How to Quit and Still be a Winner!

“I never crossed a bridge I didn’t want to burn.” Mark Twain at his most acerbic? Or your own inner
demon when it comes time to quit your job?

If you’re in a difficult employment situation, you’ve probably been writing a mental list of everything the
boss does wrong, or opportunities the company missed despite your recommendations, or a hundred
other disgruntled things. And isn’t it tempting to haul that list out for a parting shot, delivered in icy
tones or outright yelling.

But you were too professional to air that list while you were working and ideally you’re too professional
– and wise – to do so when you leave. Sure, there would be immediate emotional gratification, but it’s
the long term that’s worth considering.

Every job is a cobblestone in your career path. You learn new skills and broaden industry knowledge.
When you leave a job—even a nightmare job—you want good references and sterling networking
contacts. Poor managers will rarely give vindictive references unless they have been personally
affronted. Further, if they grow as managers, they may offer an amazing reference.

I was calling former employers of a candidate and spoke with her former manager. He gave glowing
praise, admitting he’d been a very bad manager with temper problems. My candidate, he said,
endured with grace, offering better work than he’d been able to admit at the time. He asked me to
forward his apology to her. Sometimes managers get better… and sometimes, your path crosses
over itself.

John was a frustrated manager of a small distributorship who let the boss have it when he quit. Two
years later, unbeknownst to John, his former employer began buying up other distributors. When he
went to interview for his dream job, he found himself sitting across from his old director. Oops.

Keep your career path on the high road, building bridges, not burning them (even when the detour
looks inviting).