Working a part-time job while going to school can seem challenging for any student. Between the grueling hours of homework and time spent working, it seems like the business never stops. Maybe clarity struck and you decided that your job no longer meshes with your lifestyle, and now is the time to quit. Maybe another opportunity that better aligns with what you want to do came along.
Here are five tips coming straight from a boss on how to quit a job.
1. Give a two weeks’ notice
Part of quitting a job and leaving on good terms requires giving two weeks’ notice. You need to let your employer know that you plan on leaving so they can hire a replacement if needed. A final working date provides a cushion for employers to work with. Don’t forget to email your boss a written copy of the plan so that documentation exists. Employers usually understand and experienced quitting jobs themselves. “I had to quit a job four years ago,” said Alondra Chacin, a store manager at Hollister. “As soon as I found out I got another opportunity that aligned better with my career goals, I gave my two-week notice and helped during the transition to make it as smooth as possible.” Rather than being afraid of your employer, embrace the fact that bosses are humans too.
2. Be transparent
When you plan on leaving a job or find another opportunity waiting in the wings, don’t put off talking to our employer because of fear. Verbalize your position and remain on the same page about what the future holds. Then, your employer can adhere to everyone’s best interest when making schedules and planning for the upcoming weeks. Keeping your plan for leaving a secret qualifies as one of the worst things you can do. “It leaves the rest of the team in a lurch and does not provide the supervisor with the necessary time to create a game plan that protects everyone,” Chacin said. Transparency is key when it comes to making sure that everyone leaves on the best foot possible.
Practice transparency when you search for new jobs as well. Make it clear about your schedule and expectations concerning hours and pay. “You don’t want to job hop trying to find the next better job and quitting all these jobs along the way,” said Michelle Chavis, an assistant case management coordinator at the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The grass may look greener on the other side, but make sure you want to graze there before quitting one job for the next.
3. Communicate
When leaving because of a new job opportunity, your next employer may want you to start training right away. You can manage this by remaining open with both parties about what your obligations entail. Possibilities exist for you to cut back on hours at one establishment as you pick up hours at another, but practice communication to make this work. Don’t just stop coming to work because it doesn’t fit into your new schedule. “The absence affects the rest of the team. When a person leaves without much notice, other people may need to work longer shifts or even during their days off,” Chacin said. Unfortunately, when one person leaves a job, they impact their co-workers’ private and professional lives. That is why employees need to do it the right way.
4. Be helpful
The worst way to leave a job is to make yourself a no-call or a no-show. Managers constantly scramble to fill a shift they thought they covered. “It places every other employee in a bad position as they might have to work longer shifts and put more effort to get tasks done with the uncertainty of what will happen next,” Chacin said. Instead of leaving everyone hanging, show up promptly for shifts. If you can, offer a little more time so that managers and supervisors can interview or train your replacement. This will help you grow as an employee, and it will help the business run smoothly during a time of transition.
Kenly Boyett, who now works as a teacher in Lake County, found her first job at a water ski magazine where she placed orders and picked up advertisement information. “Leave on good terms and keep the lines of communication up because you never know if you will need them as a reference or for another job in the future,” Boyett said. By helping your employers in the present, you can count on them to help you in the future when you need it.
5. Stay engaged
It may seem easy to think that you no longer need to give it your best effort since you plan on leaving a job. That kind of thinking hurts businesses and your work ethic, though. If anything, the last few weeks or days spent at a job show your employer what kind of working morals you truly have.
As a worker, you should still show up on time and prepared to do your best work on those final shifts so that you can build your skills and be an employee that every business hopes to hire. “The last two weeks are always crucial for the employee to end in good terms with the company and to demonstrate professionalism,” Chapin said. When it comes down to it, every job offers learning and experience. To reap the benefits, you must put in the work and give others the courtesy and professionalism you hope to receive.
