, were going to cover that too.Giving a two week notice is an essential part of quitting a job gracefully, and Ill explain the two big reasons why below.Then, well look at the other steps you should follow when you resign from a job to make sure you leave a great last impression and quit gracefully and professionally.Should You Give Two Weeks Notice When Resigning?So you might be wondering why bother with a two week notice? Who cares about the last impression? Youre leaving anyway, right?Well, there are two big reasons to care about how you resign from a job.Reason #1 To Give A Notice When QuittingIts likely youll run into one or more of your coworkers in the future. They change jobs/companies too and you never know when youll see them again.And leaving them with a bad final impression now could stop you from getting hired a t the employers they work at in the future.Even if theyre not the hiring manager, the person in charge of hiring will likely see that you worked together in the past (via LinkedIn) and ask them about you.Reason #2 To Give A Notice When QuittingYoull need good references if you plan on getting hired for future jobs.So you always want to leave on good terms with your former bosses/managers so you can feel comfortable asking them to be a reference.Thats why you should give a two week notice.In the next section, well look at how to resign from a job gracefully and professionally, and Ill recommend a few easy templates you can use for writing your two week notice.How To Properly Give Two Week Notice And Resign From A PositionNow that we looked at why its worth giving a two week notice, Im going to walk you through the right way to quit your job gracefully and how to properly give two week notice, plus some mistakes to avoid.This is how you give a two week notice and quit a job the right way:1. Make sure youve thought about your decisionDont resign or give your two weeks notice out of anger or short-term frustration in the heat of the moment.Quitting a job should be a well-thought-out decision. Think about what youre doing and your financial situation, and make sure youre not reacting in the moment and doing something youll regret.To be clear Im all for quitting a job if its a bad situation or if you have a better opportunity.Ive personally quit two jobs with NOTHING lined up and it worked out fine both times.(One time I traveled a month and came back to find my first ever job as a Recruiter! And the next time, I quit my last job as a Recruiter to go into business for myself!)But just make sure youve thought about the decision.2. Schedule a specific time to talk to your boss (in-person)I like sending an email Something simple like, Hi NAME, can we talk for 15 minutes this afternoon? I need to speak with you in private.Dont bring up the topic at the end of another m eeting or conversation with your boss (like a regularly-scheduled weekly check-in).Have a separate meeting to discuss this.3. Walk in with a printed letter of resignation and tell them that youre giving your two weeks noticeThere are plenty of simple, short resignation letter templates on the internet. Here are a couple you can use:https://www.thebalancecareers.com/two-weeks-notice-resignation-letter-sample-2063069https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-write-a-resignation-letterI recommend keeping it very short and simple.And keep it professional and positive because the company will keep this document on file! This isnt a place to vent, let out frustration, etc.If youre resigning, its no longer your problem or concern. Just keep it generic and polite and non-emotional.NOTE: Some templates online have a place where you tell your boss where youve accepted a new job. I dont recommend this or think its necessary.When you talk to your boss in-person and deliver the letter, you can share where youre going next if youd like. But I dont think its necessary to write it in the actual resignation letter.4. Have a normal conversation afterIf your boss is half-decent, theyll ask what youre going to be doing in your next opportunity, theyll wish you luck, etc.Dont let anxiety take over and rush out of the room.This is a chance to leave a great final impression with your Manager and even suggest keeping in touch if you feel its appropriate.They may be in a different company you want to work for in the future.You may want to use them as a reference.There are so many reasons to leave on great terms whenever possible. Those are just a few examples.And its worth sticking around for a few minutes (if your Manager is up for it) to discuss your future plans, thank them for any help/mentoring they gave you, or for the opportunity in general.5. Submit your notice to your boss before you share the news with your work friendsThis is especially true in a small or mid-sized organization but I think its important advice in any organization.News travels fast and people LOVE to gossip. Telling even one or two friends that youre planning on leaving opens up the risk of them telling one or two other people, who then spread the news further!If this happens before you personally tell your boss, itll leave them feeling betrayed and hurt, and will make you look extremely unprofessional.The only guaranteed way to avoid this is: Resist the urge to tell friends before you tell your boss.After you give your formal two week notice and hand in your resignation letter, you can tell people without this risk.6. Be strategic about timing your resignationId suggest doing this all in the afternoon on a Friday so you dont have to go back to your desk for hours after.Although, other people suggest doing it in the morning to get the jitters out of the way. You can decide whats best for you.The last time I quit a job I gave my two week notice after lunch.You may want to consider which day is best, too.A reader on LinkedIn offered this great advice when I brought up the topic of how to resign from a job:Be strategic about your last day For instance, in my past role, if I stayed through at least the 1st of the following month, I received health care for that entire month (versus losing it immediately by leaving at the end of the month).Credit: Laura Riley7. Get contact info and stay in touch with former colleagues and managersYour network is the easiest and fastest way to find jobs in the future IF you stay in touch with people and make an effort to maintain relationships.(Contacting someone after two years of silence to ask for a favor is NOT networking and is probably going to get you zero results).So as a final step, think about who you want to keep in touch with and get their contact info.Connect with them on LinkedIn if you havent yet, or exchange emails or phone numbers.Each job you leave can be a boost to your network if you follow the steps above and quit your job gracefully and professionally.Optional Step: Sending Thank You EmailsIm a big fan of sending thank you messages after an interview (I have 3 great samples here).And I think it can also boost the final impression you leave when you resign from a job, too.The message will be a bit different, but the idea is the same:Take a few minutes to write up an email personally thanking them for their time, telling them you enjoyed working with them, learning from them, etc.This is a great step toward being able to reconnect with these people in the future for networking, references, etc.So pick the people you enjoyed working with (hopefully including your bosses/managers), and then send a brief email a couple of days later to each individual person, just thanking them a final time for everything (even if you thanked them in person, this is still a nice touch).So thats one more extra step you can use to leave a great final impression when resigning.Employers Dont Give Me Two Weeks Notice If They Let Me Go. Why Should I?I get it its not fair.Ive personally given a two week notice properly and professionally and was forcibly WALKED OUT of the building midday as if I had stolen from the company or something.It was humiliating and felt awful.I remember riding the glass elevator down to the first floor with my bag and my boss standing next to me and feeling everyone looking.Its not fair and its not right that companies request a two week notice but dont hold themselves to the same standard, or even guarantee theyll accept your notice!But heres what Ill say:You can do what you feel is right, or you can do whats best for your career. The advice above is how to resign from a job in the way thats best for your career.Thats what Im here to help with.Unless you were very badly mistreated by a company and have serious, legitimate reasons for not being able to be there for two additional weeks, thats what Id recommend doing.You wont regret doing things the right way. I dont. The c olleagues I did care about will remember that I conducted myself properly, even if the company did not.How To Resign From A Job Gracefully Quick InstructionsMake sure youve thought about your decision and are not resigning impulsivelySchedule a specific time to talk to your boss in-personWalk in with a printed letter of resignation and tell them that youre giving your two weeks noticeRemain in the room for a few minutes to thank your manager for the opportunity and tell them you hope to keep in touch (you never know when youll need a good reference or what company this manager will end up working for)Submit your notice to your boss before you share the news with any of your work friendsBe strategic about timing your resignation think about the best day and time to resign for your exact situationStay in touch with past colleagues so you can network and hear about opportunities in the futureNote: If youre quitting a job but havent found another one yet, be sure to check out our new job hunting resources:Best job hunting booksJob search websitesTop resume writers