How to Resign Without Hurting Your Career and Professional Network

The time has finally come for you to quit your regular job and start something else.

You might have a handful of reasons why you want to quit your job. Entrepreneurship may have already lured you away to a lifestyle of challenge and never-ending excitement. You may have decided to move on to a different company that offers you a higher position or a better pay. Or you may have simply realized that being a nomad is superior to live than wasting away your life in a cubicle.

But whatever reasons you may have, you have made your mind that you are going to quit your current job.

Of course, no matter how convinced you are that quitting your job is the right thing to do, it is still no easy task for you. It is a big move you are making. And now that it's time for you to exit, you want to do it with your dignity and professional relationships intact.

Quitting your job is not an excuse to burn bridges. You have invested years in forging a good relationship with the people you work with. In no way do you want those relationships to go to waste. As one of your more important assets as a working professional, the relationship you have with your bosses and colleagues is invaluable regardless of the path you want to pursue after resigning from your job.

Here are some helpful tips to help you resign without hurting your career or professional network.

Talk to your manager or direct supervisor about your plan to resign

What can utterly ruin your relationships and destroy an otherwise great resignation are pre-departure "whispering campaigns". That's when everybody is already talking about your impending resignation without your manager knowing about it.

Careful thought and planning is required for your departure from any company. When planning to resign, follow the chain of command and make sure that the right people know about it first.

Never pre-empt your resignation by spreading word of your impending departure without being sure about it. When the right time comes to resign, talk first with your direct supervisor or manager. She will advise you of the next steps you need to take.

When you finally receive instructions from her, then it's time for you to share it with the rest of the company - or at least your closest colleagues.

By ensuring that your resignation follows a deliberate process, you will avert rumor mills from divulging unfounded gossips. Not only this, you will also spare other people (a.k.a. your direct supervisor or manager) from hurt feelings.

Tell the company that your departure is based on your personal needs

Badmouthing is probably not the nicest way to make an exit. Airing your complaints about your former company especially during a job interview is perhaps one the biggest mistakes job-quitters commit. Word travels fast in the corporate world.

There's always the possibility that the company and your former colleagues will take your criticisms carefully. What's even worse is that your relationships will be jeopardized when you complain about the company and the people you've worked with.

If the company has shortcomings and you have serious complaints that you need to air, make sure that you do it right before you leave the company and not after you've resigned. More importantly, make sure that it goes through the proper channels.

The exit interview will be your best chance to air your grievances. And should you choose to comment about the job and the people you are leaving, do it in a constructive manner. As much as it hurts to pretend that your experience "ok" or positive, it will hurt a lot more once you realize that you cannot find a good job because your former company or manager took your criticism too personally.

Avoid using the company, the system or your colleagues as your reasons for quitting your job. Instead, frame it in a way that will highlight your personal needs rather than the shortcomings of your former employer.

Think deeply about the reasons why you decided to resign. You will realize that the real reasons for quitting your job are more personal. Your reasons could be one the following:

"I feel like I want to explore more about the world around me."

"I know that my family's needs matter to me more than anything else right now."

"This seems like the best time for me to get some vision and a new perspective."

"I'm trying to pursue a personal goal which involves releasing myself from any obligations for the mean time."

Google's CFO, Patrick Pichette, sets a good example on how you can use your personal needs as bases for leaving the company. His touching post on Google+ is a remarkable example of a fine resignation letter. Here are his three main reasons for quitting his position at Google:

"I'm an empty nester."

"I've worked too hard for too long."

"I'm celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary."

Pichette summed up his decision to leave Google by simply describing it as a "perfectly fine mid-life crisis full of bliss and beauty."

Express gratitude and say your "goodbyes" properly

When you resign, you are of course going to say some goodbyes. And the way you say goodbye really matters because that is how your colleagues will remember you.

Reach out personally to your colleagues. Speaking with someone face-to-face enables you to make a connection that is both memorable and meaningful.

Do share a personal word with the people of your company in order to make things clear.

Express your gratitude and appreciation towards your bosses and colleagues for their involvement in your life. It won't hurt to mention an instance or two that you are truly thankful for.

If you work in a big company, you will not have the time to speak with everyone. Just try at least to have a word with your colleagues in your department.

Apart from saying thanks, express your best wishes to make them feel that you are also rooting for their success. Avoid the drama if you can. You are leaving a company, not dying. But if you really felt a connection with the people you work with, then don't hold off on the waterworks.

Finally, do not forget to tell your boss and colleagues that you want to stay connected. Remember, if you are launching out on your own, you will really need a huge and trusted professional network. Maintain your relationships with the people you are leaving. You will be absolutely glad that you did.

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