How to Leave Your Job The Right Way

When I resigned from a large consulting company after 3 years of working as a consultant, I sent out my farewell email at the end of the week. The next day, the CEO sent it out to the ENTIRE US Consulting Practice. (A lot of people).

Note: I wasn’t a Director, Partner, Senior Manager or even a Manager. I was a Senior Consultant. I didn’t save the company millions of dollars by inventing a new methodology or product. I wasn’t given any top performance awards or recognized as a global leader within a company.

I can only guess it was because he saw something noteworthy of sharing. In short: I loved working there & it showed in my e-mail.

If you're quitting, here is exactly what you need to do to leave on a good note:

1. Tell only 1 person and let them handle the communication of your exit. Tell your direct report or a senior colleague that you have decided to leave the company. Do not start telling everyone, until you get the clear to do so.
2. Your reason for leaving? You found a better opportunity elsewhere that you couldn't refuse. This is your answer no matter how much you hate the company or your boss. This is all you need to say, nothing more nothing less
3. Yes, a 2 weeks notice is still standard. 3 weeks notice is extra nice. 4 weeks notice is not recommended unless stated by your contract or an agreement you made with the firm.
4. Be careful during exit interviews. Do not turn an exit interview into a consulting session. You will not turn around the company by telling the truth to HR about all the issues within the company. Do not be superman. Stick to the answer on #2. If you wanted to tell the truth, you could have done it before you left. You are halfway out the door at this point so just stick to your normal corporate answers. If you have nothing nice to say, don't say it all.
5. Your resignation letter is either extremely thankful, or a quick thank you & goodbye email. Nothing in between. Do not offer constructive criticism in your email, or offer suggestions on how to improve the company after you leave. You had your chance to improve it, so now is not the time. The reason the CEO sent my email to the entire company was because I called out co-workers that I enjoyed working with and how they helped me advance my career. I really enjoyed working at this company, and my resignation letter showed it. When I left other firms, the email was 2-3 sentences at the most.

In summary, my motto is that you should leave quietly and never ever burn bridges. Do not use this opportunity to show everyone how smart you are because it will backfire.