Rules for Leaving Your Job

Did you get fired?  Did you quit in a rage?  Did you sneak out the door?  The answers to those questions are not nearly as important as is the answer to this one:  Did you make the most of your transition from one job to another?

Ending a job is similar to ending a marriage or other long-term relationship in that there are always two sides to the story.  Employers know they are only hearing your side, so you need to be careful how you describe the departure.  Leaving a job is different in one important way: your next partner or spouse will probably not call your previous partner for a reference.  Your prospective employer probably will.

How can your handling of your departure from a job be the most beneficial to your career?

Here are some rules and/or suggestions that may be helpful:

1. Even though you think your former employer mistreated you and was wrong to fire you, you cannot “bad-mouth” your former employer while talking to your new or prospective employer.  If you do, what your new employer is likely to hear is this: “Look out!  This person is a trouble-maker!” or “I now know what this person will say about us when they leave.” or “I need to call this person’s former boss to get their side of the story.”  As unjust as it may seem to you, your honest opinion of your former employer is not a good topic of conversation for a job interview.
2. As you prepare to leave your old job, try to keep the departure as impersonal and professional as you possibly can.  Storming off in a fit of anger will do nothing to help your career, even if it feels wonderful at the moment.  Assisting your replacement, although potentially painful, will paint you as the “true professional” who puts the welfare of the company above personal feelings and grudges.  It will also give you something positive to tell a new employer about an otherwise unflattering story.
3. Do not lie about why you were fired or why you decided to leave.  However, you do not need to share all of the intimate and unpleasant details.  If you can talk (briefly) about how you think you should have handled the problem differently, at least that will let your new employer know that you are mature enough to learn from your mistakes.  If your situation is especially sensitive or complicated, try to get some counseling from an employment professional or even from an attorney who is familiar with employment disputes.

Having said all of this, you should recognize that there are always exceptions.  If lives or property or fortunes are at risk, you need to follow your conscience and report illegal or unethical behavior of your former employer.  There may also be times when a loud angry statement (as in the movie “Norma Rae”) is the only right thing to do. You will need to consider all ethical, legal and moral dilemmas in each situation.  The rules and guidelines listed above will apply in most common situations when you leave an employer in a way that is less than mutual consent.