The classic Hollywood cliche. You have dreamt of saying it though haven't you? I know I have. In fact about 2 years ago I did! Alright, well maybe not exactly. It wasn't a Jerry McGuire-esque scene where I threw my hands in the air and asked who was coming from me. It was more like a politely worded resignation letter handed in a month before I was planning to leave.
There was no fireworks or yelling - it was as simple and easy as that - handing my boss a letter. She was completely cool with it and appreciated my honesty. To this day she is always willing to give me a glowing reference.
I was surprised how simple it was - quitting can be a scary prospect. I was really worried my last month would be awkward and full of bad feelings but it was fine - just like all the months prior. There was one thing I was worried about though - what next?
I had spent so much time worrying about how I was going to quit and all the reasons I wanted to quit - I didn't really think about my next steps. Another job in the same field? Go back to school? Try a new career? I was pretty lost and at times even regretted my resignation letter.
During that month I got a call from a friend - he told me he was leaving his (much comfier) job and wanted to know if I wanted to go into business with him. Well why not? 2 years of rial and error, starts, restarts and a load of lessons learned - everything finally clicked! Today I am self employed and love getting up for work, oh and everything I do affects MY bottom line - not someone else's.
If I had to give one bit of advice it would be to stop putting off the inevitable. If you have plans to quit your job then do it now, do it today or do it tomorrow. There will always be another project to keep you busy, there will always be another staff party you can't miss...but avoid these excuses and hand in your resignation letter now.
Now I say this, with the thought that you are prepared to leave your job. You have thought it through, you have saved up money and are ready. I might not have known my exact next step, but I did save up some money and prepare myself for the worst.
My friend who left his job, also has a manual that you can check out here: It is all about how to Quit Your Job and succeed. It breaks down things to do before you quit, and what to do after you quit. There is also a great guide for figuring out what you should be doing next.
I wish we had this about two years ago, that's for sure.
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