More than 3.5 million Americans decide to quit their jobs every month and move on to better opportunities or set up their own businesses. Now, is it time for you to join them? It could be an exciting time for you, and you probably cannot wait to walk out of your office for the last time and never return after months of feeling burnt-out. But, when it’s truly time to leave, it’s always better to exit on a good note than to burn some bridges. Why? Because your reputation matters! Here are a few tips on how to successfully quit your job.

Talk to Your Supervisor or Line Manager

When you know it’s time to quit, your first step should be to communicate your intentions to your supervisor or manager – not your closest colleague or other higher-ups. It would not be suitable for your boss to hear about your plans from others despite your current relationship. That might not favor you in the end, as you would lose control of the narrative you wish to have. Ensure that once you have made up your mind, your supervisor should be the first person to talk to and give them a reasonable explanation for your decision to leave. Even then, it would be best to keep it between yourselves until Human Resources announce your resignation. 

Submit Your Two Weeks’ Notice

This is a standard job resignation etiquette. Sending in your two week’s notice gives employers the chance to find your replacement before you leave, if possible. If you decide to quit abruptly, that might force them to find someone new hurriedly, and it is not a good look on you. If possible, try to stay for the entire two weeks unless your organization shortens the two weeks and requests that you leave much sooner. Ideally, you should use that period to prepare any handing over notes for your replacement. Sometimes, you might even have to train your replacement before departing. 

Have a Back-Up Job or Plan

Quitting your job itself is scary as you are not sure what the future holds. It is a significant risk, which gets even more frightening when you do not have a back-up job or plan to rely on. Plus, your colleagues might always ask you where you are going or what your next steps are. Now, that is entirely up to you if you want to share that information with them. But, to keep having a stable income, it is better to have another job waiting for you, whether it is in another office or you are starting your business.

If you are quitting with no plan, do not worry. There are several jobs you can apply for right from home. You can try your hands at online forex trading, drop shipping, tutoring, and picking up writing jobs. They might not yield much in the first couple of months, but you can quickly build a small business out of it. 

Leaving your job can be daunting, even sometimes awkward. Along with these tips listed above, ensure that you leave on good terms with your former colleagues and not to burn any bridges that might affect you in the future.

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