Leaving a Job With Class When You Know It’s Over

Experts state that most people will have three to eight different careers and up to 25 jobs in their work lifetime. In other words, if you’re planning to leave your job, don’t panic—the day when people held one job for life has gone the way of the dinosaurs. Although leaving without another job is not recommended, it is sometimes unavoidable.

If you can, start planning for a change while your happy in your current job. Take advantage of all the opportunities you’re given to develop new skills, network with other people, and develop a support system so that if you do leave, you’ll land on your feet.

When planning a job change, set goals. “I want to be in a new position in 90 days. These are the steps I need to take to get there.” If you’re in a job, don’t broadcast your displeasure-it may lead to your superiors to show you the door sooner than you’d like, and it can burn bridges you’ll need later on.

Any job-search strategy should include discretion, unless you are in a situation where the decision can be discussed with your employer. Otherwise, do not use your company e-mail account for sending resumes. Avoid surfing job sites from work. Do your search when you get home, not from the company office.

Some Common Sense Things to Do

When you leave, give your employer a verbal and/or brief written notice, and be gracious and diplomatic. Two weeks notice is the bare minimum. Emphasize that this is you choice, a golden opportunity you cannot afford to miss. Even if your company or boss is the worst in the world, do not bring those issues into discussion, no matter how tempting.

Work hard until the last minute. Offer to train your replacement if time permits. You never know when or how paths will cross again, especially considering the fluidity of today’s job market.

Leave the job with style, class and panache. As Judith Luther Wilder ,

Cofounder Co-CEO of Women Inc. says, “Never burn your bridges. The sparks will hit you in the ass. “Remember the statistics about how many different jobs and careers people will have. The odds are high your path will cross that of your coworkers again in the future.

Three years from now the person who has the check-signing ability to give you that raise may be that former coworker from hell. Five years from now, you may be sitting in that gorgeous corner office when the one across the hall is occupied by your supervisor from that wretched company you couldn’t wait to leave.

Leaving with grace and class will never come back to haunt you.