5 Things to Do After You Quit Your Job
By Joshua Chen
1. Leave the company on good terms, or at least, as best as possible.
This means no bashing the company on social media outlets, no complaining incessantly to friends about how horrible it was, even in *seemingly* private text message. You never know when or where that “listening ear” might be, or whether that information might get “leaked” to a future employer. It’s good to realize that in today’s world, what we often view as “private” is easily shared via screenshot or forwarded email. Try to refrain from complaining as much as possible, and, at the very least, confide in those you trust your true feelings, in person, rather than over text message, email, Facebook and the like.
Even more so, the person coming to fill your position or a person thinking about joining that company deserves, at the very least, an unbiased view of where they’ll be working, right?
2. Realize that “YOU are NOT [Defined By] Your Job.”
When I quit my first job, I realized that the hardest part of leaving was the innate desire to want to “be something to somebody.” We all want to “be something to somebody.” Being unemployed for the first time made me realize that actually, there is fulfillment to be found in ALL different aspects of life. Your job is one aspect of your life where you had/have influence, but actually, you have so MANY other spheres of influence you may have overlooked. Whether it’s saying “hi” and smiling to the checkout lady at the grocery store, or just simply “being present” and listening for the friend that’s struggling a bit, you can make an impact and an influence with the simplest of actions. Your job is not your only defining facet of yourself that makes you, well, you.
3. Look for the Silver Lining(s).
Every life experience teaches us something, whether it’s that irate boss of yours that taught you that, there are better ways to manage people than screaming at them (surprise, surprise!) or that supervisor that always gave you the emotional support when you had a rough days. I’ve learned that that there is ALWAYS a silver lining, and even if you can think of one positive takeaway from a negative experience, you’ll be able to carry that with you into your new job or career. (I’ve used, “Well, at least I’m not dead” jokingly a few times…but maybe I’m just an eternal optimist.) Hint:Those negative stories that you find a positive in also make KILLER job interview stories.
4. The Returns you’ll get from Investing in others is PRICELESS.
I’ll always remember the time when my supervisor sat across from me and said, “Josh, how are you doing today? You seem stressed more than usual.” The fact that he noticed that and picked up on it meant the WORLD to me, and made me realize that, there are people that care about me. But that day, something else also clicked – when you invest in other people, they may not say it, but often, it will strike an emotional chord within them that they’ll remember forever. Perhaps the hardest part about quitting my job was leaving the comfort of those that I knew truly cared
about me. The silver lining here is that I learned to do the same for others. = )
5. Go “Do You.”
This is the advice I’d always give my students when they’d ask what to do after their first finals week of college, after a job interview, or really, any situation where they had conquered or overcame something that was stressful or frustrating to them. “Go DO You” has become a mantra I’ve used a lot lately, but it basically means that it’s okay to “take a little time for yourself.” Too often, we’re caught up in doing things for others (whether by obligation or otherwise) that we forget allowing ourselves the time to take a breather is important. So, before you start job-hunting, give yourself some time to go do something that you love, that speaks to your soul, relieves your stress, and fills your heart with happiness and joy. Go, “Do You.”