Updated June 7, 2023
Quit a Job in Style
“Quit a job in style” typically refers to leaving a job in a creative or dramatic way that captures attention or makes a statement. It’s often used as a way to express frustration, dissatisfaction, or to make a point.
Millions of people walk out of their homes every day to be a part of the rat race called employment by corporates to earn their livelihood. Some stick to their jobs. After all, they love what they do, whereas others struggle with their jobs because they have bills to pay.
How many of us will have the strength, courage, and willpower to quit a job in style to pursue our ideas or get the job of our dreams that we don’t even know will succeed?
More often, we stay on stable ground, looking forward to the salary we get each month to make both ends meet.
Remember your excitement when you heard that there was an opening in a company you wished to join? The celebration of getting the right job and earning your first salary? But, somehow, down the line, you realize that this is not what you want anymore. Not many people have a choice of taking up a job, not for money or status but just because it adds meaning to their lives.
Often people realize sometime during their term that there is something better they can do than their present employment.
You decide to quit a job in style to pursue a different career or a business option. You have every right to do what you feel is right for you, but you don’t have to quit like a loser. People can quit a job in style, maintain a good rapport with the company they previously worked for and not kick the ladder they used to climb up when leaving.
King Camp Gillette
King Camp Gillette was not born to be an employee who earns wages by serving others. He always experimented with new ideas and tried patenting them.
At 40 years of age, he was working as a salesman for Crown Cork & Seal Co, which was not something he desired for himself. His boss advised him to create something people could use and throw away. Inspired by the idea of used and thrown-away corks, Gillette started marketing disposable safety razors for men.
Though several versions of his idea were on the market, he quit his job and relentlessly worked to get his vision accepted. He first approached the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), consulting their metallurgists to check out the possibility of creating a small piece of steel that would hold its sharp edge from a plastic case so that it can be affordable to throw away. He faced rejection by those great minds who said it was impossible to create anything out of disposable steel.
Finally, he found someone who believed in his idea and would partner with him. The man was William Nickerson, who worked with Gillette for five more years until they succeeded in creating the perfect disposable safety razor. When he was 48, Gillette started selling his razors for profit. The rest is history.
Quit a Job like this…
Evaluate Your Decision
Employees often quit their jobs in anger or when arguing with their superiors.
When quitting a job in anger, you may never get good recommendations or referrals from your previous employers. Moreover, you may get something better than you have now.
You will be replaced by another employee in no time, making no difference to the company unless you are talented and have developed excellent interpersonal skills.
If you are in a job, the bitter truth is that you need your company more than the company needs you. You cannot put up with everything thrown at you by your employers. No, not at all. All you have to do is, keep cool, evaluate the situation when your emotions are stable, and decide.
Suppose you feel no point continuing with the organization since you do not fit into their team. If there is no future in pursuing this career or it does not recognize your skills, take the further step of resigning from your post calmly rather than storming out in anger. Just ensure that your reasons are valid and beneficial for you.
Consider Your Options
Once you have decided to quit a job, consider all the options ahead of you and how much you can depend on them. Many companies offer you a better salary, but once you land there, you will find that the work overload makes it not worth the money.
Check out the travel options, stay facilities, incentives, and other issues affecting your personal life. Have a background check for the new company you are considering joining before you announce your decision to everyone around you. Consider your resignation’s effect on your family, especially if you are their breadwinner. Make your final decision after consulting your family and friends.
If you share a good relationship with your boss, you can also discuss your decision and take their opinion. People in top positions will sometimes have inside knowledge of other companies.
Inform In Advance
You do not expect your employer to fire you out of the blue one fine day, do you? In the same way, your employers do not expect you to quit a job one fine day. Remember to inform your employers that you are leaving with a valid reason. Do not make false accusations or play the blame game. Follow the structured procedure you signed up for when you took up the appointment letter for the job.
Never discuss your decision with others, even if they are your closest friends or confidantes. There is also the risk of people disclosing the information unintentionally through a slip of the tongue.
Finish your deadlines, incomplete projects, or whatever task may be difficult for others to pick up from where you left off. With some extra hours and good work thrown in, you may even end up with a good recommendation letter from your boss.
Plan Your Words
Plan how you would like to inform your boss about your decision to quit a job.
- Choose the right words and stick to them.
- Be prepared for your boss to take it lightly or insult you during the talk.
- You may get so lucky that they understand and support you unconditionally.
- No matter how your boss responds, keep calm and do not deviate from what you intend to say.
- Emphasize your positive experience in the workplace and the benefits you got in your tenure with them. When you are moving away, there is no point in discussing what went wrong.
- Breathe and keep calm.
- Your first impression is important; your last impression matters more. So make a good impression at work when you resign. They often remember you by the way you bid goodbye.
Put it out on Paper
Never inform your employers about your decision to quit a job through word of mouth and depend on it. Write down a proper resignation letter with the date you wish to leave. Keep things negotiable so that your employers will not feel betrayed. If there is an important project they want you to complete before you are quitting a job, say yes unless it is going to have a negative impact on your future.
Be specific, clear, and simple when you write your letter. Do not take this as an opportunity to voice your complaints.
You can skip information like why you are quitting a job or where you plan to start your new career, which you should discuss in person.
Make Cards
Do not forget your co-workers and colleagues who were there for you on those rough days when you could not pull through alone.
Make cards for them, personalizing with your handwriting how much their support meant to you. Those little magic words ‘I will miss you’ set right many wrong things done in the past.
Do not miss out on those helpers who do their tasks endlessly for little pay and are not appreciated or recognized often by companies.
For those who have not been such good colleagues, sort out your differences and shake hands as you bid goodbye to them. The thought that you won’t get to see them daily hereafter will make the task easy for you.
Thank your seniors for the experience and guidance they have provided you in your career. Think of some exceptional qualities that make them stand out in a group so that you sound genuine in your talk. Make everyone feel that they have a special place in your heart.
Handover in a Dignified Manner
- Hand over to your successor all the important data, contacts, files, and other information that would make the transition easier for them.
- Finish the tasks that may be tough to hand over to someone else while providing proper guidance to complete the unfinished work you are passing on.
- Inform your boss about the handover so your successor will not blame you for their incompetence.
- Ask your boss if there is something you should do before you quit a job. That makes a very good impression.
- Move beyond the high-school drama and act like a responsible adult. Be a team player whom everyone will appreciate.
- Clean your desk. Collect all the personal things you may have gathered there over time.
- Walk away with beautiful memories and experiences gained in the company, leaving behind negative issues.
Make Settlements
Now comes the final part of settling your outstanding salary, bonus, or commissions.
- Do not drive a hard bargain but settle for a good negotiation if you have differences.
- Check out how to settle entitlements like holiday allowances, medical insurance, loan sanctioned, and other financial issues.
- If your company has arranged an interview with HR, provide honest feedback.
- Never take anything from the office that does not belong to you. You will lose your self-respect.
Throw a Party
If you have been in the company for quite some time, you must throw a farewell party for all your friends. So far, you have shared a professional relationship with them; now that you have quit a job in style, you can open up and be friendlier. Make your party fun so that it will be a memorable way to remember you for your co-workers. Make sure you communicate how much you appreciate them. Exchange addresses and contact details to keep in touch with them.
Always end your professional relationships on a positive note. Since you are in the same field, you may run across each other. Also, it is better to mend bridges than burn them down since you never know when you will have to cross them again.
It is a win-win situation if your colleagues throw a farewell party for you. Just enjoy!
With everything settled down, you are ready to quit a job with dignity in your unique style. Walk out of your office with your head held high to reach out and grab your dreams…
