Choosing to resigning is a difficult decision for most employees, even when they hate their work or work for someone they view as a demon. If you started the new year ready for an employment change, the tips below will help you navigate the process with grace. No matter how frustrated you might be, especially if you work in a tightly-knit profession or industry, your future self will probably thank you for keeping your options wide open.
Don’t make the decision impulsively.
We all have times when we want to quit, including your boss and your boss’ boss. Make sure you’re setting yourself up for success by making a well-reasoned decision with some sort of plan. You might not know exactly where you will work next, but at least know how much money you have to live on between jobs and where you will start looking the day after you quit.
Make the Seven Choices.
- Forgive yourself for having conflicts at work.
- Acknowledge yourself for taking action to resolve them (including by stepping back first).
- Forgive the world, your co-workers, your boss, etc. for having and creating conflicts.
- Free the emotions privately and in a manner that causes no harm.
- Clear your mind, or at least make sure it’s not racing.
- Assume you know nothing about the situation and look at it anew.
- Listen with your third ear for the hurts you can heal or the fears you can calm.
Don’t try to use quitting as leverage.
Occasionally, employees can use threats of resignation to renegotiate current employment terms, but that often backfires and leaves them without jobs. It also creates or exacerbates environments of distrust and manipulation. Those are qualities that make employees leave; it’s not usually what they want to create. It’s better to be more transparent with your employer and work together toward solutions to the problems that have you considering a move.
Don’t make it personal.
By the time you have decided to resign, you have presumably tried to make the employment partnership work and it isn’t. Game over. Your resignation only needs to communicate the date on which you will no longer fulfill the duties of your position. Make sure you deliver that to the appropriate person in your organization. (If you don’t know who that is, ask your supervisor or human resources representative.)
Make it clear when your last day is.
If you have unused vacation or other paid time off you plan to use, make sure you state that. You might hate your employer and want to make the process difficult for the business, but you probably like your co-workers. You don’t want to destroy them, especially if you’re in a specialty industry where you might work with them again. Choose your battles wisely.
Express gratitude for the opportunities you had there.
Although the relationship is no longer working, you stayed long enough to be resigning, which means something kept you there for at least a while. Getting clear on what that was will help you know what to look for in your next position, and thanking your employer for developing your skills will leave future opportunities open, including ones you can’t even imagine yet.
Do what you say you will do.
Just before your last day, your employer might ask you to stay a few extra days because they are not ready for you to leave. Assuming you gave fair notice, hold firm on your original date so you can focus on what you need to for the next chapter of your life. This also lets your employer see where it needs to improve, which might be why you are leaving in the first place.
Conclusion
Resigning is a significant step in your professional journey. Handling the process with grace can make a lasting impression. Follow these tips, and you’ll not only make a powerful exit but also pave the way for exciting future endeavors.