The Right Way To Quit: How To Leave Your Job Without Burning Bridges

There is an art to quitting your job.

When you are a business owner, you know that some employees will stay with you for thirty years, and others will leave after three months. And when you are a driven achiever in your career, you may find one company you can work your way up for decades, or you may leapfrog from opportunity to opportunity, year after year.

Coming and going is part of working in the busy world of business.

However, what is far more important than deciding whether or not to stay in one role or move on to the next is how you make the transition. If you leave on good terms, your previous employer may actually be your key to unlocking your next big opportunity — maybe they know someone, or are willing to be your glowing reference. I’ve even heard of previous employers turning into angel investors, willingly funding their former employee’s new company.

But if you leave on bad terms, then not only do you opt out of all these benefits of having someone in your corner, but you may actually make things harder for yourself. Consequences can range from not having anyone to vouch for you (no references), all the way up to word getting around your industry and no one wanting to hire you. (Or, for an extreme example, look no further than the…