Thinking about quitting your job? Leave graciously. Storming out or parting in a negative way will follow you for years. Loudly proclaiming for all to hear, “I can’t wait to get out of this hell-hole” will not serve you well.

If you’re planning to leave your job, take care that you don’t burn any bridges on the way out the door. It is never good to leave a job in a bad way or without proper notice. If you are leaving because you have not been treated well, it is even more reason to take the high road on your way out.

When future employment opportunities arise, your former manager will most likely be called for a reference. Generally it is not your manager who answers the telephone, if you walk out name-calling and leave the office in an uproar, it is a picture not easily forgotten. You do not want your prospective employer to hear negative comments from receptionists and other gatekeepers. Think about the stories and snickers that you hear today about some former employee. Bad behavior is slowly forgotten; in some cases it is never forgotten.

Be mindful to take the high road when leaving, because it is not about your former boss, it's about you. It is always a bad idea to quit in a huff or to become so overwhelmed that you utter those words "I quit", and leave immediately.

Here is a list of quitting don’ts:

• Don’t send your boss an e-mail and then walk out the door.
  
  
• Don’t walk out in the middle of a workday never to return.
  
  
• Don’t say nasty things before you go.
  
  
• Don’t leave the company hurting as revenge for poor treatment you have received.
  
  
• Don’t leave while the supervisor is on vacation.
  
  
• Don't leave when there is an office or company emergency.
  
  
• Don’t leave your keys on the boss’s desk.
  
  
• Don’t make it your business to tell everyone in the office how poorly the staff is treated.
  
  
• Don’t destroy important documents.
  
  
• Don’t take anything from your desk that does not belong to you personally. If you purchased an item with office money, it belongs to the office.
  
  
• Don't talk about your former boss in a negative way. Under no circumstances should you bad-mouth your boss while in an interview. You will not gain points, since your reasons may sound like excuses. "I had to leave because my boss was so incompetent"; "I left because he had it in for me"; "She had favorites". While some or all of this may be true, keep it to yourself.
  

The best action is to leave as quietly as possible. Let your boss know you are planning to leave and give adequate notice so she can start a search for someone to replace you. Later, you’ll be glad that you took the high road.

See On the Job - Working Smarter Quitting does not have to be the solution.