Steps to Take Before Quitting

Summary: Before walking out the office on your last day of work, make sure you follow these steps to prepare and make the departure as smooth and positive as possible.

Losing a job whether voluntarily or not is never an enjoyable experience. The feelings of uncertainty and change make everyone uncomfortable. When the time comes to quit your job, there are important steps that need to be taken first. Leaving the company on a good note is very important to ensure you don’t burn any bridges for the future.

• If quitting, don’t tell anyone until you have told your boss. While divulging your news to a coworker is tempting, you lose your chance to explain why you are leaving. Enter your boss’s office with a clear reason, last day date, and how you want everyone at the office notified of your departure.
• Don’t immediately take a counteroffer to stay. If the reasons for leaving go beyond your salary, a pay increase won’t fix anything. Plus, if you do take their offer, you have to stay around for at least another year.
• Continue to be a stellar employee after you have given notice. Now is not the time to start complaining and neglecting your responsibilities.
• Do your part to make the transition smooth. You want to keep your relationship with the company positive and strong after you leave so leave with an action plan that outlines important dates of pending projects with suggestions for how to handle them such as employees that can take on the project.
• Your exit interview is not a therapy session. Give positive, constructive solution for the company, not gossip about other coworkers.
• Stay valuable after leaving. You have likely made important connections at the company so maintain those connections. A network is your most valuable asset since you never know when one person may be the key to future success.

Photo: beyondcareersuccess.com