A cartoon man quits his job and walks away from his co-workers.
Image: © leremy/Stock.adobe.com

Calling it quits: Top tips for exiting your job with grace

14 Jan 2025

Just because you are leaving your job does not mean that the people you met or the industry you are a part of have seen the last of you, so leave on good terms.

Sometimes when you read articles about people quitting their jobs and leaving their current place of employment, it is unfairly accompanied by a negative connotation. Often there is the implication that perhaps you were let go, that you didn’t enjoy the role, or that you did not get on well with your co-workers or organisational leaders

But, this is not always the case. A lot of people choose to leave their jobs to take advantage of a new opportunity, or because their circumstances may have changed and a new position better suits their lifestyle. Often, people leave due to their financial or familial situation in search of a new role that might provide greater security. 

Really, the reasons for leaving your job are endless and you never know when you might need to leverage a previous position. Therefore, it is crucial that regardless of the reasoning behind your decision to move on, that you leave on good terms and not under a dark cloud.

Be timely 

We can’t always plan ahead, there will always be opportunities that crop up with little warning, but we know we can not pass on. However, where possible, always give as much notice as you can when indicating your plans to leave your current job. Not only will it give your employer time to recruit and train your replacement, but it will also enable you to get everything in order before you go. 

By being upfront about your decision it shows that you have respect for your employer and your co-workers, which will always leave a good impression and could come in handy down the line. 

Don’t scrap the routine

When we know that we have a break coming up or that we will be away for an extended period of time, we can easily fall into lazy habits that affect our productivity. While this may not affect you in the long run, it will have an impact on your former colleagues who may have to pick up the slack in your absence.

By sticking to your routine in the weeks prior to your departure, you ensure that everything is left in good order and that the disruption caused to the wider team is minimal. Not to mention time seems to move faster when we stay busy and productive. 

Considerate communication

Often an understandable situation is made uncomfortable or awkward by poor communication. Once you have decided to leave your current role, ensure that all of your communications, be they with your employer, co-workers, external stakeholders or people from your new organisation, are professional.

Make sure that everyone who needs to know about the change in your working status has been looped in. It might be useful to issue a mass email to anyone who depends on you, informing them of your upcoming absence and detailing the handover process in relation to your replacement, so they know who their new point of contact is. 

Taking the decision to leave your job is a serious one, regardless of how committed you are, so it may require a little time to collect yourself. Just make sure that, when you do decide to contact your employer, that you are calm, cool, collected and can phrase yourself the way you want. 

Don’t apologise

It can be tempting to announce your upcoming departure in a slightly apologetic way, but this is best avoided, as it is well within your rights to find alternative employment and apologising only serves to lessen your commitment to the decision. Not everyone is going to have an employer who is supportive of their career. They may even put pressure on you to stay past the date you initially gave as your last, citing work overload in your absence.

However, once you give notice as per your contract and you work out your remaining days, if it does not suit you or your agenda, don’t bend over backwards to accommodate an employer who is only thinking about the company and not their employees. 

Ultimately, when you take that leap and you quit your job, it is in the hope that you are moving on to something bigger and brighter. While your previous career is in the past, that doesn’t mean that it will stay there, so ensure that you leave your job knowing you can leverage your network and everything you learned there. 

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Laura Varley
By Laura Varley

Laura Varley is a Careers reporter at Silicon Republic. She has a background in technology PR and journalism and is borderline obsessed with film and television, the theatre, Marvel and Mayo GAA. She is currently trying to learn how to knit.

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