Quitting? Be Prepared to Walk Away That Day
In this series, professionals share all the right — and wrong — ways to leave a job. Follow the stories here, and write your own (please include #IQuit somewhere in the body of your post).
In 2000, I quit my job.
I had been working for NexTag as Director of Product for about 13 months, reporting directly to CEO Purnendu Ojha. He was different than most leaders you’ll find in the Valley – intense and not afraid to raise his voice or express displeasure, and many found him very intimidating. We always had a great relationship though, and respected each other quite a bit. In fact, in my 13 months at NexTag, I learned more than during any other time as an employee.
It was the fall of 2000, though, and the bubble had burst. The company was close to running out of money, so I started looking for other opportunities.
The process of quitting — and how Purnendu handled it — was eye-opening and taught me a lot both as an employee and a boss. A few lessons learned:
Be willing to stay – or to walk away that day.
When I told Purnendu I was leaving, and gave my two weeks' notice, he was pretty understanding, given the current state of the company. What he said next caught me by surprise, though — that the day I quit should be my last day. His theory was that when people are ready to leave, they should do so right then and there. By the time you’ve decided to quit a job, and sought out and accepted another one, your heart’s not really in it anymore. You likely won’t be receiving any new projects, and in many cases you won’t be giving your current ones your all. And it’s often easier to tie up loose ends than expected.
I asked if I could stay a few weeks to see some projects through, and he was generous enough to let me do so. But in retrospect, it would have been more respectful, and better for the company, to do as he requested.
When you quit a job, be flexible. Offer to stay up to two weeks (or whatever is standard in your industry), but also be willing to leave immediately, if that’s what your employer prefers. They may want you to stay around to help with a transition, or they may prefer for you to move on. Give them the chance to decide, and be gracious about it, regardless of what they decide.
Apologize for regrets.
Thinking back on how I handled some things earlier in my career, I cringe. At NexTag, I was at times openly critical of Purnendu and his style of management. As a CEO now myself, and with a full understanding of the pressures and challenges of growing a company from scratch, I wish I’d kept those comments to myself, or better yet, shared them directly with him. I should have taken the opportunity to apologize for my criticism of him as I was leaving the company. That regret sat with me for a long time, until I finally had the opportunity to express them to Purnendu at a conference years later. To his credit, he was very gracious and took it all really well.
If you have regrets, use your last days or your exit interview to express them. Honesty and a little humble pie go a long way.
Leave on a high note.
No matter what terms you leave a job on, do not burn bridges. People will always remember how you handled yourself when you left. Even if you had a great relationship with your colleagues, a mishandled exit can leave a bad taste that lingers. The people you work with have the potential to be your references, your future business partners, and your lifelong friends.
A few strategies for tying thing up nicely: send goodbye emails. It takes more time, but sending personal notes to favorite colleagues, your manager, and everyone you learned from will have the most resonance and impact. Share your contact details, connect on social media, and don’t just say you’ll stay in touch, but make sure you actually do. You should organize coffees or drinks with those people you value and want to maintain relationships with. And when you get together with your former coworkers, don’t waste your breath criticizing your old gig. Bitter is not a good look on anyone, and only brings down the people who are still choosing to work there.
Always buy your stock options.
As I mentioned, when I left NexTag, the company was about to run out of cash. Even still, a friend gave me the good advice to buy my stock options, because “you never know what could happen.” It was not an insignificant amount to buy them (several months of my rent at the time), but I went for it anyway, fully expecting that it would be the last time I ever saw that money. And wouldn’t you know it: Purnendu and the NexTag team executed a brilliant turn-around and my investment ended up paying off. Even if you can only buy part of your stock options, make sure you buy some or all of them, as you don’t want to regret it when the company becomes the next big thing.
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I’d love to hear your strategies for leaving a job on a high note – please leave ‘em in the comments!
FREELANCE EXEC. PRODUCER (AUDIO-VIDEO)
9 年Leave on a High Note This is a must attitude for advancement. When you or anyone leaves mean it that you are moving on for greater heights. It maybe of the same field but an upgrade. If you have a valid reason to stay then stay but NEVER go on with a side remarks in all your undertaking in the same job. It does make you sound bitter. Just keep the comments to yourself or move on as planned. No turning back.
Health Care Consulting. Business Development and Marketing
9 年The departure debate, immediately or weeks, certainly depends on the type of position you hold. I can relate to the attitude of employees that have clients/projects and loose ends to tie, but more often, the effort and commitment is not there and it's better for the company to have immediate departure.
New position with the city of Portland, Oregon
9 年To me its about being professional - there is the business and how it treats their employees and the employees and how they treat the business. If there is something that I can complete or finish that I have been assigned to and the business has been good to me I will put in the extra effort. It is about being a professional in my mind and treating those that you have worked with respect. I find this concept where others simply up and bale to be individuals I would not like working with. That's just me.
Software Configuration Manager
9 年I guess I must be unusual. I work in IT and I recently quit my job. I usually leave because of better opportunities and that was the case this time as well. There is usually a standard two week notice, and I usually end up working until the last minute trying to prepare documentation and finish up the projects that I can. I have also been fortunate enough that I was able to get vacation and holiday pay before I left. Because I have been in the tech industry for quite a while, I will say that it is important to keep in touch with people because I have found that over the years I keep running into the same people at different companies. I have also left positions and came back to them years later.