Latest / DevQuestions with Tim Corey / 244. How To Quit The Right Way

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244. How To Quit The Right Way · DevQuestions with Tim Corey

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: How do I quit my job the right way?
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: If you're considering quitting, I would encourage you to go through the following five steps.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Not only will they set you up for success at your next job, but they'll also keep your options open for future interactions with other developers.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Dev Questions Podcast with Tim Corey.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Software development is more than just writing code.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about the rest of it.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Specifically, let's talk about how to quit your job the right way.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now, there are many reasons why you might want to quit your job.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: In some extreme cases, you might be physically in danger or you might be put in a compromising position by staying.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: In those cases, you may just need to quit right away.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: But for everyone else, you probably have a choice of when you should quit, if you should quit, and maybe how you should quit.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: So let's talk more about the five steps that I recommend going through when you're evaluating this decision.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Step number one, don't quit.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: And that's, I know it's a frustrating step one, but it really is important.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: If you haven't gone through the steps, you're not ready to quit yet.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Quitting before you have a plan is a great way to make your life worse.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: I've seen it happen.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Don't hurt yourself in an attempt to make things better.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, take some time to create a plan.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: This is why I would encourage you, even when you are not thinking about quitting, making sure that you have certain things in place because you want to be prepared and not go into a situation where you don't have a job anymore, flat footed.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: You want to be prepared.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: You want to have certain things in place so that you're ready.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Well, if you're thinking about quitting, it's a great time to make sure all those things are in order.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: So, step one, don't quit.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now, step two, identify your plan.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: So, how do you do that?
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you ask the questions like, where are you gonna go next?
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: What do you need to do to prepare first?
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: And what unknowns can you eliminate?
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: So, where do you need to go first?
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Well, or where do you need to go next?
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that might not be a specific job.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you don't have anything lined up yet.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: That's okay, but you need to identify: am I gonna stay in this field?
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Am I gonna stay in a specific type of job?
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe I am working with C sharp on the back end, but I really want to be a front-end developer.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe I don't want to do as much with databases, or I want to do more with databases.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Think that through first so you know where you're going next, what you want to do next.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: And then what do you need to do to prepare?
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're thinking about going into a slightly different field or slightly different area of your field, you probably need to prepare.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you've been in the field for a while, maybe you need to brush up on some more modern skills to make sure that you are putting your best foot forward.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: You're preparing yourself to be the best possible candidate for potential jobs.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: And then what unknowns can you eliminate?
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Well, what are some things that you're guessing on?
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: For example, I see people that love to take a leap because the leap is easy, right?
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: It might be scary, but the leap is easy because it's all under your control.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Well, not everything is under your control.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Quitting, yeah, that's on you.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: You can do that.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: But do you have something lined up first?
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: That's not necessarily under your control, and that's an unknown.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's unknown how long it will take to get your job.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's unknown where you're gonna be next or what you have to do to get there.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: So eliminate as many of those unknowns as possible.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: If possible, have that job already in hand before you quit.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Because then the unknown of how long does it take to get a job is eliminated.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: You've got that in hand.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: So eliminate those unknowns if you can first.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: So what unknowns can you eliminate?
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: So that's step two.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Step three is prepare to leave.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: Now, preparing to leave means spend time training, add valuable skills, expand your portfolio, and polish your resume, get your finances in order, and start the process of looking for other jobs.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: The longer you can hang in there at work while preparing to leave, the more time you have to get a new job.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: So for instance, maybe you're saying, this job is just too rough, it's it's hard on me, it's difficult, it's frustrating, I need to find something better, I need to quit, whatever.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe you have finances set aside, which is great.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: If you have finances set aside to kind of let you not work for a while, that's great, but here's the deal.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's only a limited runway.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you have six months, awesome.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: You have six months of runway.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: But if you can expand that runway a bit, that'd be great.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, if you spend three months still at your job, well, now your runway is nine months because you started three months at your job before you're like, I have to get out of here.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that's three months of work and three months of effort that you didn't have to pay for, your employer did.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: So if you can do that, the longer you can do that, the more you can protect your finances.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: Just because you have money set aside doesn't mean you should use it.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: If possible, let your employer continue to finance you while you look for another job.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: All right, and while you prepare for that other job.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: So, again, the longer you can hang in there, the better off you'll be at getting a new job, the longer you have to look for a new job.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: So that's step number three.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: Hang in there and build up to that new job.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: And step four is really one you should do while you're doing step three, and that is build an exit strategy.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Too often I see people think, well, when I'm, you know, when I'm done, I'm just out of here.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to, you know, tell you, sorry, I'm done as of right now.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: Please don't do that.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: Prepare.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: Have an exit strategy.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you already have a new job or at the point where you cannot stay in your current job any longer, knowing how to leave well is important.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I want you to prepare a strategy ahead of time, before you're ready.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: That way, when you are ready, you don't you're not rushing to go, well, I'll just figure something out.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: Prepare.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: So that includes being more gracious than you might feel like being.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Don't burn bridges.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: I know it's hard because if you're working at a job that you don't like, if you're working in a job where you feel like your boss is being unfair to you, if it's a bad situation, you feel like returning that against them.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: You feel like, you know what, you don't care about me, I'm not gonna care about you.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I get that, I really do.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: I've been there.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: I've been in situations where I'm like, man, I just want to hurt them the way I hurt.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: In the moment, it's gonna feel like that.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: But if you prepare ahead of time, you can set yourself up for a plan that will include being more gracious than you might feel like in the moment.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: And this is important because the community of developers is small.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: And you want to make sure that you set yourself up for a good impression.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna talk more about that in a minute, but I encourage you to have that transition plan in place so you're ready when it's time.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: And that might include giving your employer time that they don't, they haven't earned.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: It used to be that you know, two weeks' notice was always the thing to do, right?
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: And now it's I wouldn't always encourage it.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: I'd actually encourage you to be prepared to leave that day if your employer decides they're going to just let you go that day.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: But I would encourage you to be prepared to give your employer more than they have earned.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: That way you can do your part even if they don't do their part.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: So that's part of the transition plan is figuring out how do I communicate in a way that protects myself while at the same time being gracious to my employer.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now, step five is transition well.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: So you've got the plan, but now let's execute the plan.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: And that is when you get a new job or you decide enough is enough, execute your exit strategy.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: Avoid bashing your old company even when you're out of there.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: Okay?
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: Be honest, but also be kind.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: Don't start your new job by talking down about your old job.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Doing so can make your new employer question whether you'll say the same thing about them when you leave.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, keep your conversations professional.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: Start your new job by being known as the hardworking, encouraging employee rather than the backstabbing complainer that is bitter.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: How you start is important at your new job.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: The tech community is also a small place.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: Words can get around.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: I have worked in jobs where I felt like just burning some bridges.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I didn't, fortunately.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: And the benefit there is later on down the road, those same people that I worked with before came back around into my orbit.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I worked with them and I had consulting jobs from some of those because I didn't burn a bridge.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: If I had burned a bridge later on down the road, I wouldn't have gotten those consulting jobs, or I wouldn't have got those opportunities, or I might have had an employer who wasn't encouraged to hire me because of what they had heard from another one of their employees who now works there.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: So making sure that you are gracious and you are kind, even if you are honest, is a really important part of this transition plan.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: So those are my five steps for quitting.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I've learned the value of these steps after seeing the positive results I received from following this path.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I've done it more than once.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: I've done it multiple times.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: I've left a lot of jobs.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: And part of it is I spent a lot of time as a consultant.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I worked at multiple jobs, lots of jobs, and I left some consulting jobs where I say, you know what?
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: I think we're done.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: Even if the contract isn't done, I think we need to part ways.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: And that's hard.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes that can lead to a bad situation.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: But if you do it right, it doesn't always have to.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: And if you walk through the plan for how to quit well, then sometimes you create allies where there once was enemies.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I've also seen people who did not follow this advice.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: The people that didn't follow these steps and who just wreaked havoc in their own life because they were trying to get an employer or they wanted to share with everyone how nasty that employer was or how bad they were or how badly they were treated.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: And it really burned them.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: I know of people who drained their life savings and ended up working at worse jobs because they were angry and they didn't handle it well when they transitioned out.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: So quitting is sometimes necessary, but quitting right is really important.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: So I encourage you to think through this, try to work through the plan, try to quit well, and quit in a way that's going to prepare you for success at your next job as well as in future endeavors.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: So follow those steps, and I hope you will see better results than just burning some bridges.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: As always, I am Tim Corey.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for joining us for this episode of Dev Questions.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_01: When you're ready to learn to think and code like a professional developer, head over to IamtimCorey.com and enroll in a course.