Before you quit
By Nora Caley

If you are unhappy at your current job, it seems like it would make sense to look for another job. But some managers say they prefer that employees communicate with them first, before you leave for another job. Instead of springing it on them that you are indeed leaving, start a conversation before you make a decision to exit.

“If you come to your boss and say, ‘This is not a fit for me,’ it opens the door to have some good dialogue to see why you feel that way,” says Greg Brenner, the South Florida regional human resources manager for Apple Sauce Inc., a franchisee of Applebee’s Grill and Bar.

Of course, not every manager will be open to talking to you about your career goals and how your current employer isn’t meeting them. At least try to say something, Brenner says.

“My advice is to give it a shot,” he says. “It can turn out to be a great long-term relationship in the end. Be open-minded [and] look at the big picture. Don’t make a rash decision.”

The big picture could mean your career. Maybe you’re unhappy with your current position and would like to move up. Find out what other opportunities are available in your company. You might find that you are well-suited to a certain position, but your supervisor didn’t know you were qualified, much less interested. Ask if there are any educational opportunities where you can refine certain skills.

A rash decision would be to quit because you’re having a very bad day.

“A wait-24-hours policy is a good idea with big decisions like that,” says Eric Goodwin, president of the recruiting firm Goodwin and Associates in Concord, N.H.

That’s especially true if you are new at the job.

“After a likely lengthy interview process by both sides, all the time and effort put into the interview and hiring process, and potentially those candidates that were passed on for you to take the position, you owe it to yourself and the hiring company to show some perseverance and see it through,” he says. “Tomorrow is a new day.”

Of course, sometimes you must leave.

“If the situation or a particular circumstance is untenable or so egregious that it is forcing this kind of decision, like a sexual harassment, ethical or integrity issue, then immediately speak to someone in human resources and address it right away to ensure it’s handled properly,” Goodwin says.

In general, the two-weeks-notice concept is not a rule but a courtesy. There is no law that says you have to give your company two weeks notice before your last day. That also means they can make the day you give notice your last day.

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