12 Things You Should Not Do While Quitting Your Job | Calibr

You don’t get along with your boss or your co-workers? Are you unhappy with the job or is there something else? Whatever the reason might be for you to quit your job, there are things you should definitely not do while quitting, to maintain professional ethics.

There is not one universal reason for people to quit their jobs. Just like each one of us is different in one way or the other, reasons for quitting a job differs from person to person. While quitting your job, be it because of the distance you have to travel or because you are unhappy with the job, you need to ensure you maintain professional ethics.

This isn’t just for the sake of a good reference letter, but it says a lot about your personality. In this era of globalization, where you don’t know whom you would need by your side at any moment, it is always better to be on the good books of people in your professional life.

To ensure that, you should not do anything unprofessional or unethical. Here is a list of 12 don’ts to help you with that.

Do Not Boast

Even if the new job offer you have received is very good, do not boast about it to your soon to be ex-colleagues. Try and be humble about the new job, so that they don’t assume you were unhappy here.

Also, it is better not to disclose your reason for leaving to everyone.

Don’t Leave Abruptly

Even if you are quitting your job because you are unhappy with the work you are doing, try leaving without damaging your ties with the company. Do not leave without giving a resignation letter or serving your notice period unless it’s an emergency.

Don’t Rant

Be it that you are unhappy with the work you are assigned or you have some issues with your boss, do not talk about it with your co-workers before leaving.

One, it gives them a bad image about you that you are very complaining and also because you cannot trust them not to rat you out to your boss. This, in turn, will make the transition difficult.

Avoid Social Media Platforms

Do not express anger about your current job or disappointment on social media platforms. Because your new employer is going to be watching you and wonder if someday you would do the same to them. Try your best to maintain your professional reputation.

Don’t Get Exploited

Let’s say you have offered to help your employer with training your replacement. Once you are quitting your job, just because you offered to help, it doesn’t mean you have to spend too much time doing that.

Make sure it doesn’t take too much of your time or mind space. Your new job and your personal life are more important than the help you are offering them as a gesture of goodwill.

The Reason For Quitting Your Job

This is an inevitable question that comes up while quitting your job. While preparing an answer to tell your co-workers, you need not be completely honest about the reasons. But come up with one reason to tell your boss and your co-workers which would help you maintain your professional relationship with them.

Do not tell one reason to your boss and another to your colleagues as it makes you seem unreliable and its also unprofessional.

Don’t Stoop Down

Even if you have some valid reason to hate some people, do not get into personal attacks like curses and expletives, though it might be very tempting. That includes not having a fight with your boss because you might think you have nothing to lose. But that might make you become the talk of the office and disturb your future in one way or another.

With the advent of technology, your fight or confrontation might also be recorded and spread across social media platforms. As background checks these days are also done through social media platforms these days, it will most definitely influence your prospective employers about you.

Don’t Be Lethargic

You can’t start having long lunches, come in late or leave early in the last few weeks in your organization. Experts say that employers and co-workers would remember that more than all the good and productive things you have done while working for them.

Don’t Do Anything Unethical

Do not disregard your contract clauses by trying to taking your clients with you to the new organization. Not just because it is unethical, but also because it would come back to haunt you.

Don’t Embarrass Yourself

While it is important to not tell anyone about quitting before telling your manager, it is equally important to wait until you get an official offer letter from the new employee.

Not just because it embarrasses you in front of your co-workers and your boss, but also because your current boss might also feel inclined to fire you.

Don’t Wait Till The Last Minute

It is always good to have a written reference letter from your boss well in advance, even if the new employee doesn’t expect it from you for now. Do understand that they might call your boss anytime out of nowhere. Even if he/she has good things to say about you, they might be unprepared or held up with something else and end up giving a not so good review about you.

Don’t Compromise

Do not let go of your privileges that you rightfully deserve like privileged leave and possibilities of carrying over your health benefits.

Do remember that you are entitled to have a copy of your designs or work, even though it was done for your previous company. This is not unethical, as it is proof of what you have accomplished. Exhibiting such works also increases your value in the job market.

Lastly, all these apply only when you plan on taking up another job offer immediately. If you do not plan on finding a job immediately, or take time to figure out what to do with your life, plan your finances well in advance before you put down your papers. That way, you will be as prepared as you can be for the uncertainties that lay ahead.

Originally published at Calibr