10 Steps to Quit a Job the Right Way (W/ Examples)

10 Steps to Quit a Job the Right Way

If each of your work days starts with the thought “I hate my job,” then quitting is definitely a legitimate option. 

That doesn’t mean, however, that it should be a rushed or on-the-spot decision. After all, you don’t want to wake up a week after having quit your job and regret ever making the decision. 

And even if there’s no doubt in your mind that quitting is the way to go, you still want to do it the right way. This means quitting in such a way that causes as little professional damage as possible to you, your employer, or your professional relationship. 

We cover both of these points and more below, starting with: 

#1. Make Sure You Want to Quit

First and foremost, you've got to make sure you actually want to quit your job.

See, the thing is, feeling like you hate your job can come as a result of other reasons that, in many cases, can be patched over. 

One example is suffering from burnout. According to the World Health Organization, burnout comes from chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been managed and that causes you to react negatively toward your job.

In this case, maybe you don't need to quit your job; maybe you just need a vacation. 

Or, it may be a particularly annoying coworker or boss that makes you feel like you hate your job. This is not surprising at all, considering that 75% of employees quit their boss, not their job. 

And while working under someone you dislike can be an extremely stressful situation, consider communicating your dissatisfaction before deciding to quit (especially if you like other aspects of your job). This way, maybe you can find common ground with them instead of making a potentially bad career move. 

So in short, think long and hard before making a decision that you won't be able to reverse. 

That's not to say, though, that there aren't any valid reasons for quitting a job. If any of the following apply to you, then chances are, quitting is the right move:

#2. Tell Your Manager First

Once you decide that quitting your job is the best option for you, it’s time to let people know.

And when we say people, we mean your manager or supervisor, not your coworkers or your work friend from another department. 

You want to quit your job professionally from start to finish, and your manager finding out from anyone who isn’t you is far from professional. 

And yes, the news will likely get out even if people promise to keep it a secret. 

So, make sure you respect workplace hierarchy and go straight to your manager before going to anybody else.

#3. Quit in Person

The thought of looking at your manager’s eyes and telling them you’re quitting might make you uncomfortable, but it’s the best way to do it. 

By quitting in person, you can ensure your manager is clear on why you’re quitting and knows you aren’t harboring any hard feelings. Not to mention, a face-to-face conversation can make it easier to ask for a recommendation, reference, or professional advice later down the line.

In short, this is the way to go if you want to be 100% sure you’re not burning any bridges or leaving a wrong impression. 

Here are some ways you can tell your manager that you’re quitting: 

What If I Can’t Quit in Person?

Sometimes, it may happen that you simply can’t quit in person for whatever reason. 

In such cases, you have two options: 

1. Quit over the phone or Zoom meeting. This is the best alternative to quitting in person. To do it right, think of what you’re going to say in advance, be honest, and stay polite. Explain to your manager exactly why you can’t quit in person, don’t lie to them about your reason for quitting, and make sure to follow up with a formal resignation letter. 
2. Quit over email. If you’re a freelancer or remote worker, quitting over email won’t be so frowned upon. The same advice applies here - be polite, professional, and honest. Include essential information, such as your last workday, and offer a brief but valid explanation as to why you’re leaving. Optionally, you can offer to help with the transition or until the company has found someone to replace you.

#4. Give a Two Weeks Notice 

Is giving two weeks' notice legally required? No.

Do we recommend that you do it anyway? Definitely yes. 

By giving a two weeks notice, on one hand, you’ll be ensuring you will receive all your employment-related benefits, such as severance pay and overtime compensation.

On the other hand, you will also be helpful in the transition of responsibilities and daily duties to the person taking over your role. 

Bonus points if you can give your former-to-be employer more time than what’s outlined in your contract. That’ll help make the transition even smoother and ensure you maintain positive relations with them. 

Here’s an example of what you can say: 

#5. Submit a Letter of Resignation

Writing a letter of resignation is another must in the job-quitting process. Preferably, you should submit your letter of resignation right after telling your manager that you’re quitting to make it official. 

Here’s how to do it right: 

1. Open with your personal information, the date, the manager’s personal information, and a formal greeting. 
2. Inform your manager that you’re resigning in the first paragraph. 
3. Express gratitude for the experience and all the opportunities in the second paragraph. 
4. Offer your help in passing over the positions’ responsibilities in the third paragraph.  

And this is what this looks like in practice: 

#6. Say Goodbye to Coworkers

If you’re quitting your job for emergency reasons (or simply because you hated everything about working there), you might be tempted to leave without telling anyone but your boss. 

While tempting, we recommend that you avoid doing this.

Saying a proper goodbye to your coworkers will allow you to keep good relations with them and also make your resignation more graceful and professional. 

If you loved working with those people, they’ll appreciate you even more for it. If you didn’t, you will have acted like the bigger person, which is always a plus.  

If you don’t want to (or can’t) say goodbye to them in person, you can write them a goodbye email. 

Here are some tips you can follow to do it right: 

• Keep it brief. 
• Send a personal email instead of group emails - at least to the coworkers you’ve worked more closely with. 
• Mention something positive or something that you like about working with them. 
• Don’t brag or go into much detail about your future plans (even if they’re a significant upgrade to your current job). 
• Underline that you’d like to stay in touch with them. 
• Include your new contact information. 

Here’s an example of what a goodbye email looks like in practice: 

And just like that, you’ve made sure your coworkers remember you in a good way! 

#7. End Things on a Positive Note 

So, you’ve done everything right so far – had a good face-to-face conversation with your manager, gave your notice, handed in your resignation letter, and wrote a goodbye email to your coworkers. 

There’s one more thing you need to do if you really want to end things on a positive note.

You have to help make the transition period from the moment you announce you’re quitting to your last day of work as smooth as possible. 

Here’s how to do that: 

1. Work hard until your last day. It can be easy to go into “vacation mode” once you know you won’t be working for the company anymore. That, however, would increase everyone else’s workload and disturb the company’s workflow. 
2. Train your replacement. If management finds someone to replace you before your last day, make everyone’s lives easier and offer to train them. After all, nobody knows the ins and outs of your job like you do. 
3. Organize your files. This will make any necessary information easy to find after you’re gone. 
4. Keep in touch after your last day. Help your previous coworkers and replacement by answering any questions or uncertainties they may have. 
5. Offer to keep answering work emails for a month. This will also make the transition easier for people you’ve worked with outside the company (clients, partners, etc).  

#8. Don’t Badmouth Your (Former) Employer

We’ve mentioned this before but it’s so important that we’ve got to mention it again. 

No matter what happens, don’t badmouth your employer, the company, or your team. 

And when we say ever, we don’t just mean that you shouldn’t diss your former employer when asked: “why did you leave your previous job” during an interview. We mean don’t talk negatively in any of the following situations: 

• To your coworkers before or after you quit your job. 
• To your employer as you quit or during your exit interview. 
• On your social media channels or in a private email.  
• To your new team or coworkers. 

Why? Because nothing good can come out of it. The only thing you’ll achieve from badmouthing your former employer is looking negative, resentful, and unprofessional. 

And if your job was so toxic you’re just too tempted to say it like it is, you should still avoid saying something like this:

And opt for a more diplomatic answer:

#9. Prepare for an Exit Interview

In some cases (if it’s company policy), you may be asked to participate in an exit interview before officially leaving your position. 

The point of an exit interview is for the company to gain an understanding of its issues and what management can improve on to retain talent. As such, you’ll be asked questions about why you’re quitting your job, your personal experience with the company, and what you’d improve about it. 

This means that while an exit interview might not mean anything to you, it means a lot to your former employer.  So, try to be as constructive and professional as possible to help your former employer improve and to end your relationship on a positive note.

Keep in mind, though, that your answer should be as practical as possible. So instead of saying something like this:

Opt for something like:

#10. Update Your Resume and Start Your Job Search 

Unless you’ve already found and accepted another job offer, you’re likely to start your job hunt before even quitting your current job. 

After all, you don’t want to quit only to spend time and money being unemployed until you find something else. 

Here’s what you need to do to land your next gig as fast and effortlessly as possible: 

• Find the right job. You don’t want to get hired in a new position only to quit again after a month or two. So, think about exactly what caused you to quit this job (e.g. company values, management, your responsibilities, etc.) and make sure the new positions you apply to are more suitable to your professional needs.
• Update your resume. If you haven’t been in the job market for a long time, chances are you’ll need to update your resume. For example, if you’re thinking of changing careers, then you should figure out your transferable skills and add them to your resume. Similarly, if you’re specifically interested in a remote job, then you should create a remote job resume instead of a conventional one.
• Use a resume template. Nowadays, most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to sort through the hundreds of resumes they receive. This means that if your resume isn’t ATS-optimized, the hiring manager might not even read it. Fortunately, you can use one of our tried-and-tested resume templates. They’re modern, one-page long, and build according to the most popular ATS systems in the world.

• Ask for references. You quit your job gracefully and professionally. This means you can ask your former manager for references and they’ll likely be more than glad to give you a positive recommendation. If they can’t, you can ask a senior coworker for a reference or professional recommendation. 
• Get certified. The job market is getting more competitive by the day. This means that the more certificates you add to your resume, the easier it will be to stand out from the crowd.

FAQs on How to Quit a Job 

Do you still have some questions on how to quit a job adequately? We’ll answer some FAQs below!

Key Takeaways 

And that’s a wrap! By now, you should know everything there is to know on how to quit a job professionally and gracefully.

Before you go hand in your official resignation, though, here are the main points we covered in this article:

• Make sure quitting is the best option. Some good reasons for leaving a job are that you’ve been given a better offer, health emergencies, a relocation, want to change careers, or simply needing a better work schedule or arrangement. 
• Don’t tell your coworkers that you’re quitting your job before telling your manager. 
• Check your employment contract to figure out what the company’s exact timeframe is for quitting. Then give your prior notice accordingly. 
• Say goodbye to your coworkers via personalized emails and make sure to make the transition period for them and the company as swift as possible by offering them your help.