Leaving a Job

[cschin4]

In the course of your career, how did your jobs end? I doubt anyone has the first job they ever took. At some point, you move on. But, how did you find the response when you did? There were times I left simply for a better opportunity, place to live, better hours, or whatever and you would have thought you were severing their right arm. Why is it so hard for employers to understand that you life changes and we all move on our paths and that doesn't mean we didn't like or wanted to leave necessarily but that life changes propelled us. And, when I was younger, it seemed the jobs ended pretty amicably. But, the last jobs I have had ended up with a lot of bitterness or angst from management and snarky attitudes. I don't hate the job, it is just time to move on! Why so some employers and coworkers take this kind of thing sooo personally? People come and go all the time. You change with it.

[disneysteve]

I've had one job that I left since finishing school in 1993. I had been there for 6-1/2 years. I wasn't being treated in a way that I felt was appropriate. The hours were long and I felt I was away from my family too much. So I quit.

I don't think the guy I was working for was surprised at all. I didn't care for the way it was handled. I wasn't allowed to tell any of my patients that I was leaving and the office didn't give any info to patients who asked after I had left though I can kind of understand that because they didn't want a bunch of patients jumping ship to follow me to my new practice.

I've had zero contact with my former employer since then (2000). I don't personally harbor any ill will toward him and I'd be fine seeing him but I have no idea if he would feel the same.

[cypher1]

From a corporate standpoint, its nothing personal, just business. When I was a contractor I realized how quickly everyone is replaceable, and overall we're all just a number on a report. Whether you're a temp, contractor, or full time employee, we work and provide services for others. The question is for how long before moving onto the next challenge.

My most recent job (Windows server system engineer) was for 7 years before getting outsourced to India. Wasn't personal, but corporate wanted to save money, and trim fat from all departments. Our team was one of the last to be impacted but we all knew it was coming. We had a great team, but we all knew it was time to move on which I don't regret.

As for why employers would hold it personal is more up to the individual. Most of my work experiences they understood something better came along for that individual. At the same time they'd still make a counter offer to keep them. If management has a snarky attitude for when someone leaves that's on them and how they treat their employees.

[NetSkyBlue]

I haven't ever left a "professional" job. I left my high school job when I went on to college, my college job when I graduated. I then worked at a coffee shop for one year, and quit when my ex-husband was transferred out of state and we moved. Then I quit the job I had there when we divorced, and I moved back to my home state. I am still working for the company I started with when I moved "back home." I'm in my 8th year there.

I have also had, and left, a couple of part-time jobs in the last 8 years, but all of them lasted over 2 years, and were always understood to be temporary things.

[LizfromtheBronx]

A few jobs ago, I left the company (which was a truly terrible place to work) for a competitor. My old CFO and my new CEO had lunch shortly afterward, and the old CFO made a snarky comment about him "stealing me away". My new CEO mentioned this to me a few weeks later, and I made a face. When the CEO pressed me to explain my reaction, I said, "I find it kind of silly that he's all bent out of shape over the office manager in a satellite office leaving when he probably has bigger things to worry about. If that's on his mind that much, the company is worse off than I thought. And on a second note, if you don't want your employees to leave, then make them want to stay."

The CEO stared at me for a minute (I don't think he was expecting me to be so frank, but that's the kind of person I am), and then started roaring laughing. After he had himself a good chuckle, he agreed with me completely.

It's a company's responsibility to make sure people have the "things", whatever those may be (good pay, work environment, benefits, opportunities for advancement, being challenged, etc), that they need to stay. If they are not able to do that, then the company needs to accept that they may lose the person.

[cypher1]

It's a company's responsibility to make sure people have the "things", whatever those may be (good pay, work environment, benefits, opportunities for advancement, being challenged, etc), that they need to stay. If they are not able to do that, then the company needs to accept that they may lose the person.

I absolutely agree with this. I have my share of witnessing managers getting bent out of shape or completely baffled why an employee would leave their current position as if it's the greatest job ever. Overall if someone isn't happy or satisfied with their current job/career, I say move on to the next challenge somewhere else.

[JoeP]

At my first job, which was part-time, I made what I thought was pretty good money. During college, I got accepted for summer intern work at a local corporation making about twice the hourly rate, doing work that was more in line with my coursework, and working business hours. My part-time employer pretty much expected me to return during summers and winter break, and since we were still on very good terms, I felt it necessary to let them know I was not coming back. My manager REALLY wanted me back, and asked me the hourly rate. When I told her, she went white and said they could not pay that much.

My first Real Job, it was simply verbal notification, followed by an email. It was business as usual, no hard feelings, no "emotional leakage."

Most recently, I also moved on with the same tactic. This one really wanted me to stay, but the challenges were not there. Good thing, because the company got sold 6 months after I left and about half the people were victims of "Right Sizing."

[ua_guy]

Rolling between positions within the same company has never been an issue for me, no bitterness or resentment from managers or people I work with. So goes the world of IT where roles and structures change in step with changes in technology and applications, it's no big deal. Changing roles between companies has been a little tougher and I've caught some resentment for that. For me, it's never been personal and I've dealt with it professionally.

I can understand resentment in that situation, and also, I can't. Sometimes having an employee leave can be frustrating for a manager; especially if they are a good employee and hold lots of knowledge and are well-liked. Sometimes a manager's hands are tied from making a counter-offer in attempt to get the employee to consider staying, so I can see how a vacancy could create a headache for a manager that has to then fill that gap. On the other hand, the labor market is a real place, and with stagnating wages and buying power eroding by the day, this is the unfortunate reality. People will jump even for marginal gains or better opportunities and is to be expected.

[HappySaver]

I wasn't allowed to tell any of my patients that I was leaving and the office didn't give any info to patients who asked after I had left though I can kind of understand that because they didn't want a bunch of patients jumping ship to follow me to my new practice.

Don't patients just find you anyway, if they really want to? I moved away for a while and when I came back my doctor had left her practice. I searched around online and found her, and switched to her new practice. Luckily she was still in the same general neighborhood.

[HappySaver]

I've left a total of five professional jobs. It's common to bounce around in my industry. Never had an issue except at one place. It was the worst place I worked at and people there were just awful. Which is a large part of why I left. Ironically, although we didn't see eye-to-eye on most things, my manager was very angry and mean-spirited when I gave notice - I had figured she'd be thrilled. Ostensibly because I only gave two weeks notice, which is common practice, especially since I hadn't been there that long. In reality it caught them with their pants down - but that was their fault. Don't sweat it - if people are really well-meaning and professional, they won't give you a hard time.

[FrugalTexan75]

The only job I left where the person seemed to have hard feelings about my leaving was a minimum wage job at a gym. I'd worked there for about 16 months - it started out as a side job for me of 6 - 8 hours a week, and then when I was laid off from my regular 40hr/wk job, I started working 25 - 35 hours a week at the gym. I had at least 4 paychecks bounce, and would have had many more bounce if it wasn't for me doing the legwork of going to the bank the checks were written from and cashing them there (sometimes would take several weeks before I could cash the check.)

So when I moved 60 minutes in good traffic away from the fitness center, I tried to continue meeting my shifts for a week. I soon realized that I was spending as much in gas money as I was making in 4 hours. I also had several tutoring jobs open up that were right near me. My manager knew I'd moved - he even had helped me with the move. So he knew how far I was driving. But when I called him to tell him that I was not going to be able to keep working there, he was completely offended and told me to not bother coming for my next scheduled shift. (I was going to give him a two-week notice.) That was pretty bizarre to me since he'd known the whole time I was working there, I was constantly interviewing and searching for a different job - that the fitness center job was a stopgap.

[jIM_Ohio]

Since graduating college, I have had two engineering jobs, and am likely to have a third in two weeks. 1997-present

I have had 3 jobs in financial services. Two of which I double dip (meaning I had the engineering jobs above when working financial services) and one of them I did full time. I have one of those jobs now.

I learned a few things. Gaps on a resume are bad. I had 4 months this summer when one job let me go (firm got bought out) and I had to return to work. Many people frown upon the career change when interviewing, but once I got back into engineering, my phone rings every week with an opportunity (have to love Linked in).

Leaving jobs on your own terms is priceless, I can proudly state every reason I left in interviews and those people are also giving me references.

I also strongly encourage anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit to find a business they can build themselves part time. It will cure gaps on a resume very easily.

After 15 years at my first job, people wished me much success moving on. I don't expect the same response when my current employer gets notice without me putting in even 6-8 months. I think if you work with professionals, they get this- and the bigger the company, the more they understand.

One trait which is very overrated is loyalty. Employers are clearly not loyal to employees, yet if they get bitter when people leave, that is very hypocritical. I believe loyalty is more a byproduct of being treated right, not something which should be expected of everyone who works there, or every friend in your life.

[cschin4]

Loyalty nowadays is a One way street. Employers want it but then when you are working somewhere and see they have no problem kicking people to the curb on any whim, then, you realize the ONLY person you should be loyal to is yourself and your family, PERIOD. You should do what is best for you and your family. And, if that is to stay with your current employer, fine, If not, then move and take what works better for you and the best interests of your family.

[Tessol36]

I worked in a law firm right after law school it lasted 6 months. Had to leave because the boss was not very principled and started hitting on me. Then I moved back to my home town and started working for another firm. It was quite boring, leaving the capital city to a small town law firm and also they never paid on time, so I left after three months.

Started my own business. Now I own a business, and I also work for my state which gives me flexible hours .
I still itch to leave my state job but I am holding on to it until something better comes up.

I find that I get bored easily especially when things are just so slow paced. I've been working at my present job a year and 6 months now. I have decided to give it a minimum of two years and let it flow until whenever I get the itch to move on.