Top mistakes to avoid when you quit your job

In general, it’s good etiquette to never burn a bridge. This holds true over time since networking and keeping contacts remain important.

We’ve all had that job that we just have to quit for one reason or another. Even if we want to storm into our boss’s office and rattle off a list of reasons why we can no longer stand to work there, it’s best to exit as gracefully as possible.

Quitting a job can be difficult and uncomfortable, and there is a lot to consider before jumping the gun. It’s easy for our vision to be cloudy as we’re going through our day-to-day because the only thing on our minds is how to go about quitting.

There are a few things to keep in mind during this time. Richard Moy of Fast Company wrote about the three mistakes to avoid when leaving your job.

The first is that we may be prone to stop caring about work when we’re fixated on the big exit. Try to be as cognizant as possible in order to avoid letting your work fall short. Make sure you’re still being attentive to you work and respectful to the company and your coworkers (you may need them as a reference down the line, and it’s just the right thing to do).

While you should still be focused on your work during the hours of nine-to-five, don’t let yourself fall short after hours in terms of searching for a new job. This is a daunting and sometimes tedious task that we have the tendency to put it off.

It’s up to you to set something up for when you are no longer in your current position. Moy suggests setting aside time on the your calendar that is specifically dedicated to the job search. It may be exhausting after working all day, but it needs to get done.

Lastly, try not to keep all of your annoyances and feelings to yourself. Keeping everything bottled up inside is likely to lead to an untimely explosion. Help your future self out by finding someone to talk to about your frustrations.

In the end, make sure that this is what you truly want. If you are unhappy in your current position either speak to your adviser about making changes or find an alternative. Either way, be sure that you are being as smart and respectful as possible.