7 Steps to Take BEFORE Quitting Your Job.

Most likely, you will eventually quit your job. It’s only a matter of time. With the job market regaining strength and your desire to move up the ladder quickly, it is inevitable.

Movers and shakers…. Well, move.

The only real question is how will you do it without leaving a bad taste in your employer’s mouth? How will you quit your job and not burn bridges along the way?
Because let’s face it… do you really want to leave on bad terms? What if you need a reference? Or most importantly, what if you are in the same industry is that the reputation you want to build for yourself?

The overall goal of leaving any company for bigger and better horizons is to leave on good terms with your employer signing you praises and celebrating your accomplishments and contributions to the firm.

So before you decide to quit or hand in your resignation, be sure to consider these important steps:

1)Decide the outcome – how do you want to exit. The reality is that you have a choice here. You can go out with guns blazing, disgruntle and telling your manager what you think of him or her or you can take the high road. You can make the decision that you are the bigger person and leave on a good note. Decide to keep positive and keep your comments limited to only positive discussion about your time and experience at the company.

2)Put your issues on the table – before you start to look for a new position or decide to quit your job, be sure to put all of your issues on the table and give your employer an opportunity to fix the issues. Discuss the challenges you are seeing in a positive, “non-bitchy” way that shows you as a professional. The truth of the matter, they may not even have been aware that you are unhappy and thinking about leaving. – Don’t give them any indication that you are thinking of leaving, frame your discussion in a way that highlights your desire to move forward and the discussion around your future.

3)Look for your new job on YOUR time – No matter how unhappy or angry you are, do not steal time from your employer and look for your new job at the office. Employees often forget that the computers they use, the phones they are given and email addresses are the property of the company and are not intended for that use. In addition, some companies monitor activity on email accounts and phones so you could be opening Pandora’s box. Use your own time. Dedicate time nights and weekends to do you searching.

4)Respect your employer’s proprietary information. When you are out interviewing with prospective employers, do not disclose sensitive information about your current employer. Keep your integrity intact and even if asked, simply state, I cannot really disclose that type of information, I am sure you understand and wouldn’t want your employees sharing sensitive and competitive information.

5)Don’t rally the troops. – Keep your thoughts of leaving to yourself. Do not involve any of the other employees – even those you feel are your close friends. You want to leave on the best terms so do not try to rally the troops against the company. Don’t discuss your reasons for leaving and don’t bash your manager on the way out. This is a personal and professional decision that you want to keep to yourself.

6)Honor all commitments. Give your employer enough notice and finish any outstanding projects you are working on. If your time runs out, be sure to document your duties and share the knowledge you have acquired with your manager so they are prepared to handle your position in the meantime.

7)Celebrate your decision. Do not allow the emotion of you leaving overwhelm your decision to make real change in your life. Leaving a company where you have forged many relationships is hard and often you want to just leave because the emotion gets to be too much. Remember you are moving your career forward and this is a time to be appreciative of everything your current employer has taught you and to be excited about what new opportunities lay ahead.

With a little planning, you can make a graceful exit. You can leave with great relationships and take what you have learned and use it to forge a new direction. The world is your oyster, all you have to do is find the pearl.

Question: Have you followed these steps? What results did you get? You can leave a comment below.

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