So I guess what I would add to the list is to know what would make you stay. Then mention it. Even if it seems outlandish. I was leaving because I wanted to move away from the city I was living in – the only city in which we had an office. No one at my level had ever done remote work before, but that didn’t stop me from offering it as a possibility.

But I offered remote work as a possibility. And my boss took me up on it. I was thrilled to stay with my company and still get to move.

So I decided to leave on my terms and resigned—without another job lined up.

I was professional. I had the letter, presented it to my two managers. When asked by my department supervisor why I was leaving, I simply told him, “I decided this isn’t the kind of work I wanted to do.”.

But when he asked me where I was going next, I smiled and replied, “I don’t know yet.” I could see he was shocked I was choosing unemployment since he knew I just had baby. He was also pissed, although he tried to conceal that, because this was completely unexpected.

Damn right I “trunked” my last two weeks. I still put in the hours and completed my ongoing projects, but pretty much disengaged from any meetings or planning sessions.

But I was also completely forthright in my exit “interview” (really just another form to fill out). I outlined my issues with the company, with management in general. But I did so professionally as well.

I also posted reviews on job sites about the job, being careful to make it very clear that this was MY experience. I too felt it was my responsibility to provide some semblance of transparency to a culture that I believed thrived too much on politics and hidden agendas.

Maybe it helped, because I’d see frequent frequent postings for my old job on career sites. One two months later, another five months later, and then another seven months later. I also heard that they finally hired someone to fill my position, but she quit before she even started.

With hindsight, I would have done the same exact thing.

As a result of that to this day I’m confident I could walk into that restaurant, tell them I want back on and be on next week’s schedule.

The problem with quitting like DK suggests is that you could be wrong. Everyone thinks their job sucks, but it could be worse. If you get to your new job and you find out its horrible you won’t have any place to go back to. Now if management burns the bridge for you well nothing you can do but at least you tried.

So, sorry, it’s nice advice but it no longer applies to the current corporate or retail situation in the United States.

No matter what you do, there is no nice way to leave a job situation any longer. Middle managers immediately begin to whine unceasingly and throw juvenile fits because your departure means paperwork, interviews and throws the stability of their team into question. Essentially, you’ve created more work for them and they’re not happy.

Your co-workers will have similar reactions as now you’ve created more work for them until your replacement arrives which could be months or never.

You’ve also shifted the internal politics. People who were ducking the drama, will now be in focus and the henpecking will start until someone bleeds.

There is no civil way to leave a job anymore and if a manager can throw you under the bus on the way out to save their own reputation, they will do it without hesitation.

Two weeks notice = two weeks to blame you for a team failure. It also gives HR two weeks to say you’re not eligible for something you thought was rightly yours.

Best advice, leave the place without fanfare as quickly as you can. Be VERY CAREFUL as you exit. And don’t call or email anyone from your old job for at least six months so as not to get re-entangled.