It is never easy to walk up to a supervisor and mummer the words “I quit.” Regardless of why one is leaving, it is vital to not burn bridges with co-workers and to leave on good terms. Carey Barker from Part Time Pros has five tips on how to quit a job with class.
1. Work hard until the end: If you have a new job lined up, it might be tempting to spend your last few weeks in your current position nodding off at your desk or ignoring e-mails from your soon-to-be ex-boss. Leave a lasting, positive impression at your old company by working up until the end.
2. Be gracious: Regardless of how ready you were to move on to a new job, it's still important to show your appreciation for your old employer. Be grateful and appreciative of the opportunity given to you by thanking co-workers and managers with handwritten notes. Also, don’t have an “I’m out of here attitude.”
3. Give appropriate notice: While two weeks' notice may seem standard, the actual amount of notice preferred will vary by employer. Offer the ability to stay as long as necessary for an effective transition and let the company react.
4. 'It's me, not you' : When you have the initial "I quit" conversation with your boss or human resources, make sure you emphasize that your decision was made based on what is best for you, not because you weren't happy with the company. Never make the discussion about why you are leaving about how much you hate your job or the place you work in any way.
5. Tie up loose ends when you're on your way out, make sure that the transition is as easy as possible for those you're leaving behind. If someone has been hired to take your place, offer to train the person for a few days before you leave. If not, write down important notes, locations of files, and the contact information of important people, to make the changeover easier for your successor. Finish all projects, and let your clients and vendors know about the switch to avoid any confusion.
Part-Time Pros
1326 East 43rd Court
Tulsa, Ok 74105
918-551-7767
parttimepros.com
About: After giving birth to her first daughter in July of 2007, Carey Baker was faced with the dilemma familiar to a lot of new parents – balancing work and family. “I did not want to work part-time I just wanted corporate America to value productivity and efficiency over how much time you spend in the office.”
Knowing she wasn't alone, Baker and her husband, Brett, launched a business Part-Time Pros in March of 2008 aimed at giving professionals flexibility in the workplace.
Part-Time Pros staffing company unites talented professionals with companies that have full- and part-time needs. The professionals range from stay-at-home moms wanting to contribute to their household income, to the early retirees looking to supplement retirement to the independent contractor who is extremely talented but perhaps not the best marketer of their own services. The Tulsa-based company, which took second place in the 2009 Mayor's Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, works with more than 350 employer contracts and a more than 6000 professionals. In 2011, Part-Time Pros was one of 75 businesses in the US to receive the US Chamber Blue Ribbon Award for growth and sustainability. Part-Time Pros was also voted the “Best of the Best” in the 2011 Oklahoma Magazines Best Staffing Company.
Prior to starting her own business, Baker worked for Chapman Foundations Management, The Advisory Board Co. and Williams Energy Marketing and Trading.
The Bakers reside in Tulsa with their daughters, Kennedy and Gentry. In December 2011, Part-Time Pros assumed a medical staffing Tulsa-Med Pros.
Baker also finds time for her community, volunteering with the United Way, The Parent Child Center, Emergency Infant Services and Junior League of Tulsa. She has chaired the Tulsa Chamber Task Force for Business Expansion and Development for 2 years and is a member of the Tulsa Chambers Small Business Council. In addition, she is a board member of Operation Aware and a graduate of Leadership Tulsa. She graduated Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University in 1995.
