Important: try to leave your current job on good terms!
Very little good comes from quitting your job in a fit of rage. Not only is it unprofessional, it can also burn bridges that might have come in handy later in your career.
You might, for example, need a reference for some future job; or maybe you'll bump into your former manager at an industry event at some point down the line. In any case, your boss has invested time, money and resources into your career development, and whether you're pals or not, you owe it to them to leave respectfully.
Do you know what you'll be doing after you leave?
Quitting your job without thinking ahead can leave you at a loose end. Ideally, you'll have a new job lined up before you resign from your current role; in this scenario, you should have a seamless transition between jobs, and you hopefully won't have to worry about filling your time in between.
But maybe that's not you - maybe you're planning to leave the world of work behind for a while in order to study or travel. If you're considering these options, we strongly recommend getting the plans and funding in place before you hand in your notice. You don't want to leave your job only to find out that your plans for the next year or two have fallen through.
If you're really daring (or really fed up), you might decide to leave your job without even contemplating your next move. Taking a leap of faith can work out in your favour if you're lucky, but we'd always recommend a more cautious and methodical approach if you don't want to find yourself in a sticky situation.
How to break the news to your boss
Once you've decided to leave your job, it's time to prepare yourself for a chat with the boss. Resignation meetings are daunting, and it's perfectly normal to be nervous. So be prepared! We recommend taking some time beforehand to prepare what you're going to say - this will help you to avoid saying something you'll regret later.
If your boss wasn't expecting you to leave, they might be a little shocked or even angry. No matter how badly your boss takes the news, it's important to stay calm and stay professional.
Of course, most bosses understand that people leave jobs. You're probably not the first employee who's handed in their notice.
Handing in an official letter of resignation
When you leave a job, it's customary to hand in a written letter of resignation that your boss can keep on file. Your letter of resignation doesn't need to be terribly long; it just needs to include your name, a statement about your decision to leave, when your notice is effective from, and your signature.
If you wish, you can include a short positive message, thanking your boss for their support during the course of your employment. If you're leaving because you're unhappy, you might want to omit this, but you absolutely should NOT use your resignation letter to air your grievances about the company, your colleagues or the way the business is run!
Working your notice period
Although you might feel ready to grab your stuff and head home immediately after handing in your resignation, most workplaces will require you to work a notice period. This could be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
Yes, it might be a little awkward at work now that the cat's out of the bag, but hopefully you'll be able to tie up all the loose ends and look forward to starting your next adventure without creating an unpleasant atmosphere for the people you're leaving behind.
While you're working your notice period, your boss is likely to start advertising for your replacement. Don't be offended if the attention is no longer on you and your career prospects during this period - your boss is likely to be preoccupied with the needs of the business.
