14 Tips On How to Quit Your Job

There comes a point in every cubicle monkey’s life when there are just one too many fleas and not enough bananas! When the negatives start piling up and other doors of opportunity open up, just how do you catch the next flight out of the corporate zombie zone? My good friend and colleague recently went through the painful process of accepting a new position and resigning for her current position. The anticipation of the change had her stressed, worried, but also excited. When your emotions are up and down it’s hard to keep a clear head, so here are some tips to help you quit resign from your job all without any of the monkey poo tossing!

14 Things to do before you Walk out the Door

1. Since your Plan A isn’t working get a Plan B: unless your leaving your job because of some personal emergency make sure your parachutes are in working order before you jump jet. Update your LinkedIn profile and send your resume to companies and recruiters to get as many interviews lined up during your lunch hour as you can get.

Look for another job now

2. Start taking stuff home: you may not be ready to quit just yet, but to avoid the “I hate my job blues”, start taking your plants and pictures home slowly to remind you that you’re on your way out and to give you something to look forward to. If anyone asks about your cleaner cubicle tell them you needed to remove distractions.

3. Back-up and remove all your personal stuff: we all save personal files, pictures and bookmarks on our work computers. Do yourself a favor and back all this junk up and remove it from your computer as completely as possible. If you have any hacked software remove that too!

4. Collect your benefits: check up on your earned vacation and sick days for the year. You can either burn them up before you quit, or get a nice cash lump with your last paycheck. Don’t forget to plan to roll-over or cash-out your 401k and other company sponsored investments.

5. Sign the offer letter first: if you’re planning on quitting your job but still need another job to fill in the paycheck gap make sure you have a new gig lined up before you even think about making a peep to anyone! Don’t just have the offer letter in your hand, sign, accept, fax and confirm your new position before you leap out onto a pile of concrete where your cushion was supposed to be.

6. Don’t Worry: change is difficult for most people, but anticipating change can be even more nerve-racking. Don’t fret. When it comes down to it, keep in mind that a company could just as easily axe your job and leave you high and dry without remorse. Don’t feel bad, move on. It’s probably better for you and the company that you find something that suits you.

7. Write a Resignation Letter: make it short sweet and simple. Don’t ramble, complain or attempt to explain your change of heart. A simple “This is a notice of my voluntary resignation, my last day will be January 1st 2008”, should suffice. However your letter is also a chance to leave on a positive note so say at least one or two nice things even if you hate the place. Always give at least a two week notice — some places may even ask you to leave sooner.

8. Make sure your supervisor is the first to know: you want your boss to hear the news from you and not from the grapevine. This is both an issue of respect and trust, whether you respect or trust your boss or not save yourself a possible reference by helping your boss save face.

9. Ask for a reference: even if you are the worst employee in the world and burnt down half of the office let go of your ego and ask your boss for a letter of reference. Unless your boss is a complete jerk he’s not likely to decline this request. Not only does this extend good will but it also shows that you want to keep a positive relationship.

You have one new MONKEY message!

10. Don’t burn your bridges: once a person unhinges him or herself from a job they feel free to let loose and say whatever is damn well on their mind. Don’t be this idiot. Your relationships with people beyond your job may come to bite you in the butt down the road. It’s a small world, so keep your corporate smile on until you walk out the door. Remember: No insulting, ranting, complaining, etc.

11. Be professional and tie up loose ends: keep your face clean by continuing to show up to work on time, doing your job, and dressing appropriately. Don’t get sloppy just because you’re on your way out. Make sure you finish up whatever projects you are working on or pass them on to someone else with enough information to finish without you. Save another bridge from burning.

12. Don’t let the goose loose: the last thing you want is for the office to be buzzing around with rumors of your departure. They’ll likely talk about you after you leave anyway so save yourself the drama and heartache of having to explain yourself to everyone. Wait until the last day and announce it via email, and say something nice. Keep your bridges intact: leave your contact info (and maybe an inspirational quote.) Even if they don’t give you a going-away lunch, you’ll save yourself 2-weeks of pain.

13. Get LinkedIn and ask for a recommendation: when all is said and done, get in touch with the co-workers and cash-out on your good will by requesting a LinkedIn recommendation. This is a sure way to open up more opportunities for you the next time around.

14. Give yourself a break: you’ve got a new job lined up and they want to know when you’re going to start. Push out your start date a couple of weeks and take some well deserved time off! Tell your new employer you’ve got projects at your old job you need to wrap up. Use your chunk of cash for your leftover sick and vacation time and have a blast. What better way to start a new job?

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Quitting your job isn’t easy, but if you think you’re moving on these tips won’t let you down. Do you have any experiences you want to share? Leave a comment below to add to the discussion!

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