Tuesday, July 26, 2011

How to Leave Your Job with Dignity and a Positive Reference

Job hopping is a fact of modern life, and moving up often means moving around. How do you do so gracefully, without burning bridges and while maintaining your valuable, nascent professional network?
You may have never heard the 1977 country music classic "Take This Job and Shove It" triumphantly bellowed by the musical genius Johnny Paycheck, but the sentiment is all too familiar. Although a decidedly blue-collar lament, the song went on to sell over 2 million copies because it conveyed the frustration of employees at all levels, including those breathing the rarified air found behind office doors as well as the stuff wafting from cube to cube.

The song's success proved anybody feeling trapped in a workplace of circus freaks, regardless of title, compensation or prestige, relishes the thought of strolling into the boss's office and explaining exactly where he or she can put their underpaid and overworked position.

Here are 5 easy guidelines to assist you in deciding when and how to take that next step.
  1. Don't leave too soon

    Even a Generation X soldier like myself has to admit that leaving a job in less than 2 years is exceptionally poor form (and that's a bare minimum; 3 years is cutting it close). Even the most menial position requires 6 to 10 months to become familiar with all aspects. A position requiring a college degree usually takes at least 12 to 18 months. That means when you leave in 2 years, you have most likely contributed nothing to the organization, but have sucked up training and paychecks. If you cannot in good conscience commit to 2 or 3 years, don't accept the job in the first place. Better to job hunt for a few extra months than take a job you think you will bail out on. If you leave too soon, expect hard feelings and no future references.
  2. Ask before you leave

    Too many employees clam up when angry or frustrated. Not sharing your issues and concerns becomes personally toxic and leads to a bad attitude. If you feel like your job is a dead-end or you are not receiving increasing responsibility, tell your supervisor. You cannot be fired for sharing that you want to grow and have more opportunity. It's only a problem when you say you want more, but you do not offer to do more. So, if you feel the position is stagnating or boring and it's not your fault, tell your boss you want to be a bigger contributor. Be calm, be civil, and provide concrete examples of problems and what you will do to add more to the team. If this is done delicately, you will be amazed at how helpful and accommodating your boss can be. Worst case, at least the situation is now out in the open and you can feel confident that you did your best to improve things. There have been countless situations where the boss, knowing you have a legitimate concern, has gone significantly above and beyond to help (even with job searching). Of course, this only happens if you have proven yourself with a strong work ethic and been very diplomatic in your delivery. If you want improvement or a promotion simply because you feel entitled to it and cannot point to actual issues or achievements, don't expect anything to get better.
  3. Provide plenty of notice

    Two weeks notice, even for a position most appropriate for a trained chimp, does not provide time to cope with your absence and find a replacement. Regarding the whole two-week thing, there is very little legal foundation for that time frame. Yes, it is a commonly stated amount of time for many work contracts, but it is usually just an arbitrary amount of time that people suggest. Consider operating on the 4 or 6 week principle. A month or month and a half is much more helpful for any supervisor. Even if your boss has been a total tyrant to you (say, giving you 2 weeks to get a major project done), be the better person and show them you have more know-how and class when it comes to handling transition.
  4. Don't job search at work

    People just can't seem to accept that since your employer provides your email address and pays for your internet connection they own your email and can browse through whenever they feel like it. You should not consider your work email private. Therefore, emailing off résumés via your work email and holding phone interviews on the company dime is not cool. Many employers can, and do, regularly search through employees' email, internet history and even telephone logs. This reality almost guarantees you are nowhere near as stealthy as you might think regarding your at-work job search (plus, everyone talks). Very likely, you already have been or will be found out. If you have not been honest about your concerns and your plans, this can make your remaining days at the company quite awkward (especially if you have yet to find a job). When this happens, you are now officially persona non grata. Assume that any upcoming pay increase or possible bonus just got whacked.
  5. Finish your projects

    Let's say you leave the company because you have been mistreated. As in most workplaces, your unfinished business tends to hurt the customers and clients more than your direct boss. Indeed, a stunt like ignoring your work at the end of your tenure with the company makes you the villain regardless of how you have been treated, and it lessens the credibility of your complaints. The supervisor or boss is now ironically justified. Leaving landmines of unfinished work can feel great when you leave but are not recommended. Your reputation will be forever soiled.

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