It might feel good in the moment to air grievances to coworkers or your boss, but think about your professional network first.Getty Images
Ask Women and Work
Question: I need to quit my job, but I’m stressed about having that conversation with my boss. Is there a right way to leave a job?
We asked Sarah Stockdale, founder and CEO, Growclass, to tackle this one:
You should always leave a job the way you want to go into your next opportunity. Even if you have had a hard time in that role, even if you don’t like your boss, what you are doing is preserving your future career opportunities. Remember that the world is a very small town, so the way in which you depart a company is going to be part of the narrative you’re building in your career.
1. Always do it in person if you can. If not, do it on a zoom call or on the phone with your boss. Also, give them a heads up with the meeting invite. It can be very jarring when you think you’re going into a coffee chat and then it’s a resignation, so if you label the meeting something like, ‘role continuity,’ that will at least give your boss a slight heads up of what is to come. After that conversation, put your resignation in writing, and make sure you’re following whatever processes HR has set out for you.
2. Quit gracefully. Offer to build processes and make sure that the next person is going to be very successful. If you feel comfortable offering to help hire and train that next person, that is wonderful. Also, check your contract and make sure you are in line with how much notice you need to give. If you are more senior, the more notice you can give, the better.
3. Make sure you have what you need before you quit. Your employer might decide to walk you out the day you quit. That’s not common, but it can happen. Make sure you have compiled documentation of your work at the company so that you can tell that story in future interviews.
4. Avoid airing grievances. In your last weeks at the organization, think less about the criticisms you have for the company or the things you wish were different. It might feel good in the moment to air those grievances to coworkers or your boss, and maybe there is a constructive way that you can give feedback. But I want you to prioritize yourself and your professional network first. You want the relationships with the people you loved working with to be intact and you want to be able to maintain those relationships going forward.
5. Announce on social media. Do a graceful, kind post letting folks know it’s your last day at your company. Thank your previous employer and tag the people you want to maintain close professional relationships with. Let folks know to look out for another post telling them where you’re headed next. That second post can be about your new position. By doing these posts separately, it will make the folks you worked with feel seen and acknowledged, and it will show the people that you’re joining that you’re excited about this opportunity.
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