I’ve been wanting to write a post about how one should NOT leave a job for a while now, but I’ve been too busy at my new job. And then, what do you know? Glassdoor went ahead and shared a blog post from @myfootpath for me! It’s titled, “How To Resign On Good Terms,” and they did a fine job of it.
I especially like the emphasis on giving more than 2 weeks notice when you’re in a higher level or key position. Believe it or not, I know someone that after 8 years actually gave what amounted to less than 2 weeks notice and left when their only back-up was on a planned vacation. It was very sad.
All too often, what I don’t think people consider is just how many bridges they’re burning when they leave without enough notice, don’t help find a replacement or thoroughly document the status of their projects, accounts or work. And, I’m not referring to the bridges in management because, unfortunately, and all too often, they just move on quickly since they don’t typically “do” the person’s work anyway. I’m talking about the bridges that will really matter…those that connect you to your co-workers. Now that’s the group with which you need to be concerned because you never know where they are going to turn up again or how you might need their help in the form of intel, contacts, a reference or a referral from them down the road.
Today, reality is, our 6 degrees of separation are more like 3 or 4 degrees, and more often than not, you will bump into each other again. Don’t let the last thing people remember about you be how you left them high and dry to clean up the mess you may have left behind. Besides, it’s just seriously bad karma, so please take heed people and read the Glassdoor post!
