Comments on: A question for ya: How do you quit? http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/ Make Yourself and Your Business Happy At Work Sun, 20 May 2012 05:56:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: trudy http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-245605 trudy Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:18:40 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-245605 hi, i have been offered a good, exciting, salary position at a great company, but am doing contract work for another place. i didnt sign a contract. its only one day a week but the project doesnt finish for another few months, i really want to quit it as its too stressful, not exciting, badly paid, but i dont want to burn my bridges or ruin my chances of having a reference. any help would be greatly appreciated!!! hi,

i have been offered a good, exciting, salary position at a great company, but am doing contract work for another place. i didnt sign a contract. its only one day a week but the project doesnt finish for another few months, i really want to quit it as its too stressful, not exciting, badly paid, but i dont want to burn my bridges or ruin my chances of having a reference.

any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

]]> By: arun http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-44852 arun Mon, 12 Feb 2007 11:29:37 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-44852 right now i m working in a company for about 15 days,which i m experienced with different field..i feel little uncomfortable now..suggest me some ideas? right now i m working in a company for about 15 days,which i m experienced with different field..i feel little uncomfortable now..suggest me some ideas?

]]> By: Janet http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43123 Janet Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:22:00 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43123 Oops, didn't see Jochen's post before I posted mine. Oops, didn’t see Jochen’s post before I posted mine.

]]> By: Janet http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43121 Janet Thu, 08 Feb 2007 16:18:22 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43121 The "Manager Tools" site has a series of 3 podcasts on "How to resign" in a professional manner. The first one is here: http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/07/how-to-resign-part-1-of-3/ Their is advice is to give yourself 6 weeks lead time -- 2 weeks to prepare before giving notice, and 4 weeks of transition time. This is targeted to mid- to high-level managers, so individual contributors might not need to give so much notice. Their advice of making sure that you have money in the bank for 6 weeks' worth of living expenses seems like a good one for every one. You might be let go on the spot when you give notice, and you might not get a paycheck from your new job for a month or more. They also recommend NOT giving any indication that you're looking or planning to leave until the moment you give notice. That goes down to the level of: If your mobile phone is paid for by the company, don't suddenly start carrying your new personal mobile phone too. They also recommend against accepting a counter-offer. Once you've given a resignation, stick with it, because even if you get more money, better assignments, etc., the working relationship is soured. My most interesting experience with quitting was my first job out of college. I was the office manager and bookkeeper for a very small company, and I agreed to continue hourly in my spare time to train the new person and help with the bookkeeping while she was being trained. When she was let go after 6 months, I declined to train HER replacement or continue spending any more spare time on my former company, which I think surprised my former boss. I also refrained from saying "I TOLD you not to hire this person, and see, I was right." Another time I quit a contract job for a salaried position elsewhere. My supervisor at the contract job said "Would it make a difference if we could offer you a salaried position?" and I said no. I enjoyed the people I worked with there, but the work itself was quite mind-numbing. I had actually gotten two job offers, and had accepted the lower-paying but more interesting one. (I was glad I made that choice when the higher-paying company had layoffs not too long after that.) The “Manager Tools” site has a series of 3 podcasts on “How to resign” in a professional manner. The first one is here: http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/07/how-to-resign-part-1-of-3/

Their is advice is to give yourself 6 weeks lead time — 2 weeks to prepare before giving notice, and 4 weeks of transition time. This is targeted to mid- to high-level managers, so individual contributors might not need to give so much notice. Their advice of making sure that you have money in the bank for 6 weeks’ worth of living expenses seems like a good one for every one. You might be let go on the spot when you give notice, and you might not get a paycheck from your new job for a month or more.

They also recommend NOT giving any indication that you’re looking or planning to leave until the moment you give notice. That goes down to the level of: If your mobile phone is paid for by the company, don’t suddenly start carrying your new personal mobile phone too. They also recommend against accepting a counter-offer. Once you’ve given a resignation, stick with it, because even if you get more money, better assignments, etc., the working relationship is soured.

My most interesting experience with quitting was my first job out of college. I was the office manager and bookkeeper for a very small company, and I agreed to continue hourly in my spare time to train the new person and help with the bookkeeping while she was being trained. When she was let go after 6 months, I declined to train HER replacement or continue spending any more spare time on my former company, which I think surprised my former boss. I also refrained from saying “I TOLD you not to hire this person, and see, I was right.”

Another time I quit a contract job for a salaried position elsewhere. My supervisor at the contract job said “Would it make a difference if we could offer you a salaried position?” and I said no. I enjoyed the people I worked with there, but the work itself was quite mind-numbing. I had actually gotten two job offers, and had accepted the lower-paying but more interesting one. (I was glad I made that choice when the higher-paying company had layoffs not too long after that.)

]]> By: Jochen Lillich http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43101 Jochen Lillich Thu, 08 Feb 2007 15:17:28 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43101 The Manager Tools podcast has a three-part series about resigning, from the preparation to the actual resignation: http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/07/how-to-resign-part-1-of-3/ http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/07/how-to-resign-part-2-of-3/ http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/08/how-to-resign-part-3-of-3/ I found their approach very insightful and professional. Cheers, Jochen The Manager Tools podcast has a three-part series about resigning, from the preparation to the actual resignation:

http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/07/how-to-resign-part-1-of-3/
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/07/how-to-resign-part-2-of-3/
http://www.manager-tools.com/2006/08/how-to-resign-part-3-of-3/

I found their approach very insightful and professional.

Cheers,
Jochen

]]> By: Deirdré Straughan http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43075 Deirdré Straughan Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:55:05 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43075 I should mention that I did add a little glory to my departing blaze by saying a public goodbye to the 170,000 subscribers of the company newsletter that I had been writing and editing for years. I did NOT do anything unethical like attack the company - absolutely not my style. I simply said I was leaving and would miss my readers. I got about 400 emails immediately, so warm and kind that I almost felt sorry for going. I kept those (now on my website) to warm me up and remind me of the things I had still loved about the job even at the end (the customers). A few dozen of those who wrote specifically said that they wanted to read whatever I might write in future. This was a pleasant surprise, and it spurred me to start my personal site/newsletter which now, almost six years on, has become a monster - I may even be able to make THAT my job someday (and would love it!). So I still remember those readers very fondly, and some of them are in fact still reading me after all this time and many changes of topic. I should mention that I did add a little glory to my departing blaze by saying a public goodbye to the 170,000 subscribers of the company newsletter that I had been writing and editing for years. I did NOT do anything unethical like attack the company – absolutely not my style. I simply said I was leaving and would miss my readers.

I got about 400 emails immediately, so warm and kind that I almost felt sorry for going. I kept those (now on my website) to warm me up and remind me of the things I had still loved about the job even at the end (the customers). A few dozen of those who wrote specifically said that they wanted to read whatever I might write in future. This was a pleasant surprise, and it spurred me to start my personal site/newsletter which now, almost six years on, has become a monster – I may even be able to make THAT my job someday (and would love it!). So I still remember those readers very fondly, and some of them are in fact still reading me after all this time and many changes of topic.

]]> By: Alexander http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43067 Alexander Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:26:08 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43067 Thanks for all the great stories and ideas people - Keep'em coming! I've posted <a href="http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/how-to-quit/" rel="nofollow">a short round-up</a> of some of the main trends. Thanks for all the great stories and ideas people – Keep’em coming!

I’ve posted a short round-up of some of the main trends.

]]> By: How to quit http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43066 How to quit Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:25:54 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43066 [...] A question for ya: How do you quit? [...] [...] A question for ya: How do you quit? [...]

]]> By: MrPete http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43062 MrPete Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:11:46 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43062 I left one job because I was unhappy. I'd decided to change careers totally and had a few ideas on how I would achieve it - but nothing concrete in place. My boss at the time handled it well by asking why I wanted to leave and offering advice rather than trying to make me stay in something that long term wouldn't have worked for either of us. The career change went well and I now have a job I enjoy most of the time. The only thing I would say is as a pointer to managers, if you have staff leaving it's worth checking no-one else might be about to jump ship. (Where I am now we had one guy on the team leave which has put pressure on the rest of us, if one other team meber from that team leaves we'll probably miss some serious deadlines and management haven't even tried to see if any of us are considering quitting, they're too busy babysitting the contractors relationship with an agency and chasing after their own pet project). I left one job because I was unhappy. I’d decided to change careers totally and had a few ideas on how I would achieve it – but nothing concrete in place. My boss at the time handled it well by asking why I wanted to leave and offering advice rather than trying to make me stay in something that long term wouldn’t have worked for either of us.

The career change went well and I now have a job I enjoy most of the time.

The only thing I would say is as a pointer to managers, if you have staff leaving it’s worth checking no-one else might be about to jump ship. (Where I am now we had one guy on the team leave which has put pressure on the rest of us, if one other team meber from that team leaves we’ll probably miss some serious deadlines and management haven’t even tried to see if any of us are considering quitting, they’re too busy babysitting the contractors relationship with an agency and chasing after their own pet project).

]]> By: Deirdré Straughan http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43009 Deirdré Straughan Thu, 08 Feb 2007 10:24:39 +0000 http://positivesharing.com/2007/02/a-question-for-ya-how-do-you-quit/#comment-43009 James is right that there's something to be said for the "blaze of glory." I was unhappy and felt insecure in my job (working remotely from Italy for a Silicon Valley firm), had tried a drastic change (moving to California when my group spun off as a new company), and got shafted by internal politics. Retreated to Italy with my tail between my legs, right back to the same situation I'd been unhappy in a year before. Pretty much everyone knew that wasn't going to last. I went on for months, dreading waking up every morning and face my computer (it's very hard to do customer service well when you yourself are miserable) until my mother-in-law getting cancer provided the straw that broke the camel's back: I knew I couldn't cope with a major family crisis while all my emotional energy was being sucked into a black hole. I called my manager and told her I was giving two weeks' notice due to this family problem. "Is there anything we can do to convince you to stay?" she asked, but we both knew she didn't mean it - had I stayed, I would have been the first to get the chop when the company started laying off two months later. So I had the minor moral satisfaction of saying, "No, there's nothing you can do to make me stay." And I went. James is right that there’s something to be said for the “blaze of glory.” I was unhappy and felt insecure in my job (working remotely from Italy for a Silicon Valley firm), had tried a drastic change (moving to California when my group spun off as a new company), and got shafted by internal politics. Retreated to Italy with my tail between my legs, right back to the same situation I’d been unhappy in a year before. Pretty much everyone knew that wasn’t going to last. I went on for months, dreading waking up every morning and face my computer (it’s very hard to do customer service well when you yourself are miserable) until my mother-in-law getting cancer provided the straw that broke the camel’s back: I knew I couldn’t cope with a major family crisis while all my emotional energy was being sucked into a black hole.

I called my manager and told her I was giving two weeks’ notice due to this family problem. “Is there anything we can do to convince you to stay?” she asked, but we both knew she didn’t mean it – had I stayed, I would have been the first to get the chop when the company started laying off two months later.

So I had the minor moral satisfaction of saying, “No, there’s nothing you can do to make me stay.” And I went.

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