How to Quit Your Job With Class

How to Quit Your Job With ClassHow to Quit Your Job With ClassTheres no easy way around it. Quitting your job is awkward at best and downright disastrous at worst. And although you may have fantasies of pulling a Steven Slater la JetBlue, I wouldnt recommend it- no matter how much you loved or hated your last gig.So, how exactly does one quit with grace? On its own, the fact that youve found greener pastures- whether thats with a new job or taking some time off- is a statement about how you feel about your current job It isnt good enough, and youre moving on.But that doesnt mean thats the message you should be sending your soon-to-be-former colleagues. In fact, for the sake of your professional relationships (not to mention reputation) moving forward, you always want to part on good terms.Ive handed in a few resignations in my time, varying from happy to hesitant, and heres how I did it.1. Stay Absolutely Positively PositiveNobody likes a negative Nelly- ever. So if youre planning a n exodus, dishing the dirt on your employer is never a good idea. Im not saying you need to sugarcoat anything, but if you have any less than fuzzy feelings about your job, keep them to yourself. As soon as youve decided to pull the trigger, make a point of keeping the negativity to a minimum in the office. Smile. Tell people theyre doing a good job. Say nice things about your company and your team.If youre on your way out, it helps everyone if they feel like its a tough decision for you and that you feel youre leaving a good organization. Even if that isnt totally true, your colleagues still have to wake up and go to work after youre gone, so theres no reason to make them feel bad about what theyre stuck with if youve moved on to greener pastures. 2. Schedule a Face to Face- or SeveralWhen you quit, feelings will be hurt. I know- this is business and feelings arent supposed to be part of the equation- but when it comes to people youve been working with (or managing) for years, they are. leid everyone will be as excited about you moving on as you are, but you can soften the blow by delivering the news in person. Finding out your colleague is leaving in a team meeting doesnt exactly inspire loyalty, so save yourself the drama and spill the beans to those who matter fruchtwein, before the news goes public.Start with your boss (heres how to do it), then tell him or her youll be sharing the news personally with your colleagues as well. This is not a step to be taken lightly- choose your people carefully. Title and tenure arent necessarily the fruchtwein important factors, but rather, consider who youve worked with most closely and connected with most over the years. Basically, figure out whose opinion you really value, and make sure they hear about your exodus first.Tell your colleagues that you had a tough decision to make, how much youve liked working with them, and how much your professional relationship has meant to you. Thank them for all theyve done to get y ou into the position to take the next step in your career, and tell them youd like to stay in quntchen after youre gone. Do this genuinely for everyone on your list (and then, you know, actually do stay in touch), and youll assure you have strong supporters long after youve moved on.3. Get Your S**t TogetherThis was a toss-up for point 1, so pay attention. If you want to leave on good terms, then leave with your house in order. I cant tell you how many times Ive had colleagues leave, doing everything right- until the rest of us had to pick up where they left off and found a convoluted maze of paperwork and loose ends. Dont do this- I repeat, do not do this, ever. If youre going to leave and you dont want to be blacklisted for life, make sure you have your s**t lined up before you walk out that door. Nothing ruins a reputation like leaving a mess for someone else to clean up. It doesnt matter how many manuals youve created or how many people youve trained, if you havent tied up all y our loose ends before you walk out that door, I guarantee someone will be cursing you before you have the chance to ask for a reference (which, by the way, you will need one day).If it takes overtime and working on weekends, do it. Dig through your email, listen to all those voicemails youve ignored, and rifle through those mysterious pieces of paper floating on your desk. Run the hit by a bus scenario to determine what your colleagues couldnt figure out easily if you were suddenly hit by a bus, and fix that, pronto. Most importantly, keep a detailed guide for anything out of the ordinary, including contact information for people whove been helpful in the past. Put yourself in the position of the colleagues who will be filling in for you Remember the tasks that stressed you out the most, then make sure youve given them the tools to handle those tasks with ease. While they may not immediately appreciate your thoroughness, I guarantee theyll be cursing you less after youve gone, and t hat means one more bridge intact.Once youve got that handled, youre ready for step 4.4. Leave EarlyThe long goodbye. While its one of my favorite novels, its not so great when it comes to your exit from a job. While most of us likely dream of the entire office dusting up a fantastic kerfuffle upon our departure, the reality is no one needs the extended remix of your quitting. Once youve decided when your last day will be, plan to hand in your access badge a few hours before quitting time. Your last day will be awkward, no matter what you do, so save everyone the pain and suffering and use this opportunity to cut out a bit early. Make a round around the office to say goodbye, knowing everyone really important to you already knows where to find you- and where youll be for an early happy hour- and thats all you need to do.Dont drag out your exit any longer than needed, and everyone will thank you for it. Not to mention this might be the first and last time youll ever get off work early .Theres just one caveat to avoiding the long goodbye Make sure everyone knows this isnt goodbye. Tell people where youre going and how they can get in touch with you. If its not appropriate to send a company-wide email sharing this info- sometimes it really isnt- then make sure at least one person has the info, then as youre going through your goodbyes, tell everyone that Bob has your contact information, and that youd love to grab coffee or a drink after work once youre settled. Keep it light and social, then head for the door.Whether its for your dream job or just the next best thing for you, dont forget the connections youve made thus far are every bit as important as the gig youre going to. Keep things positive and civil, and youll assure everyone remembers you as a standup guy or gal.Photo of exit sign courtesy of Shutterstock.