What to Say When You’re Quitting
15. May, 2008 
20 Comments
With my Q-Day just 28 days away, I’m starting to wonder how exactly I will resign my position.
There are a couple of things I want to accomplish. I don’t want to burn bridges. I don’t want to alienate people. I don’t want to get into too much detail, I just want out. I’m not quitting for another job, or a better cubicle. I am moving abroad, traveling, reinventing my life completely. It’s something I’m not sure HR will understand. On exit interview forms, do they have a checkbox for “Blowing up your life, in order to travel the world endlessly?”
My Strategy
The key to quitting with grace is to resign in such a way as to make it clear you are not just looking for a salary bump while at the same time confirming how little your decision has to do with them—it’s personal. That way you can spend your last two weeks, basking in the glow of impending freedom, without the uncomfortable conversations about ‘what it would take to keep you’ or ‘what can we change to make things better?’ No instead, I plan on taking long lunches with colleagues, getting my goodbye cake and finally leaving, sorry to go, but happy to have know them.
So what to say?
Nothing. I am quitting. That’s all you need to know. It’s me, not you.
Blame the Spouse. I am quitting so I can move to Spain with my husband. Vague stuff about an opportunity my husband has there. (Opportunity to eat tapas!)
Tell the truth. I am quitting to start a new career as a writer. Please don’t mock me. (I work in software so this is akin to saying I want to blow bubbles for a living).
So what would you say to keep the peace? Or would you march in there and say, “I quit, this place sucks!”
Vote for your favorite or offer suggestions in the comments.
Have you come across Notes from Spain yet? – there are some great podcasts & language resources – & they are based in Madrid.
http://www.notesfromspain.com/
we should have a lunch sometime before we both leave!! sadly though, when i leave in 28 days, its not to spain!
I would tell the truth. Life is too short not to live your true, authentic self. That alone tells them it had nothing to do with them.
PS: I work in software too so I tooootally feel ya.
@Heather: Yes, love that site…. especially their Spanish language podcasts.
@Matt: We should.. and while I’m in Spain, I’ll be traveling around europe on little 3-5 day trips, so maybe we can meet up on the road!
@Lola: You’re totally right…. I was hoping some one was going to let me off the hook.
My partner is just waiting for the day he can waltz into his boss’ office, jump on the desk and the do the ‘I’m quitting’ dance. I doubt that he will but it’s fun to imagine. I would probably take the ‘tell the truth’ road – be proud that you have the guts to follow your heart!!
Loved this post, Christine! No, there’s no HR office that has “reinventing your life” as the reason for resignation. Personally, I found myself simply blurting out one day, “I quit.” I didn’t have a plan at all. But once I took the leap, the net really did appear. It’s been amazing. Every single day since then (March 17, 2004) has been extraordinary.
Julies last blog post..“El Otro Picasso/The Other Picasso”
I would walk the line between the truth and being vague. You never know what leads people may have for you (even in software).
Elizabeths last blog post..11 Tips and Tricks for Greening your Hotel Stay: 25 Days to Green Travel, Day 16
@Gillian: Another for telling the truth! Although the I’m quitting dance sounds awfully appealing!
@Julie: Thanks Julie! That’s really encouraging to hear.
@Elizabeth: Good point, and kind of what I was thinking too.
I quit. You suck and this place sucks. I can’t wait to say this one day.
Rheas last blog post..B-52s Still Going Strong
@Rhea: HA! You are braver than I am…. Those kinds of things always come back to haunt me.
You’re going about it all wrong. Don’t quit, get fired – with severance. Start wearing a tinfoil hat to the office. Carry a troll doll in your pocket and whisper to it whenever someone asks you a question. Write your reports long hand and in invisible ink, telling people it is so they can read them.
Follow these rules, collect a big cheque.
Stevos last blog post..then
@Stevo: Oh man too funny. Maybe my next post should be top 10 ways to get fired with severance. Want to co-write?
Nice blog BTW…
I suggest the way that I did it 3 weeks ago.
Ask for a meeting with your boss. Tell them how much you love your job and its the best one you have ever had. Then tell him your relocating, internationally. Can you keep your job?
The best part is that I am not leaving for an additional 2 months. This gives almost 3 months until D-Day. Whats the worst that can happen? You have to leave early because you lost your job? Thankfully I am not exactly expendable and all of my co-workers like working with me.
My boss was shocked and did not want to hear I was leaving but it is giving him enough time to get it set up so that I can work from any where in the world. Some things will obviously change and in fact may not be possible at all but its worth a try. It saves me the trouble of finding another job in another country.
I know this comment is a bit after the fact for you, but it might be useful to anyone else wondering the same thing. I just put in my two weeks’ notice today, and I went with the honest answer.
I figure by telling them I’m moving to another country to work in a completely different capacity (I’m going to teach English in South Korea), then it doesn’t seem like there’s anything wrong with the company. It’s a little more apparent — at least it seems to me — that my job wasn’t quite the right fit for me.
Daniels last blog post..Making an exit
omg get a life
you guys are all jealous
what the hells up with the time
hey daniel hows it goin thanks for the tips