How to tell your boss you’re quitting
There’s no getting around it. Telling your boss that you’re leaving your job is awkward. It can almost feel—to you, your boss, and your coworkers—like you’re rejecting them. In some ways, it’s not unlike initiating a breakup. Don’t let your discomfort make you avoid having an open and honest conversation with your boss.
Remember that bosses are used to having people resign. They know it’s not always a reflection on them. If you’re good at your job, they’ll be disappointed you’re leaving, but it’s par for the course for them.
Giving two weeks’ notice is recommended in most circumstances, but check your contract to see if your contract has other language you need to abide by. If there is something untenable about your job situation, such as safety or harassment issues, you might want to bypass the usual recommendations.
When you know you’re leaving a position, request a meeting with your immediate boss to notify them of your plans. From there, your boss can guide you on how the company prefers resignations to proceed. This may include submitting a formal resignation letter, organizing your digital files, and how and when to inform the rest of the company.
Create an exit plan
Your boss and human resources will have some ideas about how they want you to transition out of your role. Different companies have different procedures, but a lot depends on your role and your team.
Jenna, a senior university talent acquisition leader with Fidelity, says, “Something we always like to do is go over work you still have pending, and what you foresee coming up, and then make kind of a game plan and timeline, so that you can fully off-board and feel good about leaving the job.”
Remember, how you conduct yourself with this transition affects other people. You can make your exit hard on your colleagues or relatively easy, depending on the choices you make.
Managers and other team members will appreciate your efforts to minimize disruption in their work lives. Jenna says, “Not tying up loose ends and leaving some things in shambles could be difficult.” Do the right thing, and you’ll leave with people wishing you well on your new path.
Build your network before you leave
Social media has made it easier than ever to stay in contact with former colleagues. If you’re not already connected with your colleagues on LinkedIn, do so before you leave. During your last couple of weeks, mention to your colleagues that you’d like to connect there so you don’t lose touch with them. You can do this at a staff meeting, via a company-wide email blast, or one-on-one.
Remember the golden rule about networking: offer help before you ask for it. Let people know they can reach out to you if they have a need you can fill. If you’re knowledgeable about data, for example, or have great team-building skills, let them know you can be a resource. Most people will respond in kind, offering to be a resource to you in the future.
Jenna has this to say about continually building your professional network: “That’s why it’s always good to leave on good terms because you never know when you may need to tap into your network next.”
