Quitting your job (without burning any bridges)

Do you daydream about the day you get to tell your boss everything that he is doing wrong? How you could do his job ten times better with your eyes closed? Then, after you’ve read him the riot act, you arrogantly say, “Oh, and I QUIT!”

Too often we speak before we act and then regret it later. Whether it is a spontaneous decision to leave, or a well-thought out conclusion, quitting a job can be a struggle. Another point to ponder is that with downsizing, job-hopping and mergers common, you never know when you may run into your old boss again. “Leave the emotional issues at home” advises Mark Katz, managing partner at a Detroit-based executive search firm. He recalls a woman who learned the consequences of burning bridges the hard way. When quitting her job at an advertising agency, she told her boss everything that he, and the company, were doing wrong. “She just felt that the organization didn’t know what they were doing and told them so,” he says. Her tone was “very condescending and hostile”.

Two months later he received a call from the woman: “You have to find me another job and fast!” she said, according to Mr. Katz. Her old agency just announced it was buying her new one. Worse yet, her former boss would likely be running her department again. She feared he might lay her off or fire her. If not, she was certain her hasty and hostile departure would make a future relationship very difficult. She was back to square one, looking for another job… again.

This is a reason Mr. Katz suggests to clients not to alienate co-workers or former employers. Even when you know you are in the right, restrain yourself. There are several different reasons you could give, for example: even though you’ve enjoyed working at the company, you want to take on different challenges, expand your potential at ABC Company or given more responsibility. Even better, if ABC Company happens to be located near your family, you can almost guarantee that your boss will understand and even give you a reference. Emphasize the lure of the new company, not the flaws of the old one. Above all, make sure to avoid blaming your boss and the company for your departure, even if you have to bite your tongue not to say what you really feel. Thank your boss for providing you with a rewarding experience and emphasize how much you’ve learned from the job.

You may want to either write down what you want to say to your boss, or role play with a family member or spouse. Take notes if you need to and bring them to the meeting. It’s important to be upfront and let them know you are leaving. Give everyone involved a copy of your resignation letter. This signals your determination to quit and lessens the likelihood of a counteroffer.

What happens if they counteroffer? Chances are, your reasons to leave will outweigh what the company may offer you. Further, it may not be such a good idea to stick with a job where the boss thinks you want to leave. Consider the case of one of Mr. Katz’ clients, a sales rep. After he told his boss his decision to leave, the boss countered with an offer of promotion and small raise. The client decided to stay and soon after regretted his decision. His boss immediately started to take over some of his top accounts and developed a relationship with them. He feared that even though the man said he would stay, he might still quit--taking their larger accounts with him. The boss began reassigning his accounts and shrinking his responsibilities. What happened next? You guessed it. The promotion never happened and the client was left much worse off then he was when he decided to quit in the first place. He couldn’t go back to the company that hired him in the first place and he could no longer boast of a large account base to potential employers. The moral? Stick with your gut instinct. If you are fed up enough to go, then follow through with your decision and leave.

Lastly, be sure to wrap up any loose ends you may have at your current company. Offer to train your replacement and show them the ropes. Do not bad-mouth the company to any new employees or other companies. Word travels fast and you never know when you may need a reference…. even if it’s in 10 or 15 years!

Until next time,

Erin Kennedy

TO VACATION or NOT TO VACATION...(that is the question)

Are you daydreaming of pina coladas on a sandy white beach, but know you will never get there? Do you have weeks of vacation days saved up but haven't taken any? Are you completely stressed out, but know now is not the time to take a vacation?

Whether you are a self-proclaimed work-aholic or feel guilty about taking time off, DON'T!

Many employers think the fear of taking a vacation is unfounded. "People need vacations" says Mark Needham of Jones, Jones & Associates, a PR firm in the midwest. "There are certain people who just won't take vacations and I tell them they need to for their own sanity. The only time you shouldn't is the first 100 days of a new job. They are crucial in terms of establishing yourself within the company and getting in sync with your coworkers" he says. "You can't gain momentum if you are not there".

The should-I or shouldn't-I answers lie in your own heart. If you know you consistently pull your weight and handle a great deal of responsibility, then go. "However, if you are in the bottom 20% of performers, you are at risk any time you take a vacation" says Mr. Needham. Still, he says, few people get fired for taking a few days of which they are entitled to by company policy. "If you're going to get fired, you're going to get fired, so you might as well take your days off and enjoy yourself".

Food for thought...

--Erin Kennedy

Did You Know?

Hi, my name is Kris Plantrich and I am a Certified Professional Resume Writer and currently I contribute writing services to Professional Resume Service owned by fellow writer Erin Kennedy. As this is my first entry to the blog I thought I would stay in the spirit of the name Did You Know? and delve into this question a little further.

Did you know Tuesday is the most productive day of the week?

Did you know as many as 35% of employers are now using your credit report history as a means of judging personal responsibility, especially in occupations dealing directly with money?

Did you know 65 to 70% of jobs are gained through personal referrals or networking connections – so get networking!

Did you know only an average of 36% of those job hunters interviewed regularly send thank-you notes while 75% of employers like or expect the notes?

Did you know that over 90% of employers seek their assistant’s opinion when interviewing and making hiring decisions?

Did you know business cards are a great way to network - plain and simple or with a photo works best?

Did you know having a mentor can be also be a great way to network?

Did you know 60% of large companies do salary planning in the fall – a great time to ask for a raise!

Did you know that while the average job hunt takes 19 weeks, 40 – 50% of job seekers give up after just 2 months?

Take these facts to heart while preparing, searching, and interviewing for your next job.

Bye for now,

Kris

The Importance of the Thank You Letter

I've been asked many, many times, "Do I really need to send a Thank You letter to the employer?"... and the answer is always, "Yes! Yes! Yes!".

Okay, so I am a bit anal about Thank You's. I know that. I get pretty irritated if I don't get one after spending gobs of money for showers, weddings, birthdays, etc. It takes about 1 minute to write a thank you note. It's a nice way of saying, "Thank you for spending one of your precious days/nights off work with me/us and driving almost 3 hours round trip to get here.-- it means a lot". But do we need to do it after an interview? Does the employer really care? Does it really make a difference?

YES!

Studies repeatedly show that candidates who follow up the interview with a thank you always gets chosen before their peers. Sending a customized thank you note gives you an edge. It helps remind the interviewer who you are. Many recruiters of Fortune 500 companies admit that some candidates get lost in the shuffle, only to rediscover them when receiving a thank you note.

A thank you note reiterates your strong points. It reminds them why they should hire YOU. Here are a few tips about writing a thank you note:

1- Proofread. Double check and make sure that not only is your thank you error-free, but that you are sending it to the right employer!

2- Restate Your Strong Points. Hiring managers state that a thank you note is "literally the last chance candidates have to sell themselves to an employer". Remind them why you are the best candidate.

3- Impress Them With Your Listening Skills. State something in the letter that relates to the conversations you had at the interview. Show them you really were listening to them, not daydreaming about what the benefits and compensations are going to be.

4- Thank Everyone. If 3 people interviewed you, then they each get a thank you. Not only will they be impressed, but they may show it to each other in an attempt to get the others to want to hire you, too. Just remember to customize each letter. A letter that is not well-thought-out (or the same to each) can only hurt you. If you are stumped on what to write, just think about the topics you discussed during the interviews.

It only takes about 2 minutes and a stamp to make a lasting impression.

Cheers!

Erin Kennedy

ARE WOMEN STILL EARNING LESS THAN MEN?

Being a woman, you can imagine how I felt when I recently read an article stating that women are STILL earning 12% less than a man in a comparable position. This is an important issue because at some point in our lives, 80-90% of all women will be solely responsible for their own finances, whether it be because of divorce, death, disability of a spouse, or just deciding to remain single.

Sure, sometimes, depending on where you work, might contribute to the "good old boys club" or gender discrimination theory. But after reading on, I found that some of what the author was saying to be true, we may be responsible for adding to this dilemma. The question is: Are we UnderEarners?

If you haven't had a raise in over 2 years and don't want to ask for one for fear of "rocking the boat", you may be an underearner.

If you have a hard time telling your clients you are raising your fees, or consistently underbill them, you may be an underearner.

If you don't market yourself, or "toot your own horn" either within the place you work, or with networks outside of work, you may be an underearner.

If you put so much time into volunteer activities that you just feel lucky to be employed and content to remain where you are financially, you may be an underearner.

Some of this sounds like you, so, what do we do, you ask?

1- Identify your financial needs, have a clear picture of what you need to earn and where you want to be (including identifying all expenses and any "incidentals" like car repair, home repair, etc.)
2- Research the position and your own qualifications within the industry. If they don't meet your needs, then prepare to negotiate for a pay increase, or start looking for a job that will pay what you deserve.
3- NEGOTIATE. This is the key to showing the employer what you are worth and that you are committed to getting it. Have an up-to-date copy of your on-the-job accomplishments ready to show your boss what you have contributed as a back up for your request. Most importantly, be confident. You've earned it and you deserve it!

For further reading on these subjects, check out Mikelann R. Valterra's book, "Why Women Earn Less, How to Make What You're Really Worth", or Nicholas Reid Schaffzin's book, "Negotiate Smart: The Secrets of Successful Negotiation".

Until next time,

Erin

Big News!!

Just got word today that some of my resumes will be featured in a new resume book published and coming out in the fall:
"No-Nonsense Resumes: The Essential Guide to Creating Attention-Grabbing Resumes That Get Interviews & Job Offers" by Wendy Enelow and Arnie Boldt.

Also included in the book are resumes from one of our other writers, Kris Plantrich.

To quote the authors Wendy and Arnie, "We are thrilled to be able to include your excellent work in this new publication."
Congratulations Kris & Erin!

Be sure to grab a copy of this book when it comes out!

WELCOME!

Welcome to Professional Resume Services first ever BLOG! We have finally ventured into the age of blogging!

My name is Erin Kennedy and I am the owner of Professional Resume Services. My goal, and the goal of the writers here, is to create a blog that is very useful for the job seeker with information written in an easy-to-read format. We don't want to load it down with long pages per post, rather just short, simple and useful tools for the job search journey. We want to share all of the articles we study, conferences/seminars/webinars we attend, and industry knowledge we become privy to.

We are dedicated to helping ease your transition to your next job by creating powerful resumes, cover letters, cv's, and bio's that grab the employer's attention and get you the job you want.

If you have any questions or comments email us at info@proreswriters.com, or have difficulty viewing this blog, please let our moderator know at help@proreswriters.com.

Be sure to copy this link to your home page for future tidbits of useful career change, resume writing and job search info.

Until next time,

Erin