So you’ve found a new job, congrats! But since you’re currently working at your first job, you probably don’t know the right way to quit. So if you’re nervous and unsure what to do about it, here are some tips that you can follow to get you through it.
Set up a meeting with your boss
Your boss should be the first person to know that you are quitting. Rather than cornering them after the weekly office meeting, set up a formal meeting with them sometime in the week. When you make the appointment, they’ll know that it is something important that you want to discuss. If your company has an open floor plan, make sure that you book out a conference room or somewhere as private as possible.
Give two weeks notice
When leaving a job it’s always customary to give a two weeks notice. Asking for immediate leave might not leave your boss with the best impression of you, which may hurt your chances of future employment. So make sure that you give the two weeks so that you can complete any outstanding work and so that they have enough time to replace you.
Practice your reason for leaving
When giving your two weeks notice, what do you actually say that won’t leave your boss hating you afterward? In the meeting, don’t give any specifics or say anything negative about why you are leaving. Rather put it in a positive way, saying how much you’ve learned from your time there and how you’ve been offered a new opportunity to grow your career. Focus on your own career goals rather than the company.
Prepare for the counter offer
What may happen in the meeting is that your boss may give you a counteroffer to make you stay. Unless you are set on leaving, maybe you should sit down beforehand and think about what it would take for you to stay at the company. Think about what size raise would be convincing enough and other benefits, such as other telecommuting options and more vacation time.
Ask for a reference
If the conversation has gone well then the next step should be to ask for a reference. If your boss doesn’t have the time, ask to write one on their behalf and then to submit it for their approval. If there are specific characteristics or projects that you would like he/she to include, make sure that you bring them up as well.
If you do decide to quit your job, make sure that you do it in a positive way so that there are no hard feelings. If you leave on good terms, the better it will be for your future career options.