Before You Quit Your Job, Have an Exit Plan - Workology

Before You Quit Your Job, Have an Exit Plan - Workology GET ALL OF YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW Remember the dot-com crash? Soon after, I  upped and quit my job. I was working for base-plus-commission at a boutique recruiting firm and couldn’t take the sales cycle or rejection any longer. Then, while my boss was on vacation, I called and quit. For many years after, I regretted how my 23-year-old self handled things. So, before you  quit your job and burn any bridges,  consider mapping out an exit strategy. GET ALL OF YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW Know where you’re going.  Whether you’re seeking a new job, relocating with your spouse or leaving to take care of your family or health, hopefully you have some sense as to what’s next. Most importantly, make sure that you’ve reviewed your finances and know your benefits options. Gather examples of your achievements.    Save copies of your work now, so you have a portfolio to share later. Maybe it’s a newsletter you created, a congratulatory email from a VP, last year’s performance appraisal or an article you had published; these mementos could help you stand out from other job seekers during future interviews. Confide in a trusted few.    Depending upon your situation, you may want to exit quietly. However, making this type of transition often times requires support. Discuss your plan with your spouse or other family member, a close friend or even a trusted co-worker. The people who know you best will want to help you and could offer great career advice or job leads. Connect with your contacts.  After you’ve work at any place for a while, you inevitably build a network. Make sure  you connect with the people  you’ve gotten to know via LinkedIn, Twitter or even Facebook, so that you can potentially stay in touch during the next chapter of your career. Give two weeks notice.  Though not required, standard practice is to give at least  two weeks notice. I’ve known some people who’ve given three weeks or stayed on part-time for a month before officially leaving. Some companies may have a policy stating that if you do not give at least two weeks notice, you forfeit any payout of unused vacation time (so, read your employee handbook). And, keep in mind, that employers do not have to accept your notice and may ask you to leave immediately. Tie up loose ends.  When you leave a company, a lot of experience leaves with you. Pass along your knowledge to a co-worker, archive reports, documents,  and emails, etc. so that the next person can pick up where you left off. While you may be tempted to “check out early,” know that your behavior could end up making your co-workers jobs more difficult. 3 THINGS NOT TO DO WHEN QUITTING YOUR JOB Don’t leave your co-workers with a boatload issues or unfinished projects that you could have easily solved or wrapped up. Don’t trash talk your employer to current employees or during interviews. No one likes a toxic person and doing so reflects poorly on you. Don’t update your LinkedIn heading prior to actually leaving your employer. People will notice, really, they will. Going out in a blaze of glory or giving a big “up yours” to your employer might seem like a good idea … though from my vantage point, I’m advising against that. Instead, bow out professionally, you never know what the future holds or if you might end up wanting to reapply to your old company. Have you ever upped and quit your job with no notice? Tell us why