How do I quit a job that I just started without burning bridges?

Question

I have been at this job for 3 weeks and I am really not impressed with how they treat the employees and it's making me miserable. I have 3 jobs and I just got a great offer from another place and I want to turn in my 2 weeks without offending them in case I need a reference in the future. It's just for the summer so it's not a big deal but I don't want to waste my summer being miserable, I'm too young for that. Thanks!

BTW - the guy who suggested that I tell them that "my parents are making me quit" ............I'm 22 and my parents live 500 miles away. That's not really an option....but thanks anyway!!! :)

Answer 1

Type up your two weeks notice. Remember to state how wonderful it was to work their and how much you enjoy being their. Tell them you would love to stay, but you have recieved a job offer you can just not refuse. They should be very understanding. Heck , if it is that bad, they may ask where you are going and if you would keep them in mind. I used a similar strategy when I left my last job. They asked me "What can we do to make you say? Would a $2/hr increase keep you here?" That is the response I got. I left that job just before it shut down with a few good references, both typed and in word. Good luck

Answer 2

The fact that you feel bad about not showing up, shows that you're not typically the "no-show" type. As for burning bridges, I don't think that sending an email will suffice. Otherwise they might tell your next employer that you were a no-show and then quit by email. Doesn't look very responsible to a new employer. Go to the workplace and pull your boss aside. You don't have to be embarrassed that you're uncomfortable with the job. Commission based jobs are hard to adjust to, and without adequate training, they are definitely intimidating to a lot of people. Not to mention, hard to pay your bills with unless you have a good amount of practice and a good strategy. Tell your boss, "Hey I feel terrible about not showing up the other day, but I'm just worried that this job isn't going to be a good fit for me right now. I don't think I have the experience to be successful here, at this time, so I'm hoping that maybe I can come back in a couple months after I work on my sales approach?" This will show that you are responsible, and that you want to come back at a time when you are better prepared. Obviously being there right now, isn't going to help you OR your employer make any money, so he should agree with you. This also leaves the door open so that hopefully there will be no bridges burned! Good luck!

Answer 3

I wouldn't tell them you make choices based on your parents' wishes. But, 2 weeks notice is excessive and quite unnecessary. What I'd do, is tell them you appreciate the opportunity you've had being hired by them...and if the situation arose, you'd love the chance to return someday, but you've been offered a job that pays nearly TWICE as much, and is right around the corner from where you live; and they've been nice enough to agree on you starting in a week so you can give a week's notice. WATCH YOUR EMPLOYER'S GRIN SPRED AS WIDE AS TEXAS... because twice you've 'stroked' them (1-'you'd love a chance to return someday', and 2. you wanted to give them a week's notice---most people quit with ZERO notice.); but emphazies that if the opportunity should come up, you'd REALLY like to know the door is going to be open...Watch how fast they say, "No problem!...just let us know if you ever want to come back." (it's almost a given.). They'll probably (no doubt) wish you "Good Luck" (at your new job). But, don't --- under any circumstances --- tell anyone there (boss or co-workers) WHERE you are going to work. And keep what you tell your boss in your head...so you say the same thing to anyone else that works there. Like, you wouldn't want to have people get together and say, "he told you WHAT?...well, he told me, .........blah blah blah"

By the way, you didn't say if you work in an "At-Will" State.. What does that mean? It means that your boss can let you go 'at will'..without any warning or reason whatsoever; but it also means that YOU can leave 'at will' ...without any warning or reason whatsoever.. So, if you do work in an 'at will' state, your boss could tell you your services are no longer needed...without any notice at all. I live in an 'at-will' state, and believe me the management will let you go with ZERO notice..."you're not needed here...AS OF NOW" (they'd say). and you can and should do the same...unless you feel a certain amount of loyalty (like I do at my job)...because they've been especially nice to you.---and I KNOW they'd never do that to me...and even if they were to do that...they have the power to get me a job where I'm moving to...and they will TOO...so I'm not burning MY bridges either.
My point is that...giving a week's notice is probably going to go over really well---so I would not be concerned that you've burned any bridges doing it that way.

Answer 4

Don't worry about the reference, three weeks isn't much anyway. Don't tell them that they suck, make you miserable. Just tell them that you have received another offer that is much better for you and this job is probably not as good for you and the complany. They probably already know how you feel and might have similar feelings. Just be straight forward. You might still go to play tennis with your ex boss/coworkers in the future, or you might come back to this samek company years later when you get experience for a different position or the company might change, you never know.

PS, keep it straight forward, don't come up woth silly stories about your grandmother or your paronts moving. Just be honest while communicating with a positive and professional manner. Who knows there might be another position in the company better suited for you, or you might still be friends with someone in the company. It's not about them being bad or you being too good for them, everybody is doing the best they can.

Answer 5

u can always 'write' to your authorities that your father/mother/spouse/guardian is shifting base to some other country or state due to work and though u really 'enjoyed' working with the organization u'll have to sadly take leave with immediate effect. dont forget to thank them profusely for giving u this opportunity in the first place. people are suckers for compliments. just intitiate the whole thing in a mail not verbally. verbally u might fumble as u r lying.

just in case they spot u in the vicinity in a month or so, simply make a miserable face and say that the out of country thing did not work out favorably for the family and u guys just had to come back. in fact if u r pissed with the next job u take then u can probably reapply here!

Answer 6

Give the 2 weeks notice and just say that the job is not the right fit for you, or it's not what you expected. I would even do a letter of resignation explaining your reasons, then keep a copy of that letter in case any future potential employer questions why you quit. Always act professionally and your old employer will have nothing to complain about.

Answer 7

If you have a better offer, just tell them that. They probably won't even ask you to stay the whole 2 weeks afterwards. Thank them for the oppertunity they gave you and tell them that if this other fantastic offer hadn't come up, you would have stayed there for the summer.
You won't be asking them for a reference in the future, and they won't be giving it to you. Working for a place for 3 weeks is not enough time to get to know you and to give you a reference.

Answer 8

If you've only been there for 3 weeks, it's really not going to be much of a reference, anyway. I'd suggest hopping over to one of the better jobs now, while they're still available...

Answer 9

You could tell them that you don't think this job is anything for you. Lots of people quit after a short time when they realize they don't like the job, so I don't think it's that big a deal. You don't have to tell them exactly why you don't like the job.

Answer 10

Burn bridges.

Seriously, if a company treats its employees like crap, what makes you think they would EVER write you a good reference? If they even write one in the first place.

Observe your supervisor. Observe your colleagues. What is the company culture like?

If you're not exaggerating about the ethics and treatment, then burn all bridges and ditch the company. You're not going to lose anything anyway.