How To Tell Your Boss You Quit in 2023

By Reid - August 5, 2022

Telling Your Boss You Quit

There's no question about it, quitting a job is often a challenging but important part of most people's careers. I have left a few jobs in the past (on good terms) for better opportunities, making it even more difficult to tell my boss.

So how are you supposed to go about quitting and telling your manager the news? Not following standard procedures and messing up this process can hurt your career. Here’s how to tell your boss you are quitting without hurting your future opportunities.

Steps on How to Tell Your Boss You Quit

Step 1. Do it In-Person and Professionally

It’s tempting to email your boss or speak your mind in front of your coworkers, but both approaches are unprofessional.

Instead, it’s best to speak with your manager by setting up a time and place for you two to discuss the matter privately.

Be flexible with this. If you need to wait a few hours or until the next day to speak one-on-one, give them that accommodation. It can preserve your professional relationship.

Once you get the chance to speak with them, keep things upbeat and light. Even if your boss is the reason you’re quitting, controlling your emotions and maintaining a professional attitude is the healthiest way to handle it.

Step 2. Describe Why You’re Leaving

After you let them know you’re quitting, you should explain why. Feel free to let the boss know if it’s a negative aspect of the company or workplace culture. Your feedback may be used to improve the workplace.

If it’s a simple matter of convenience or new opportunities, your boss deserves to know that you’re doing what’s best for you, and it’s nothing personal.

Being upfront and honest during this step can help preserve your professional relationship if there’s ever a time when you may return or need that boss’s recommendation for a new job.

Step 3. Provide Common Courtesy

Telling your boss you’re quitting and promptly leaving is a terrible decision. It ruins your reputation with the company and may affect future opportunities.

Instead, offer the minimum two weeks' notice that is standard around the country. If you can afford more and appreciate what the company did for you, be generous with your notice.

By showing common courtesy, your boss will likely speak highly of you when interviewers call to ask about your performance, leaving the door open for future opportunities.

Step 4. Exit Gracefully

Just because your time at the company is ending doesn’t mean you get to slack off or leave your boss hanging. Make your exit as graceful and friction-free as possible.

Your boss will have to hire a replacement or promote someone else to cover your old position. Offer to help train that replacement or otherwise make the transition friction-free for the company.

Suddenly throwing a wrench into the company’s well-oiled machine and leaving them to fix the problem is an excellent way to ruin your standing with your boss and former coworkers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is it Okay to quit a job without notice?

Giving some notice to your employer is a professional and courteous way to resign from your position, allowing your employer time to plan for your departure and find a replacement.

However, there may be circumstances in which it is necessary to leave a job without notice, such as in an unsafe or toxic work environment. In these cases, it is essential to communicate your reasons for leaving to your employer as soon as possible.

Is it better to quit or be fired?

It is generally better to quit a job rather than be fired. If you are considering leaving your job, it is usually best to resign professionally and respectfully. This can help maintain your reputation and relationships with your former employer and colleagues.

On the other hand, being fired can be a negative experience that can damage your professional reputation and make it more difficult to find a new job. Being fired can also negatively affect your employment record, and explaining a termination to potential employers during a job search may be more challenging.

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Final Thoughts | Telling Your Boss You Quit

Quitting can be stressful in anyone's career, so it's okay to be nervous. But moving on from a job for bigger and better things is vital to your growth. The key here is to make sure that the transition is done correctly.

Before resigning, consider the previously mentioned points, and ensure that your exit is handled as professionally as possible.

Your reputation, future opportunities, and the next two weeks of your sanity depend on you handling it professionally.

Let us know if you have any questions about exiting a job or what comes after - we would be happy to help. Best of luck!

Title: How to Tell Your Boss You Quit

Category: Career Resources

Tags: How to Tell Your Boss You Quit, telling my boss I quit, quitting a job, how to tell your boss you quit, what to tell my boss when i quit, how to tell your boss you're leaving, best way to tell your boss you quit

Co-Author: Reid is a contributor for theJub. He's an employment and marketing enthusiast who studied business before taking on various recruiting, management, and marketing roles. More from the author. | Author Profile