How to Tactfully Quit Your Job

There are a lot of reasons someone needs to quit their job. New opportunities. A career change. An unhealthy environment. Toxic leadership. A better financial opportunity. Going back to school. Starting a family. Pursuing entrepreneurship. Etc. Etc.

A lot of reasons to quit your job but not a lot of advice on HOW to actually quit your job.

The intention of this blog post is to give you the communication tools to quit your job — tactfully. So you can confidently ask for those references later (and know they will be positive).

I get nervous as hell when I need to “break the news” so first, let’s arm you with communication advice to ask for the meeting in the first place.

And always remember: if your job values you as a person more than what you produce as a resource, they will be happy for you.

When asking for the meeting… it can look like this,

“Hey xx, can we talk at some point today? I have some news/thoughts to share with you!”

And then once you secure the time on your manager's calendar,

Here is the format to follow when having “the talk”

• State the positives

• Move into the explanation

• Give appreciation

State the positives. Even if the workplace was toxic and you can't wait to hightail it out of there, challenge yourself to think of the skillsets you acquired during your time at the organization. Through challenge comes growth. Elaborate on the growth as that is always a positive.

Move into the explanation. Try to be as transparent as you feel safe to do so. If you are comfortable and able to share the impetus behind the decision and where the next move will take you, it will leave your manager with less questions and will preserve the trust in your working relationship.

And lastly, give appreciation. Appreciation for the time they gave you in this conversation. Appreciation for the support they may have given you during your time in your role. Think of 1-2 things you can communicate appreciation towards.

From there, you have the floor to give your final day of employment. And you can add in one last question where you can ask, “what else do you need from me at this time?”

This daunting conversation, in totality, can look like this,

“Hey xx, if I haven't told you recently, I've really enjoyed working at XYZ company. Being here has taught me, a, b and c and without that opportunity to learn, I wouldn't be in the position I am today. That said, an another opportunity came my way that I can't pass up. This new role will allow me to XYZ and I decided that this move will be best for me/my family/my career. I want you to know how grateful I am for all your support. My last day will be XYZ. What else do you need from me at this time to ensure this transition is as smooth + successful as possible?”

As always, the goal os Civil Communication is to communicate productively — even in tough conversations. And quitting is one of the toughest conversations you will most likely experience in your career. Congrats on the new role and good luck 😊