HOW TO QUIT YOUR JOB

Ayana Bryant-Weekes

We’ve always been told that quitters never win and winners never quit, but in my experience, sometimes quitting is necessary to win. In the business circle of life, whether you’re escaping an unpleasant job situation, starting a new entrepreneurial endeavor, or simply transitioning into a new position, one thing is for sure; you’ll get plenty of practice quitting jobs over the course of your career. Quitting, however, is more than walking into your boss’s office, flipping a desk, and chucking the deuces. A Harvard Business Review article called How To Quit Your Job ithout Burning Bridges quotes Len Schlesinger, a professor at Harvard Business School and coauthor of  Just Start: “The Bookends, “How you start and how you end, are the most important parts of any professional relationship.”

Quitting your job can be an exhilarating experience. There are a rush of feelings that come with ending one professional endeavor and beginning another. But it is very important not to let professionalism take a backseat to your emotions. To ease the “I’m about to quit my job” jitters remember, it’s not personal; it’s business. Inevitably, your boss will find someone to fill your role once you resign but you still want to make sure you have all your bases covered to ensure a positive quitting experience.

Here are 6 steps to making the perfect exit:

1. Consult God. More often than not, when we begin to feel uncomfortable in our workplace, become bored with our professional duties, or are presented with a seemingly more suitable opportunity we become anxious and begin to make plans to move to the next phase in our careers. However, quitting your job is a HUGE decision and many times it is a great exercise of our faith. It is imperative to your well-being that before you make any permanent decisions, you make sure you are moving according to God's plan for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)

2. Set a firm date for your last day of work. Once you receive direction from God to move, set a date for action. It’s not required in every state, but professional courtesy says two full weeks is the appropriate amount of time for you, as well as your employer to tie up any loose ends and train your replacement, if necessary.

3. Compose an official resignation letter. In such a delicate situation, putting things in writing is always best.  Your letter can be brief yet professionally polite –even companies with a casual company culture would be frustrated by a less courteous, “FYI I quit” email.  1 Corinthians 14:40 says But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. The letter doesn’t have to explain our whole life’s story, just a written heads up to the company that will also leave the appropriate paper trail to cover you if anything goes wrong. Here's a sample resignation letter to get you started.

4. Let your boss be the first to know. 
Once you’ve decided to resign, the first person you should tell is your manager. There can be a lot of “he said, she said,” and speculation surrounding the departure of a co-worker so you want to make sure that before anyone, your boss has the real story from you. This way, you are able to communicate any information necessary without outside information impacting how your resignation is perceived. Use this conversation as an opportunity to hand deliver a printed, signed copy of your letter to hand over and make it official.

5. Inform your colleagues.  Leave a short, sincere note, email etc. that says, “It’s been a pleasure working with you all! “ You can also leave your personal or professional email address or LikedIn profile to keep in touch with professional contacts keeping your industry network strong.

6. Keep your digital hands clean. When you quit your job you may want to let all your Facebook friends and Twitter followers know that you’ve finally quit your job! But be careful! Your boss may see it and if your boss doesn’t see it, a co-worker will. If your boss and co-worker don’t see it, other potential employers will. New job opportunities come from places you least expect like people that follow you on Twitter or Instagram. The worst part about digital blunders is that they exist forever. No matter how many tweets you delete, or pictures you remove, the Internet never forgets. Posting passive-aggressive posts about how you’re “so happy to be at a better job” where “people appreciate you” can come back to haunt you when you’re looking for a positive recommendation from your previous employers.

Follow these 6 steps to a successful quitting experience and watch God take the next phase of your career to a new level. Happy Quitting!!