Independence Day
Word count: 621
I took the fourth off and thought about Seema’s advice to quit my job - specifically, how to go about doing it. I’ve never resigned before, so I don’t know how you deliver the letter (mail, email, by hand?), what it says, or how to say “I quit” politely in person. Maybe Seema knows.
Though I’ve considered quitting before, I’ve never taken that writer’s-eye view of it where you imagine waltzing into work singing Take This Job and Shove It with a chorus of fellow oppressed workers backing you up, or at least you fire off a pithy parting line like Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.
Maybe the muse will come up with something. Her low word count is due to the holiday and to having finished the first draft of a story, which means the count will no longer be increasing but fluctuating with edits.
July 6th, 2003 at 6:31 pm
I’ve quit before. We’ll talk tomorrow (or tonight, if I see you online).
July 6th, 2003 at 8:01 pm
Strictly speaking, you don’t need a letter of resignation, or the two week’s notice. Those are formal niceties, from the days when prospective employers would contact your formers for information about you.
I’ve resigned before. All you really need is a nicely typed and laid-out letter stating that you will be resigning from your job, and that your last day of work will be [specific date]. You hand this either to your immediate supervisor, if they have hiring/firing power, or the “big boss” of your section, etc. No reason is necessary.
If this is coming out of the blue, from their perspective, be prepared for lots of questions. Answer honestly, but politely; circumspectly or fuzzily if you need their good recommendation in the future. If they suspected it was coming, or aren’t surprised, then expect a short, perfunctory good-bye session.
Of course, not knowing your specific situation, there’s not a lot else to say. Good luck!
July 7th, 2003 at 8:49 pm
Mission accomplished. Thanks for the encouragement!