Quitting doesn’t sound like an important part of managing one’s career, but the way you leave a job says more about you than how you start a job.

No matter what level in the organization you’re at, there is little difference in the approach that you should take when you are about to quit.  You should first inform your direct superior and do so in person. Taking an afternoon off is something you can email your boss about, but not resigning. It’s the right thing to inform them in person and present him/her with a written resignation letter. Typically you will also provide a letter of resignation to Human Resources and keep a final copy for yourself.

From there the process varies based on the impact your departure will have on your company. Typically the more senior your position the more caution must be taken to ensure the company and your staff don’t go through unnecessary turmoil. In other words, when and how the announcement is made public, should be coordinated with your boss and HR.  And otherwise, “who will know when” requires more careful deliberation than if you are in a less visible job with few or no staff.

How do you quit so you don’t burn bridges, even if you’re angry and unhappy?

Even though the temptation may be, oh, so, great, to walk in your boss’ office and connect your iPod to external speakers and crank the Johnny Paycheck classic “Take This Job and Shove It” as you do a little dance around your boss’ desk - contain yourself. In the end a resignation, especially from a bad job, should be an intellectual and not an emotional event.  It should reflect your professionalism and class, regardless of theirs. Not burning bridges should be a side benefit not a core reason for being professional. After all you are leaving them behind and what is sweeter than that. Rubbing it in is over the top and reflects poorly on you.  You should leave with the same class that you will enter the door of a new employer the following day.

In circumstances where you are leaving a job that has been good to you and where you are leaving with a heavy heart - adding a tinge of emotion is alright. Nothing would be odder than leaving a great job you loved as though you couldn’t care less.  Kind of like leaving a McDonald’s after a coke and fries.

Should you apologize?

Interestingly, companies that respect you and are sad you are going, but wishing you well. They don’t need or expect apologies. They are just happy you are doing what’s right for you and your family.

Companies more concerned about their own well being and less about yours - they likely do expect an apology. But knowing that, do they deserve one?

Generally, apologies are unnecessary unless you are creating an undue hardship. For instance, if you can’t give your company as much time as they need to replace you - then an apology might be in order. But reasons for making an apology should be common sense. So trust your own common sense.

Should you do it in writing or in person?

Both in writing and in person. As mentioned before, it’s not like you are asking for the afternoon off, this is a significant event and it typically deserves to be communicated in person. When you inform your boss you should present him or her with your letter of resignation. You should also keep a copy for yourself and third copy should be delivered to Human Resources.

What should you include in a resignation letter?

Any resignation letter should be short and sweet. It should be neither a diatribe nor a painful love letter.  Two or three short paragraphs informing the company of your resignation, the effective date of your resignation, and a brief statement of regret about your departure and your appreciation for the time you spent there.

If your departure is from a bad situation - you may want to replace the regret and appreciation section with a brief statement alluding to the reasons you are leaving, but don’t go through it all point by point - at this stage its “pointless”, unless there are legal reasons for doing so. 

What about the relationships you have at the office — how do you leave those?

Personal relationships and friendships carry on. Where you work should have no bearing on your friendship and admiration for others you’ve come to know at work.

When it comes to informing the various people at work, you may want to put people in various categories: superiors, personal friends, direct reports, extended staff.  Each one of these categories deserves to be informed in a proper way. But when and how you address your departure will depend on the individual categories.

• Superiors should be the first to know and should be told in person.
• Personal friends will be among the first to know and will be informed either in person and/or electronically and will be sworn to secrecy, depending on when they’ve heard about it.
• Peers will typically be informed after your superior. The timing and means of communication will depend on how closely you worked with them and your relationship with them. Those with whom you worked most closely likely deserve a call from you, while others can be informed via email.
• Direct reports typically deserve to be told in person and quite soon after your boss has been informed. They after all will be the most impacted by your departure and the arrival of a new boss.
• Extended staff deserve to hear about your departure as well. Of course in person would be best, but depending on the numbers we are talking about and their location that may not be possible. Instead they will typically be informed by your direct report who leads them or electronically through an internal memo.

All of us career minded people should think seriously about what we are posting online. We might be doing damage to our future job prospects because of the digital footprints we are creating today.  

Certain entries posted for fun on Twitter, Facebook, Utterli, and other social media applications can end up having unintended consequences.

Even though social media searches are not commonly conducted by hiring companies; as the medium grows that’s likely to change. And one serious concern is that the longer we use social media applications the bigger our digital footprint becomes. As our digital footprint grows, the greater the likelihood something unflattering will be found, especially given these rather unfettered days while we’re still learning to use this medium and posting things without much forethought.

When companies perform online searches on candidates, it’s generally not to find a reason not to hire a particular candidate, but rather to make certain there is nothing horrible out there. As long as companies are only seeking information that is openly available to the public it may be considered not just their right, but their responsibility since it might create a direct liability if a company didn’t find something deeply incriminating that was just a finger click away. I’ve been hearing from HR Directors that they are looking at HR software that among other things will access all publicly available social media sites and pull them up for the hiring representatives to review.

So what’s the potential problem here? Here are two examples:

In one case a company finds a picture online of a candidate smoking what appears to be pot and in another case a company finds a few severely off-color jokes that a candidate posted dealing with race and gender.

Such things can create serious roadblocks to being hired regardless of the candidates’ ability to perform the functions of a job. The company is asking for trouble if they hire such individuals because if there is ever a problem with drug use or the harassment of coworkers they could be liable. “You knew this about this person and you still hired them, thereby putting other employees at risk.” In some states it could constitute negligent hiring or negligent retention.

It’s about judgment

Most cases aren’t extreme. Companies find postings that are neither off-color nor illegal, merely sophomoric. Such things create questions about a person’s judgment – “what were they thinking posting this and must I be concerned about them using similar poor judgment if he/she worked for me”? Something that seems entertaining at the moment and in a particular context, but seen five years later or by an unintended audience, might be construed in a completely different way.

A similar irritant that is not directly social media related is when candidates use “goofy” private email addresses. Nothing gives more cause for pause than receiving a resume from an email address like “BigGoofyRuthie@XXXXXXX.com”. The initial image of such a candidate is not a positive one.

I typically advise companies to consider questionable things they find online about candidates as single “data points”. In other words, just an additional piece of information to take into account with all the other things they know and have learned about a candidate.  Only in circumstances where a known posting might create a direct liability to the company were someone hired and problems ensued, should a social media post play a more significant role in the hiring decision.

Liability or just poor judgment. Does it matter?

In the vast majority of cases social media postings are less about legality and ethics, and more about simple “judgment”.  We must all think about how things we post might be perceived when it’s not just a few of our friends joking around, but a potential employer wondering if we are someone they want to hire.

What you do today, can mean something different tomorrow

Regardless of initial intent or meaning- comments, pictures, and entries made today will be scrutinized through a different prism in the future than they are today. It’s likely they will be seen in a very different context than which they were originally made. With the growth of social media we are all vastly expanding the possibility of having to explain things in the future that we can’t even fathom will be a problem. But to that end, it all starts with the prudent and thoughtful use of social media.

Some key considerations

• Every time you post something in a social media application you basically lose control of it. Yes you may be able to delete it later, but you can’t delete what’s already been seen. Many posts can be copied and re-posted without your knowledge and attributed back to YOU.

• Security and privacy policies of social media providers create a false sense of security. There is always the potential for a breach and ultimately there is no guarantee what authorized friends will do with what you post.

• Have the forethought of hindsight and imagine how your posts might be construed if others were to see them now or in the future. Ask yourself would you be proud of them?

• Remember that everything communicates and often it’s not what is intended. Social media is different from real life in that when you share a joke with three people it’s among that small group. And while a social media posting might be aimed at a few friends if it’s accessible to all friends it’s like telling that same joke to everyone you know.
  

• A funny picture today, seen three years from now might look more ridiculous and embarrassing than funny. You are not only dealing with how different people see your entries today, but with the unknown effect of time and how things may appear different in the future.

• What you post online can last forever. Some things might get lost in the ether, but you will be surprised how many things pop up years later. Don’t assume that just because you have the control over what’s posted, that you have equal control getting it all back if you change your mind.

Some rules to live by:

1. Never post anything you would be embarrassed to have seen by your pastor, your children, or your parents.  
2. Keep work and private life as separate as possible. There are social media sites such as LinkedIn and Plaxo for professional networking where you can keep things formal. But don’t just freely add professional contacts to Facebook, because you will often find one of two things happen:1) In consideration of those more professional contacts you end up not posting much and thus fail to use the social media application in the way it was meant to be used. Or 2) You freely post things but over time some of your professional contacts might judge you based on the tone of your posts. Complaints, worries, and criticisms over time can lead them to thinking you are negative. Funny and stupid things over time tend to make people feel you aren’t as serious or mature as you should be.
3. Define what is private and don’t cross that line. Social media applications stretch the limit of what is private. To that end, people need to define, if not re-define, what the line is between private and public. Semi-private is like being semi-pregnant. There is no semi-private. So while you might be willing to share more in Facebook than you might in real life, have a well-defined line where what’s “public” ends - and don’t cross it.  Your private life is private but social media makes it less so. The travails of a single mother raising four children for instance who posts about her day-to-day life can create unintended consequences. Instead of showing someone who is diligent, responsible, and qualified it can be used against her if it’s perceived that she is too tired and overburdened to be considered for a promotion that might require more time and energy. Though this would not be right for a company to do, if colleagues and superiors are Facebook friends it’s impossible not for the constant barrage of posts to affect them in some way. Potentially making them think they are doing her a favor by not promoting her.
4. Don’t change who you are. The point of being careful does not mean faking who you are online. Different situations require different behavior. You and three friends at a Lakers game will behave differently than you attending a funeral with your family. You are yourself in both situations, but the circumstance determines the “you” that you exhibit in that forum. When it comes to social media applications you have to show good judgment as to the behavior you exhibit in that forum.

FAB. U. LOUS. is the best way to describe The Trusted Advisor by David Maister, Charles Green & Robert Galford.  Though geared to consultants, this book is a must read for anyone who works with people.

Countless times I’ve been asked by mid-level, even senior-level executives, how they can be more effective in their jobs and how they might connect more powerfully with their superiors.  Well this book is a true gift.  It shows in  a very easy, logical way how to evolve into being a “trusted advisor” as opposed to a worker bee.  How to become someone key people seek out for advice and counsel.

Have you ever asked yourself:

1. How can I get access to my boss more often?
2. How can I persuade my boss to introduce me to other key executives?
3. How can I avoid being typecast as merely a specialist in my small area of functional responsibility?
4. What do I do about not being an expert in related fields?

The Trusted Advisor is your answer.  It will teach you what all great trusted advisors have in common; the dynamics of being trusted; how to ensure your advice is listened to; the principles of building strong relationships; the attitude you must have to be effective; the five stages of trust building; and many more things.

This book will show you how to develop the traits necessary to become a trusted advisor.  While this is essential to consultants, it’s just as important in any work environment where your long term success is in large part based on being trusted, counted on, and sought after by key players.

What I also like about this book is that it goes beyond teaching the skills of an effective advisor to sharpening other ancillary skills as well, such as how to help your superiors (clients) look at their issues in a fresh way or how to help your superiors (clients) clarify what they are really after.

The Trusted Advisor belongs in the library of anyone who wants to grow and be successful. In this world where it’s difficult to believe anything, “trust” has become the holy grail.  And this book can help lead you to being truly trusted.

This article elaborates on a comment attributed to me in a column written by Eilene Zimmerman in the Business Section of the New York Times in March 2008.

Counting on a few hundred resumes you sent by mail to land job interviews is so old school. This kind of “push” strategy is like walking a well trodden path in the hope of finding a few remaining berries that haven’t already been picked by the hordes ahead of you; or like shooting buckshot in the air in the hopes of bagging a bear. Today it takes creativity to get off that well-trodden path and a more powerful weapon to bag a bear.

The simple fact is that the old-school approach results in infinitely more misses than hits and it leaves people frustrated and scared that they’ll never stand out in the crowd.

That’s a justifiable concern.

However, today there are so many creative ways to market yourself and the beauty is that these creative endeavors can live on and continue to help hone your reputation and visibility for years to come.

Social media tools give people the ability to vastly increase their visibility and credibility in ways that were unimaginable even five years ago. Thought leadership, forward thinking commentary, analysis, etc, allow you to connect with others in a powerful way. There is no telling what’s possible.

This really happens

I know a successful marketing executive who has been writing an insightful and entertaining blog for nearly two years. At a recent Facebook-themed conference, he met a social networking acquaintance who was working for a world-class marketing organization.

When his acquaintance forwarded the executive’s resume, an amazing thing happened. The hiring VP had already heard of the executive, and had been reading his blog for months. In that instant he turned from just another applicant to a rock star. It turned out several people in the organization had already been following the blog as well. His candidacy ended in a job offer and he now has the job of his dreams.

Think of the possibilities

This is reality today. An example of what’s possible in today’s world. Were it not for his blog he may never have gotten an interview. His blog gave him a competitive advantage over other candidates. It not only made them aware of him, but also gave them insight into his thinking and knowledge of marketing. It created both familiarity and credibility. How powerful is that?

Today there is no limit to how people can build their visibility and credibility and much of it is literally at our finger tips. The use of these marketing tools actually constitute a “pull” strategy that can draw company interest and develop a candidate’s credibility to such a degree that opportunities can come to the candidate without the candidate ever having to pound the pavement with a resume in hand.

So what can “you” do?

Start by thinking outside of the box. Your “pull” strategy is limited only by your imagination. Anything that draws people to seek you out can be considered part of a “pull” strategy. I recall a story Ann Rhoades tells about a highly motivated individual who wanted a marketing job with Southwest Airlines and sent the founder and CEO at the time, Herb Kelleher, a bottle of Wild Turkey which he was known to drink. It looked like a normal label, but if you looked closely the label was actually their resume.

Wow, talk about creative. There really are no limits.

I believe that developing thought leadership and forward thinking commentary and analysis is a good way to go. Why? Because it allows you to share how and what you think in a setting that is not in any way related to a job search. It’s you putting your thoughts out in the world to help and advise people. It gives people the opportunity to gain insights about you they otherwise would not have.

Find your voice

Wordpress, Twitter, Utterli, You Tube, are all ways to get your message out. And best of all - they’re FREE. But first you have to do something absolutely essential. You need to reflect on who you are. What you stand for. What you believe in. Because this kind of “pull” strategy relies on you creating a unique voice not just yada-yada-yada.

Yada-yada-yada will fall on deaf ears, but an original voice will not. It will create music for all the people who connect with your message and who are looking for the insights you have to share with the world. It’s important to realize that you do not have to connect with everyone. For that matter, not even with most people. You only need to connect with people who resonate with your message. After all, that’s what a good “fit” is all about.

Some simple and free social media tools

Wordpress.com

Wordpress is free and priceless, what a combination. This blogging tool is great. They have sharp, professional, looking templates and it’s simple to use and edit. When you write a new piece it’s online within seconds. If I can do it - so can you. This very blog is written with Wordpress.

But be cautious. Review your entries, check for typos, and be certain you stand by what you are writing, because once it’s out there - it’s really out there. Even if you decide to edit or redact the material later, good luck, anybody who has an RSS link to your material will have your original entry and there is nothing you can do to get it back.

Twitter.com

Twitter is an “out of this world” kind of tool that is less about the tool than the community that uses it. I heard of a person who put a request for job opportunities on his Facebook profile and after two months had one opportunity come his way. He then made two “tweets” (messages) on Twitter and received seven or eight concrete opportunities in less than a week. What makes Twitter so different is that its community operates in real time. When a “tweet” is sent it’s read by people that very moment. While an entry in Facebook or LinkedIn requires members to check their account or email to actually get the message.

While I can’t speak to the Twitter “community” I can speak to a few interesting benefits of Twitter. One is that search engines love it. You can write the most inane thing like “Right now I’m eating a Pinkberry frozen yoghurt on Melrose Avenue.” And lo and behold I can actually find that entry with a Google or Yahoo search even months later. It’s amazing how such comments can stay alive online. So imagine the value of “thoughtful” messaging that can take on a life of it’s own.

Second, Twitter can be used to disseminate your messages to various locations without you having to enter them at each site. For instance, Twitter comments can be set up to publish directly to your Plaxo account, Facebook, and a host of other online sites. Additionally, people can subscribe to your posts using an RSS link and have them go directly to their browser or feedreader.

But again, be cautious. Even though it’s just a micro-blog with a maximum 140 words -once it’s out there, there is no telling where it’s going to end up.

I believe Twitter will become much more prominent in the coming years.

Utterli.com

Utterli (formerly Utterz) is my current favorite even though I do not yet use it. Utterli is an audio-blog. Instead of writing it, you can speak it over your cell phone or upload an MP3 to your account and the world can hear your thoughts and ideas. I would describe it as an audio version of Twitter. For a perfect example of how it can be used, check out David Petherick’s Ten Tips to Creating a Powerful Online Profile. When you hear it, you’ll get the idea. Imagine what you might be able to share about your area of expertise?

Utterli also allows you to disseminate your entries all over the web to Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress blogs, even your website, you name it. Additionally, just like with Twitter, people can subscribe to your entries so that whenever you post one it immediately goes to the subscribers’ email or feedreader.

Be creative, but be cautious

The power of these tools is that they can take on a life of their own. They can be picked up by all the search engines and be nearly impossible to get off-line. So be sure you stand by what you are posting. It should represent the real you and what you proudly stand for. Always think about what you are going to post and ensure it’s not anything you will regret.

Given all the benefits, I still urge people not to rely entirely on high-tech solutions, but rather to mix it up. There are non-technology opportunities to develop visibility and credibility as well. Get involved with public speaking. Participate at conferences, sit on discussion panels, etc. Engage a PR firm to introduce you to journalists looking for subject matter experts in your field. Again, you are limited only by your own creativity.

Be inspired

The purpose of this article is not to push you into anything. But rather to give you a sense of what’s possible. It should be exciting that you no longer have to rely entirely on a boring resume to make yourself known. The sky is the limit and the idea that there are all kinds of creative ways to become known and to share the “real” you with the world should be invigorating and most of all - liberating.

The benefits these alternative marketing tools have is cumulative and they take time to develop. So the greatest benefit goes to those individuals who realize that you can’t wait until you are out of a job to start using these tools. They should become part of what you do on an ongoing basis, regardless if you are actively looking or not. What you will find is that over time, opportunities will come to you.

Now go!

Setting yourself up for success in a new job is all about addressing a few key aspects. Among the most crucial aspects is fully understanding the expectations the organization and your boss will have of you; getting along with new co-workers and colleagues; understanding the unwritten rules of your new environment; and, creating positive patterns in terms of how your position relates to key colleagues within the organization.

Communication is crucial to fitting in, even before you accept your job

Communication is the key to integration. And some of these communications should be performed well before you accept the job. For instance, you don’t want to wait until you’ve already accepted the job, to learn what their expectations are. What if the expectations are impossible to meet? Likewise, exploring the culture and operating dynamics around this new environment should be done before accepting the position, because it might materially impact your ability to fit in and/or perform the job. And finally, smart professionals want to speak with key colleagues before accepting the job to ensure there’s a good fit in terms of personal compatibility. Such communications will increase the likelihood of a good fit and easier transition once you do accept the job.

Actively integrate yourself

After you accept your new job, there is plenty you can do to improve the transition. One crucial key is to create a feedback mechanism for yourself. Tap someone at your new job that you connect with well on a personal level and who is knowledgeable about the organization, but who ideally is not directly vested in your appointment. This individual can share the ins-and-outs of the organization, answer questions that pop up, provide suggestions about how to maneuver through the organization, tell you where the land-mines are buried, and finally, provide you with feedback about how you are doing.

Of course it’s important to immediately work on developing a rapport with your boss and hopefully receive similar help from your boss as you are from your “feedback” colleague.

Be sensitive to what’s going on around you

You need to be extra sensitive at the start of your new job to recognize the subtle dynamics at work in your surrounding environment, so as to avoid becoming the proverbial bull in the china shop. Most of all, people appreciate individuals who are respectful of an organization and its legacy. While new ideas and impulses are desired, it helps to show that you are interested in being part of the team and not just a rogue newcomer with little respect for the people who are already on board.

Help set the pattern

Perhaps the most important advice is to establish yourself as competent and confident as soon as possible, without alienating people. Voicing your opinions in a respectful way is important from the very start.

What most people don’t realize is that the patterns that are set within the first 3 months of starting a new job, most often become permanent patterns. For example, if in the first few months it becomes common practice to have your superior sign off on your decisions, it will easily turn into a pattern where your boss will expect to have your decisions continuously run past them.

It’s more difficult to change existing patterns than it is to establish positive patterns right from the start. This is crucial. While initially it may seem like a good idea to run decisions by your boss or watch and listen the first few months, you have to learn how to respectfully establish yourself, so as not to become marginalized simply because of your good intentions.