by Lucy E. Zahnle

Created on: September 15, 2009

Whether you're a CEO or Joe, the janitor, there will eventually come a time when you want or need to quit your job. Quitting a job properly can greatly improve your chances for future employment.

Before addressing the best approach to your resignation, perhaps it would be wise to discuss the actions that you should avoid. One of these is the temptation to vent your workplace frustrations on all your fellow employees and your supervisor on your last day. Another is to quit in a sudden fury, walking out after a temper tantrum and leaving your place of employment short-handed. Displaying animosity toward your workplace and coworkers will only result in your employer giving a bad or negative work reference regarding you to prospective employers who make inquiries about your work history.

Perhaps the absolute worst way to quit your job is to just stop coming to work, assuming your employer will "get the message." The message your supervisor will glean from this behavior is that you are an uncaring, irresponsible, unreliable, and immature person, who cannot be trusted to hold down even the simplest position. Furthermore, that is exactly what he or she will tell any prospective employer who asks for a reference regarding your job performance. If you live in a small community, these unsatisfactory types of resignation could end your hopes of finding any position, much less your dream job.

To leave a job properly, you should settle on a final day in your own mind and prepare a letter of resignation, if necessary. Then inform your supervisor of your decision, allowing at least two weeks between the time you tell your supervisor you're leaving and the final day that you will work. Respectfully present your resignation letter to your supervisor on the day you give your two weeks' notice.

During those two weeks, you should perform your duties and meet your responsibilities with as much zeal and conscientiousness as you did your first day on the job. After all, you want your employment reference from this place to reflect all the good work you've done over the years, not a less than stellar last two weeks.

When you were hired, you undoubtedly had to fill out paperwork. The same is true of leaving a position. Be sure to sign off on any pay or benefits paperwork that may be required and leave a forwarding address. Otherwise, you may not receive your tax documents for the year, your 401k, retirement or insurance payouts if those were part of your salary package, or even your final paycheck. If you are leaving on good terms with your employer, you should consider asking for a reference letter to take with you, in case he or she retires or becomes otherwise unavailable.

Resigning properly will help you sail forward in your career, leaving only good feelings in your wake. Even if you despise your job and hate the people with whom you work, tact, civility, a cool temper, and the ability to follow the correct procedures will enable you to find a job that you love without burning all your bridges in the process.

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