“Take this job and shove it. I ain’t working here no more.”
– Chorus from Johnny Paycheck’s popular country hit, 1978
The tidal wave of work resignations following the Covid-19 (-20-21-22) pandemic is being referred to as “The Great Resignation” or “The Big Quit” because of the record numbers of employees leaving their jobs.
Whether a job quit is for a better opportunity in money or responsibility, a fear of returning to the workplace, or family obligations, candidates are currently in the driver’s seat and in charge of the music playing on the radio. While there are many other jobs available and we may all identify with occasional feelings of intolerance about aspects of our jobs or the people with whom we work, how we resign from an employer can write the chorus of our professional song that will be sung for years to come.
When you have made the sound decision that it’s time to move on from your current job, these behaviors will sing your praises.
- Communicate clearly. Resign directly to your manager – via Zoom or phone call if in-person is not realistic. An email or letter of resignation is a follow-up for documentation. You have made a well-informed and careful decision and be brave, be courageous, be upfront.
- Give thanks and be gracious. Show appreciation for the paycheck. It was there and you had a job. Unless your employment agreement states otherwise, offer a two-week notice. This is for the people you are leaving behind and the ripple effect they will ultimately experience.
- Don’t leave surrounded by drama. Drawing negative attention while you are in transition to the door is ultimately worse for you than if you’d said, “Take this job and shove it.” Be mindful of what you put out on social media and what you say in co-worker conversations. Take the highest road and you won’t ever have to look back.
- Don’t talk negatively about past employers. Focus on the great that is in front of you. Find your words to express your past accomplishments and what you learned from your past experiences and draw the lines of all negatively firmly behind you.
“The Great Quit” should be about better and “better” is defined in your own terms. Whether it is about pay, benefits, flexibility, autonomy, skills, or opportunity, when the time comes that you make a change in work, don’t quit. Transition with grace and certainty and be proud of the chorus you have written.
