The Right and Wrong Way to Quit Your Job

More people are settling for less than desirable jobs during this recession to help pay the bills. So chances are that you or someone you know feels fed up at work and has visions of quitting in a blaze of glory.

You’d start your final day by kissing your co-worker crush, then curse out your bosses one by one, followed by a harsh psychological analysis of your co-workers’ shortcomings, and end the day by bashing your infuriatingly slow, Vista-installed PC with a large rock. You know, quitting in style. But leaving the proper way has its merits, too. It can help you maintain vital contacts and increase your future job prospects.

With that in mind, here’s our run-down of the right and wrong ways to make your exit. The choice is yours.

RIGHT: Give at least two-weeks notice. Many companies actually need more than that amount of time to fill your position. If you spring the news of your departure on your employers too suddenly, they’ll remember you as irresponsible. Plus, give enough notice and you’ll get your vacation payout, and sometimes you may even be able to secure an added severance.

WRONG: Leave in the middle of the day without warning. One man lamented he’d impulsively left a job he loved after having a small argument with his boss. His mistake finally hit him when he saw a posting to replace him in the newspaper. It made him realize he still wanted to work there.

RIGHT: Do it face to face; don’t let your employers find out by e-mail or by word of mouth.

WRONG: Follow QuitYourJobToday.com’s advice and organize a Lunch Escape. The plan is simple and disastrous: take all your coworkers to a Mexican restaurant, get them drunk and encourage everyone to join you in quitting your job that afternoon.