“Find a job you love and you’ll never work another day in your life” – Confucius

So, I finally did it. After months of careful consideration and weeks of making up my mind, I quit my job. Even though I knew the decision was right, I still had no idea how to go about making it happen. How exactly are you supposed to resign? Fortunately, resources like Monster.com made the process smooth:

Don’t waste time

When it comes to drafting your resignation letter, don’t be vague. Start by saying you’ve regrettably decided to leave (with a brief explanation as to why) and give the exact end date. Usually two weeks is custom but this varies from place to place. Check your employment contract if you’re not sure.

Make it easy

In addition to delivering the letter in person (NOT via email) sometimes it’s a good idea to stay until someone who can replace you is hired. In my case, I assured my boss that I’d continue to work as normal and start putting together handover documents so the projects I’m working on can be completed by other staff after I leave.

Don’t burn bridges

Express appreciation for your time in the position, wish the company well, and insist on staying in touch. Part of being nice is about understanding that a bad reputation can follow you forever. It’s also about realising that you’ll need references and might even want to come back. Leaving with your head held high is something to be proud of.

Conclusion

Ultimately, you’ve got to do what’s right for you. Think about the timing, benefits you might forfeit, bargaining power with a new company, being seen as a hopper to future employers, and whether something else exists to keep you financially afloat. Then it’s just a case of following you gut. Like Konosuke Matsushita said: “No matter how deep a study you make, what you really have to rely on is your own intuition and, when it comes down to it, you really don’t know what’s going to happen until you do it.”

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