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EXIT STAGE LEFT
According to research LinkedIn conducted with its 500 million users, over the 20 years prior to 2016, the number of companies worked for in the five years after they graduated from college doubled. No doubt about it, this is not your grandparents’ business world. Many people from their generation spent decades working their way up the ladder in the same company—a career path that is virtually unheard of today. The job-jumping craze of the early 21st century may be over, but the market will continue to be fluid as company loyalty decreases and labor shortages open more opportunities for driven young workers.
Once you are in your first position for a year or two, it may be time to make a strategic career move. Why? No matter how well you’re perceived in your current role, you’ll move up more quickly if you change jobs. Now that you have some experience under your belt, you can command a higher salary, a better title, and more responsibility if you go elsewhere. Your twenties are the best time to make this move because you possess a certain degree of personal freedom. Most twenty-somethings don’t have to worry about how a job switch will affect their child’s school schedule. You uncover a new opportunity, and carpe diem!
Unfortunately, the decision to leave a job is not always one you have the luxury to make. Sometimes, for reasons you might not be able to control, you may be fired or laid off. In this chapter, I’ll discuss how to detect and repair a situation when your job may be on the line. Next, if you’re ready for that strategic career move, I’ll walk you through some techniques for scoping out a new career or position inside and outside your current company. I’ll also cover good reasons to leave a job that aren’t so strategic, such as being in an abusive situation. Finally, I’ll talk about ways to make a graceful exit and preserve ties with your employer that will serve you well in the future.
Beware the Firing Squad
I had a feeling my job was in trouble when things started happening in my area that I didn’t know about. All of a sudden, other people in my department were calling my clients without keeping me in the loop. This, combined with the fact that I had a new boss, clued me in that something bad was about to go down. I had been a loyal employee for three years and didn’t want to leave, so I confronted my boss about it. I told him how committed I was to the new administration and asked him how I could adjust my performance to meet his needs. I think he was a little surprised that I was savvy enough to figure out what was going on. I bent over backward to please him for a while, and he gave me a break and let me keep my job.
When my friend David was fired, he saw it coming. He had a new boss, with whom he clashed terribly. David had been an excellent employee, but after his new manager started criticizing him all the time, David lost his motivation. Eventually, he was just going through the motions. Once David’s manager officially documented his poor performance, David knew his days were numbered. He was not surprised when he got the axe a month later.
Some bored or miserable employees might not have the emotional energy to consider whether they might be fired. Maybe it’s all they can do to drag themselves to work in the morning. They think about quitting, but because they don’t have anywhere else to go, they stick around and put in the minimum effort. Let this serve as a wake-up call: if you hate it enough and don’t do anything to fix the problem, your job is probably in jeopardy. Why? Long-term job dissatisfaction is difficult to hide. Your boss probably knows you’re unhappy, and, if the situation continues, she’ll probably find a way to get rid of you. Here are some other scenarios that should set off your smoke alarm:
☐ You received a bad review or were put on probation.
☐ You are no longer being consulted on new projects.
☐ Your colleagues are inexplicably ignoring you.
☐ You have a new boss with whom you don’t get along.
☐ Your boss has started giving your responsibilities to other people.
☐ Your colleagues stop including you in relevant meetings.
☐ You haven’t kept your skills current or up to par.
☐ You haven’t accomplished what you were hired to do.
☐ You don’t adapt well to changes within the company.
☐ You’ve been told that you need an attitude adjustment.
☐ You don’t fit the organizational mold.
☐ You have a history of acting inappropriately in the office (for example, insubordination or gossiping).
☐ You committed an unpardonable infraction (for example, cursing out a client or demonstrating overt racism or sexism).
We all go through periods of trouble on the job. If one or more of these warning signals applies to you, the black cloud may pass, or you may be able to work through it. Realizing when you’re in danger of being fired can only empower you. Whether your job is being threatened by a colleague’s perception of wrongdoing or actual wrongdoing, knowing what you’re up against will help you determine a course of action. Appropriate resolutions vary. For example, if you’ve been chastised for bad behavior, you should cease the action immediately and show genuine remorse for any trouble you caused. Alternatively, if your boss feels you’re not producing, you should document your tangible contributions and present them to her at every opportunity. Did your manager give you a performance plan? That document should be your new bible. Live by it. Make sure you improve considerably in each designated area by the deadline noted in the plan.
In most cases, your boss won’t fire you without a legitimate reason, so don’t give her one. Once you discover where things are not working, swallow your pride and take the necessary steps to protect your career and your future.
Layoff Survival
In the business world today, layoffs are so common it’s scary. Companies have to answer to Wall Street and their shareholders, and when an organization fails to meet its projections, a logical first step is to “trim the fat”—that is, eliminate jobs. Regardless of your reputation or skill set, your company might decide that your position is expendable and they will send you packing. Usually you will have a lot of people in the same boat as you because companies typically lay off many employees at the same time. On the one hand, being laid off is easier to stomach than being fired; it’s less personal and you often can’t do anything to change the decision one way or the other. On the other hand, layoffs are more disconcerting because it’s harder to see the writing on the wall. If you are concerned, be on the lookout for the following danger signs:
☐ Top management changes result in a new direction.
☐ Industry websites and message boards are rumbling about layoffs.
☐ Your company’s or industry’s financial woes are all over the news.
☐ Your company or department is underperforming.
☐ Senior executives are spending a lot of time holed up in a conference room.
☐ Your company has stopped investing in employees’ careers via internal training or tuition reimbursement.
☐ Your department’s budget has been drastically cut or eliminated.
☐ A recent reorganization has left you without many of your former responsibilities.
☐ Your company has merged with or been bought by another company and there are now twice as many people doing your job.
Pay attention to these indicators. You must not permit yourself the luxury of denial or thinking a layoff could never happen to you. If you suspect that you are about to become a victim, take action before you are officially unemployed. Use the tactics from Chapter 1 (such as compiling a power resume and networking for job leads) to get a jump on the situation. In your twenties, you’re typically not at a level that warrants a cushy severance package, so create an emergency financial plan that will carry you through a temporary loss of income. While you’re at it, investigate postemployment health insurance options such as COBRA and look into your organization’s policy for rolling over 401(k) funds.
Sometimes, a layoff will take you completely by surprise. This is a traumatic experience, but do not allow it to destroy your confidence. You should have no trouble landing on your feet, provided you start looking for another job right away. Interviewers will appreciate your resilience, whereas they may become skeptical if you stay off the market for too long. So if you’re ever laid off, hold your head up high. Look at it as a good opportunity to find a company that truly values your talent and expertise.
Smart Career Moves
I was afraid to quit my job even though I was beginning to hate life. I basically liked the company I worked for, so I started talking to people about opportunities in other departments. Turns out that one of the managers doing business development had noticed me during the few times we’d worked together. He was building up his team, and he’d heard that I had a good reputation. I didn’t tell my current boss about it until the terms of my transfer—which included a promotion and a substantial raise—were nearly finalized. By that time, it was too late for her to try and stop me.
As I talked about before, few employees today are lifers, or individuals who stay at the same organization for the duration of their careers. In particular, junior employees are both encouraged and expected to move around during their twenties. Even if you’re happy with your job, it always pays to be on the lookout for the next big thing. Instead of patiently waiting for a promotion year after year, you can sell your skills to a new employer for a higher title and salary right now. In this section, I’ll discuss the mechanics behind smart career moves, including how to transfer to a lateral position within your current organization and how to scope out opportunities in a new company or in a new field.
One important caveat before I begin: be wary of changing jobs too often. As a twenty-something in business, you should hold each job for at least a year before you consider a change. When a hiring manager sees a resume listing four jobs in three years, he won’t wait to hear your explanation. He’ll think that you can’t hold down a job, and he will move on to the next person.
If you are a chronic job-jumper and find yourself looking for a way out once again, you might want to do some soul-searching. A pattern of unsatisfying work experiences could mean that the problem lies not with the jobs or the companies, but with you. In my early career I worked with a woman named Joselyn who was a few years older than me. Joselyn tried in vain to find job satisfaction in a few different positions. Eventually she realized that, although her five work situations had been very different, her negative attitude was the one constant. She wasted a lot of time looking for a better job instead of focusing on how she could be happier and more effective where she was.
As you’re preparing to make a move, ask yourself the following questions to ensure that you’re leaving for the right reasons. Consider the answers carefully, and be realistic!
☐ Why do you want to look for a new job?
☐ Are you satisfied doing what you’re doing?
☐ Are you adequately challenged? If not, do you even want to be challenged?
☐ Do you like the people and work environment?
☐ Are you fairly compensated?
☐ Are you treated with respect?
☐ Are you empowered to do your job effectively?
Transferring Inside the Company
The longer you work at a company, the more exposure you have to different functional areas. You may even be fortunate enough to experience a job rotation, which is a series of assignments in various parts of the company designed to provide a breadth of experiences. As you get to know more players and talk to them about what they do, you may find your interest piqued. There is usually no shortage of opportunities for driven and well-regarded twenty-somethings who want to transfer internally. Managers are always looking for good employees with a basic skill set and industry/company knowledge who won’t come with huge salary requirements. Also, companies generally prefer to fill open positions by hiring from within. Some even have policies dictating that they must consider qualified internal candidates before they can expand a job search outside the company.
One type of internal transfer is the lateral move. In a lateral move, a strong employee takes on a new position at the same level as his former position. Organizations use these as mechanisms for keeping good people happy and sufficiently challenged without promoting them. Lateral moves also save businesses the cost and risk of bringing in new employees who are unknown commodities. You may want to consider a lateral move if any of the following circumstances apply:
☐ You’re more interested in stretching your wings and experiencing new things than moving up the ladder as fast as possible.
☐ You feel you are at a dead end in your current position, and you want to open a new door.
☐ The company is decreasing its focus on your area and you want to better position yourself for long-term career growth.
☐ You’re at odds with your manager or a coworker, and you have been unable to resolve the situation.
☐ You discovered an opportunity to work in an area that will bring you closer to your big-picture career goals.
☐ You’re being recruited by a manager with whom you would love to work.
Think a lateral move is right for you? You should certainly go for it. Just keep in mind that, in order to learn about internal opportunities, you will have to do the legwork. You may get lucky and have a savvy manager approach you with a job offer, but in most cases, you’ll be on your own. Find out if your company publicizes job openings to employees and review the website religiously. If you see a position that intrigues you, discreetly follow up with the hiring manager. While this process is in motion, keep the prospects coming in by networking with as many senior managers as you can.
Get to know them on a personal level, and ask them casually what they’re doing in their groups. During these discussions, never criticize your current manager, department, or position. If a manager thinks you’re a spoiled brat who is running away from a difficult work situation, he won’t want to bring you on board. Phrase your inquiries positively and innocently. You just want to learn, remember?
Scouting out an appropriate opportunity to transfer internally is one thing, but actually making the transition happen is quite another. Just because your organization is behind your decision 100 percent doesn’t mean your boss will be. Whether you’re pursuing a move through human resources or directly with another manager, keep the discussions under wraps until the transfer is close to being finalized. If your boss doesn’t want to lose you and finds out what you’re up to early in the process, she may subtly—or not so subtly—block your progress. Once it’s time to ink the deal, make sure HR is in the loop so that everyone involved adheres to the agreed-upon transition plan. Don’t depend on your old boss and your new boss to work it out. Your old boss may try to hold on to you for as long as she can, and next thing you know, you have a major territory war on your hands.
Also, avoid talking about the move to your colleagues before it’s official because you might compromise your reputation in the group if the job falls through. You’ll also feel like an idiot. Look at it this way: If your team were going to the Super Bowl, you wouldn’t talk about the victory parade until after the game, right? Same goes for your potential hot new job down the hall!
Looking Elsewhere
It’s easiest to look for a new job while you’re still employed. Makes sense, right? You’re more attractive to hiring managers because you’re free of the unemployment stigma. And because you’re still receiving a steady paycheck, you come across as more discerning. Prospective employers know you’re not desperate enough to take a job that’s not a good fit.
Before you start talking to anyone about a new job, clarify your big-picture goals so that you know exactly what you’re looking for. Update your resume with all of your new skills and accomplishments. Next, explore the job-search outlets described in Chapter 1 to get the ball rolling.
Ideally, you will want to do all of your job searching outside of business hours, but that sometimes isn’t practical. Do what you need to do while on the clock; just be careful that you don’t get caught! Don’t blindly send your resume all over the Internet or respond to job postings without knowing where they’re coming from. If you can, register with career sites that allow you to protect your listing from your current employer.
As far as your colleagues are concerned, it should be business as usual. Don’t arouse suspicion by changing your patterns. Use sick days to go on interviews if you must, but try to stack up your appointments over a two- or three-day period so you can chalk your absence up to an actual illness. Similarly, if your company dresses in business casual attire, wearing a suit to work will send a clear signal that you’re interviewing during your lunch hour. Change en route instead.
When making calls to potential employers, use a private office or conference room, and set up a separate email account for your job search. Remember, you are still receiving a paycheck from your current organization. Don’t spend too much time job searching when you should be working, and make sure you’re producing on a regular basis. If anything, you should work harder than ever so that you can count on strong references down the road.
While we’re on the subject of references, don’t ask anyone from your current job to be one. It’s never a good idea to let people at your company know you’re looking. Unless you want your whole office to know about your plans, don’t tell a soul—even your closest colleague or your mentor.
As you interact with hiring managers and recruiters, be assertive about what you’re looking for. Prospective employers prefer candidates who are in good standing with their current employers, so act as though you’re happy at your job even if you’re not. Your reason for leaving should always be a positive one. For example, you’re looking for an opportunity to expand your skill set and take on new challenges.
If you get an offer, think through the logistics before agreeing on a start date. You still have a job and need to give two weeks’ notice. When you accept a new job, let your current boss know first and assure him that you will do everything you can to transition your responsibilities smoothly.
When to Quit Now and Worry Later
After law school, I took an associate position at a city firm. I’d been there about a month when I realized that the place was a total boy’s club. All of the guys were 6 feet tall and blond, and the few women there fell all over themselves trying to get in good with the men. The senior lawyers had apparently never heard of an ambitious woman, and they were pretty vocal about putting me in my place. It was disgusting. I guess, technically, I could sue them, but it’s not worth the time and effort. I’ll just go somewhere that appreciates an associate who’s willing to work her butt off.
In a perfect world, you love your job and would only consider leaving for “good” reasons, such as the career opportunity of a lifetime or your spouse’s relocation. But at some point in your early career, it’s likely that a job won’t work out the way you planned. For reasons beyond your control, you may find yourself in a bad work situation that requires your resignation sooner rather than later.
No matter what the trouble is, it’s usually best to stick it out until you get something better and are able to jump right into another position. However, as I talked about, finding new employment takes time. If your work is compromising your mental or physical health and it’s torture to go into the office every day, you might not want to wait. After all, no job is worth sacrificing your well-being. Here are some scenarios that may warrant leaving immediately and worrying about the consequences later.
☐ You are being emotionally abused. Is an individual at work unnecessarily unfair or cruel to you? Does she ridicule you in front of your colleagues? Does she regularly call you into her office to insult you or ream you out? Don’t be fooled: emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse. If you feel your self-esteem taking a beating, get out of the situation.
☐ You are being sexually harassed. Has someone in your organization approached you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable? Does he communicate inappropriately in person or online? Has he subtly or overtly promised you advancement or perks in return for sexual favors? You should not grin and bear it, no matter how much of a big-shot your offender is.
☐ You have been asked to compromise your integrity. Is your boss or another authority figure asking you to lie, cheat, or steal? Do your assigned job responsibilities compromise your personal ethics? Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into a situation that could ruin your career.
☐ You don’t feel safe coming to work. Is your company located in a dangerous area? Are you afraid to walk to and from the office alone? Are the working conditions harmful or unsanitary? It doesn’t matter how much you’re getting paid, your job should not jeopardize your health or security.
Under some circumstances, it’s wise to pay human resources a visit before handing in your resignation. Particularly in the aftermath of MeToo, most companies take harassment claims very seriously and will do right by you in investigating them and hopefully resolving the situation in a manner that’s satisfactory. In general, though, be wary of complaining to HR. Your HR rep’s job is to side with the organization you both work for, so don’t blindly divulge information to her as though she’s your therapist. Even if your situation is objectively horrible, be positive about seeking a resolution, and don’t tell your HR rep anything that could be used against you.
When it comes to HR, you can’t necessarily count on confidentiality. To be safe, you should assume that anything you say in an HR rep’s office will get back to the person or people you’re talking about. And if your conflict is with a senior manager, you may not get a fair hearing. When it’s “his word against hers,” many HR reps will side with the more senior person involved, prejudicing them against you, the junior employee. Now, don’t get me wrong, certain issues, such as sexual harassment, need to be confronted, and HR can be a useful ally in helping you do that. Just keep in mind that the decision to involve HR should not be made lightly; make sure you think through the consequences.
Know Your Rights
Life in the professional world isn’t always fair, but it’s helpful to know when your workplace has crossed a legal line and when the organization is well within its rights. For example, did you know that in most states in America, employers have the right to discriminate against employees because they are too young? Yes, it’s true. The US federal law only protects people from discrimination if they are over forty and considered too old.
Have you ever heard the legal definition of insubordination? The word “insubordinate” can be dissected this way: “in” = “not,” and “subordinate” = “subject to the authority of another.” So someone who is legally insubordinate refuses to recognize the authority of the employer, which can mean anything from cursing out your boss to refusing to complete a task that you consider unimportant.
In North America, most employees are at-will. This means that representatives of an organization hire you because they feel like it, and when your employment no longer suits their purposes, they can let you go with no strings attached. You can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. This is why most mass layoffs are legal.
As scary as these examples sound, the law is generally on the employee’s side. In the courts, employees are awarded millions of dollars every year for being:
☐ Fired in a wrongful termination.
☐ Wrongly classified as exempt from overtime pay.
☐ Harassed or unfairly accused of harassment.
You don’t have to have a law degree to understand your rights as an employee. Fair Measures, a company specializing in management practices that create fair workplaces for employees, has a terrific website (FairMeasures.com) with tons of useful information about disability law, discrimination law, overtime exempt law, privacy law, sexual harassment law, and wrongful termination law.
When you’re a victim, it’s reasonable to feel angry and cheated, but do your homework before you take action that could backfire. If you think you’ve been treated unfairly, investigate the issue thoroughly before you make public accusations or hire a pricey attorney to file a suit on your behalf. Once you have the facts and understand your options, you can set out to protect your rights with confidence and conviction.
Fireproofing Your Bridges
A few years ago, I left my job at a food services company because of irreconcilable differences with my manager. On my last day, I went into her office to say goodbye and brought her a little gift. I told her that I was truly sorry things didn’t work out and that I wished her the best. Boy, am I glad I went through the trouble to smooth things over, because I later went to work for a consulting firm that was competing for my old company’s business! The fact that I left on good terms made all the difference.
After the stressful process of looking for a new job while you’re still employed, accepting an offer is a huge relief. You probably can’t wait to share your good fortune with the world and tell your boss where she can shove that evil assignment she gave you last week. You might think that because you’re leaving, you don’t have to worry what people think of you anymore. This is not the case. Unless you want to erase everything you accomplished since your first day on the job, your departure must be as strategic and deliberate as your arrival.
This starts with your resignation. Under no circumstances should you let on that you’re leaving before you have a signed agreement and an official start date from your new employer. If you jump the gun and blab to everyone, and then your job offer falls through, your best-case scenario is that you look bad. The worst-case scenario, of course, is that your boss is insulted enough to fire you. Here are some other suggestions for making a smooth exit.
☐ Tell your supervisor first. You want your boss to hear the news from you, not from someone else in your department.
☐ Give two weeks’ notice. Stay for the entire two weeks, unless the company requests that you leave sooner.
☐ Be modest. Don’t alienate your colleagues by bragging or chattering incessantly about your awesome new gig.
☐ Don’t insult anyone or anything. Whether it’s true or not, show that you regret leaving such wonderful people behind.
☐ Stay on top of your responsibilities. Remember, you’re accountable for your work until 5:00 p.m. on your last day.
☐ Continue to adhere to office protocol. You worked hard for that professional persona, so leave them with the right impression.
☐ Review the employee handbook. Understand what you’re entitled to in regard to benefits and compensation for unused sick or vacation days.
☐ Organize your files. Make it easy for your colleagues to find materials so that they can transition your workload seamlessly and won’t need to call you at your new job.
☐ Do a great job training your replacement. Your current organization has paid your salary for a year or more. You owe it to them to leave your job in good hands.
☐ Don’t take anything that doesn’t belong to you. Resist the urge to pack up office supplies and work products that were not developed by you personally.
Many companies request that departing employees do exit interviews with HR. The person conducting the interview (who probably doesn’t know you from a hole in the wall) will usually expect you to divulge why you are leaving and how you feel about your experience with the company. When it comes to exit interviews, stick to official business as much as possible. If you provide constructive criticism, proceed with tact and caution. Although it may be tempting to spill your guts about the company’s difficult personalities and insufferable policies, don’t give in. Once you make the decision to leave, airing your grievances won’t do you a drop of good and the risk of offending people is too great.
The most important thing to remember when leaving a job is to fireproof your bridges. It’s a smaller world than you think, and you never know when you’re going to need these people again. Maybe you won’t even like your new job and will want to come back someday. At the very least, you want to be able to count on one person in the organization to serve as a reference for you in the future. During your last few weeks, do everything you can to leave behind a squeaky-clean reputation. Be conscientious and thorough as you wrap up or transition projects. Even if you’re leaving because you can’t stand your department, act like a team player and keep your negativity to a minimum. If your colleagues take you out for lunch or throw you a going away party, congratulate yourself. It means you handled your departure in exactly the right way
What I Wish I’d Known
I’d been working at a financial services company for about a year when I got really excited about a business idea I had for an online women’s mentoring network. After getting some encouragement from a really successful entrepreneur, I quit my job, basically leaving my team in a lurch. It became apparent quickly that I was in way over my head, and pretty soon I was out of money and had no choice but to shut down. I wanted to go back to my old company, but there was some bad blood. I wish I could tell my younger self to make the transition to solo employment more gradually and to always do right by your current organization because it might serve as a safety net in the future.
Take-Home Points
☐ Avoid job-jumping. Hold on to each job for at least a year before you consider a change. Individuals who switch more often become known as chronic job-jumpers, and employers avoid these candidates like the plague.
☐ Master the transition between jobs. While you’re in the process of transferring to another position inside or outside the company, be discreet. Don’t change your patterns, talk about a potential move, or engage in job-search activities in public. Conduct yourself as if it’s business as usual.
☐ Know when to quit now and worry later. If your work is seriously compromising your mental or physical health and it’s torture to go into the office every day, you might not want to wait. After all, no job is worth sacrificing your well-being.
☐ Make a graceful exit. When leaving a company, the most important thing you can do is fireproof your bridges. It’s a smaller world than you think, and you never know when you will need these people again. During your last few weeks, do everything you can to leave behind a squeaky-clean reputation.