I’ve been thinking about resigning from my current position for quite a while but I’m not really sure that it’s the best idea for me. Can you help me to decide one way or the other?

Quitting a job is a big decision to make. My job is to help people find their best work, but it’s also to help them make smart and strategic career decisions. The first thing I’d ask you to consider is your motivation for wanting to leave. Maybe you’ve been offered a better position, maybe you’ve had a terrible week, or maybe you’ve concluded that you aren’t in the right line of work. Whatever the reason may be, you’ve got to think it through before you make any final decisions. Consider the following points:

1. Write a list. Before you offer your resignation, take some time to consider your reasons for wanting to leave. Make a list of all of the things that you enjoy and that you don’t enjoy about your current job. See if your reasons are based on recent experiences (ie. a bad week) or a deeper underlying dissatisfaction with the job.

2. Cool off. If your reasons for leaving are based on a bad week or month, give yourself some time to cool off and think about it when you’re further removed from that experience. You might find that you still enjoy your job, but just had a negative experience.

3. Financial preparation. Have you thought about what you can and can’t afford to do? Are you going right into another job? Take a realistic look at your finances and see how long you can afford to not be working. Look at your bills, and when your next pay period might start (just because you get a new job doesn’t mean you’ll be getting paid on day one). Studies suggest that you should have three months of income at a minimum in the bank before leaving a job.

4. Offer your resignation in writing. If you do go ahead and decide to quit, always offer your resignation in writing. Be clear, concise and cordial. You don’t need to write a small book, and you shouldn’t use your resignation letter as an opportunity to air your dirty laundry. Don’t hurt any relationships that you have in the organization; you never know when in your career you might cross paths with someone again. Be prepared to help the organization through the transition by completing projects that you’re working on or properly passing them off to your replacement. Offer to help hire your replacement or help to train them.

5. Make a classy exit. When you leave the organization, leave on good terms. These people may be potential references and do make up a part of your network. You may need help from them down the road. Remember to say goodbye to everyone you have contact with in the organization, but don’t start telling them stories about why you’re leaving (if they’re negative in any way). The impression you leave is as important as the impression that you first make.

6. Counter-offers. Depending on the terms you’re leaving on, you may consider the offer. If you’ve made the decision to leave for reasons that can’t be solved by a shuffle in the company or more money, don’t accept. You’ll be back in the same position before too long and wishing that you had made your exit when you did.

Alan Kearns is the Head Coach and the Brand Champion! of CareerJoy. He is one of Canada’s foremost experts on all things career. With more than 14 years of experience coaching people through successful career changes, he brings an intimate knowledge of the entire transition process to all of his clients. To contact Alan about paid professional services, e-mail alan@careerjoy.com or visit his web site www.CareerJoy.com.

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Disclaimer: Advice and recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.