Oct 30, 2021

Guide To Quitting Your First Job

$13.00 an hour isn’t worth your happiness!

People usually first join the working world during high school or college, and more often than not, our weekend job isn’t going to develop into a career. However, not every job fosters a good working environment. If you’re like me, regardless of how badly you want to, the thought of quitting makes you sick to your stomach.

Take this journey with me as I quit my first job!

Disclaimer: Everyone is different, but these are the steps I took!

Reflect

The first thing to do when you are contemplating quitting your job is to reflect on the experience and whether or not it makes you happy. I’ve been at my job for almost five years! I practically grew up there, and I loved it. My bosses have become like a second set of parents to me and I will forever be honored to have them in my life.

I love them. But it doesn't negate that over the last year or so going to work became more of a nuisance than the paycheck was worth.

I took a lot of time to decide if I was ready to close this chapter of my life – to my surprise the answer was yes!

Quitting a job for the first time is horrifying, but if I can do it, so can you!

Talk to your loved ones

When I was debating putting in my two weeks, I talked to people close to me for reassurance that I was making the right move. Everyone I spoke to ensured me that I had so much more to offer than what this job could give me.

Together we made a pro/con list. This helped me to realize the decision I was making was the best choice for me!

I highly recommend talking to those you love. They want what’s best for you!

No doubt they will steer you in the right direction.

Start Job Hunting

Something my parents told me a long time ago is that you don’t quit one job without having another lined up. We’ve all been broke college bitches at one time or another!

Having other opportunities secured in place will help take stress off of you financially. Luckily, I was able to find some amazing opportunities that are going to jumpstart my career. If I hadn’t quit, I never would have found these opportunities.

So hop on Indeed or start looking in the newspaper!

Find an opening and kill that interview!

Write a Letter of Resignation

If you’ve never heard of this, it’s essentially a letter to your employer stating that you are leaving. Usually, you will state when your desired last day is. Professionally, this date is two weeks from when you turn in this letter, which is why it’s called “putting in your two weeks.” It gives the employer enough time to interview and hire someone else. This is the best way to stay professional and go out on a good note.

Don’t overthink it!

In the end, you’ll never have to see them again if you don’t want to!

Give Feedback

Often, when you leave a job you will be asked to give feedback. Be polite but be honest. While you didn’t always enjoy the work environment, what you say could make it better for someone else!

Take a deep breath

The hard part is over. You finally did what has been racing through your mind for months. Put away your guilt. You don’t owe an employer anymore of your time once you’re off the payroll.

Quitting the first job I’ve ever known was a terrifying experience. As someone who doesn’t like change, I wondered how this was going to impact my life. However, it turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made. So hell, if you're unhappy at work and have decided the best thing to do is leave the situation, then it's time to quit. If you need something positive to hold on to, you never know what opportunities it can bring you!

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