How to Quit Your Job With Class

By Dennis McCafferty | Posted 2016-10-13

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How to Quit Your Job With Class

If you find a better opportunity with a new employer, you should never succumb to your worst impulses when leaving your current job. Instead, resign gracefully.
Write a Brief, Gracious Resignation Letter

Keep it concise, but express appreciation for all the opportunities your current employer has given you.
Follow Protocol

Schedule a face-to-face meeting with your direct supervisor, and offer to stay on for at least two weeks to ensure a smooth transition.
Collaborate on an Exit Strategy

Work with your manager on the best way to announce your departure, schedule your last day and hand off your responsibilities.
Pack During Off-Hours

By doing that, you'll create fewer distractions for your co-workers.
Be Happy, but Not Too Happy

There's a difference between looking forward to a new and hopefully better opportunity and gloating.
Stay Engaged With Your Job

Before you leave, attend meetings, put in your "A" game and support your colleagues. Don't go on autopilot and act like a lame duck.
Create a Transition Document

This document for your co-workers should include current projects you're working on, key contacts and details that they will need once you've left.
Create a Transition eMail

This email should go out to customers, partners and other stakeholders to let them know about your departure and your last day on the job.
Always Say "Thanks!"

Extend gratitude to everyone—your bosses, team members and other colleagues. Take a moment to highlight accomplishments and how others helped you reach them.
Don't Second-Guess Yourself

Once you make a decision to leave, move on. Don't linger or express doubts. Move forward decisively and look ahead to the next chapter in your career.
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All jobs come with some frustrations, and you may occasionally fantasize about quitting your job in a blaze of "I'm outta here!" glory. Given the intense demand for IT professionals with proven, difficult-to-find skills, you may feel confident in doing just that. Nearly two-thirds of IT data employees, for example, believe that it would be easy or very easy to find a new job opportunity, according to industry research. That said, even if you find a better opportunity with a new employer, you should never succumb to your worst impulses when leaving your current job. Instead, you should carefully consider the following guidelines on how to gracefully resign from your current job, as adopted from a recent article posted by Glassdoor. The guidelines cover everything from making the initial announcement to helping your team members make the transition to packing your office belongings. At every step of the way, it's critical to express appreciation to everyone who helped you get to where you are today—and where you're going. "Making the decision to quit a job is almost never easy," according to Glassdoor. "Whether you have been practicing your Jerry Maguire-style farewell monologue or the need to exit has been precipitated by unforeseen circumstances, leaving a job is filled with a lot of emotions for you and for the team you are leaving behind. But no matter the circumstance, there is a 'right way' to quit your job. Hint: It's not what Tom Cruise did in the 1996 movie."

Dennis McCafferty is a freelance writer for Baseline Magazine.