Should I quit my job w/out two weeks notice?

Question

I want to quit my job for VERY valid reasons (terrible downsizing, possible shutdown of company) but don't want to put in my two weeks. I want to do it now. I don't have a job yet, but want to devote my all to interviewing. Will it affect my job interviews if I tell them I quit my last job, but for good reasons?

Answer 1

We'll talk about it later.

Answer 2

I personally feel you should always (if possible) give a 2 week notice before leaving any job because it shows that you are a good employee who is giving a company enough time to fill your current position if needed. If you leave without giving your two weeks, this could affect your prior employment reference as well as show your potential employer that you are the type of person who is unreliable and not worth the time or effort in training. Some employers also sometimes request that an employee who gives a two week notice train a new hire into doing their position as well. If your potential employer is this type of employer, they would definitely frown upon you leaving without a notice. Plus not to mention, if you just up and leave your current employer, more then likely they will not have much good to say about you which other employers take into much consideration if they decide to get in contact with your previous employer(s).

Lastly, if you don’t have a job, why would you just quit? The economy is horrible right now so who is to say that you will even find a job? I think you should hold onto your job, look for a new one while you are “currently employed”. This will give you the upper hand as well as choices in what and where you want to work. If you get declined its ok because you are still “working” and just keep looking until you find the right job. Tell every potential employer that you can start after two weeks from the hire date. Most potential employers see this as a good thing. Once new job is obtain put in your two weeks, work your two weeks and you’re done!

P.S. Never burn your bridges, as you never know if you may need them later on.

Answer 3

"Employment at will" works both ways, and if you're not in a union, you don't LEGALLY have to give notice. But you are burning bridges if you do that. If they're downsizing, you could hold out for a severance package - which is usually more generous if you've been there a long time. The company may also get bought out by another and the new company may want experienced people to stay on. I say tough it out. It'll make you a better person, and a future employer will be more willing to hire someone who got through the hard times than someone who quit. Every situation is different, but I hope this helps.

Answer 4

I don't know what state you live in but I do know that unemployment is offered in many states. I wonder the same thing many times myself. "Should I just quit my job now and look for another job due to the very same reason you have described." Only problem is that nothing in life is certain and your better off playing it out and keeping your eyes open for a job you'll know you'll like in the mean time. If you quit your job you will not be eligible for unemployment.

In addition you will not have an income while your looking for another job. Wait until you see the right one come along and then send in a resume. If they're interested they'll contact you and you can set up a date to meet, which means you can take a day off from work. If the interview goes well and they want to hire you they will probably already factor in the fact that you will have to give a two weeks notice as a professional courtesy to your current employer. So yes, you should give a two weeks notice and you should already have a job lined up before you quit your current job. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you are layed off from your job you will be entitled to unemployment if you've been working at the same job for over 6 months.

Answer 5

Depends on how long you worked there & what your valid reasons are. B/c it you don't give your 2 weeks, & you are in an interview, you'll have to explain what you "good reasons" are. And it would look really bad if you have been at your job less than a year & you quit w/out giving 2 weeks notice, b/c the interviewor will think that you may do the same thing to them & they will choose someone else who didn't just quit on the spot.

Answer 6

Most employers don't look at HOW you left your last job.. just time employed. It is the courteous thing to do as far as business etiquette to give two weeks so the employer has a chance to find a new employee and train them for your job, but if you don't think that's a problem (IE. the company is shutting down) I'd so go for it, and if questioned about it in an interview, don't seem like you're making excuses for what you did, just let them know the situation and why you thought it was okay and they'll make their own decision about it.

Side Note * If you're expecting the company you're at now to give you a good reference then I would recommend putting in your two weeks notice, if you're not, or don't think it would matter then I don't see why you couldn't just leave.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Yes it will affect you. Who wants someone that just quits? You should wait you may have a better chance of getting un-employment if you don't quit. Of course noone wants to be fired or laid off but if you can collect why not?

Then you can get paid to look for another job.

In the mean time just look for another job when you are not working. If you happen to get an interview while you are still working you can say the company is downsizing but you are still working and plan on putting in your two weeks if you happen to get another job. Let the interviewer know that you are looking for stability.

Answer 8

Don't just walk out on the job now...give them your two weeks notice because what happens is when you get interview for your next job, the interviewer will ask where you worked before, and they will most likely call the last place you worked at to ask questions about your performance at that company and if you did in fact give a two weeks notice.

Answer 9

When you sign a contract to work for a company, you and the company will both be agreeing to a notice period. As long as nothing else in the contract has been violated, you AND they have the give the other notice before leaving. However, if they're firing you then legally they need to be able to prove that you've already broken the contract in some other way (behaved irresponsibly/criminally etc). Since you've already broken the contract, they are no longer legally bound to give you a notice period. Normally when you quit, there's nothing that the company's done to break the contract- so you're still bound to give them the notice period you originally agreed to. However, if they HAVE done something that's against the original terms, then you're quite within your rights just to walk out without giving them any notice.

Answer 10

It's not good to burn a bridge. I am the poster child of doing that and I can tell you, you will need references wherever you go. It's nearly impossible to get a decent job without one.

Give two weeks notice but be prepared to be told to leave now (and they do not have to pay you for the two weeks). Many companies do not like having a "lameduck" employee around who might muck things up on the way out the door. When you give notice, don't say anything negative, just say that you think you've learned all you can and need to move on.

Also, when interviewing, DO NOT bad-mouth your old company. Tell them the same thing--it wasn't a good fit anymore, you needed something more challenging, etc. If you bad-mouth your old employer they will think you'll bad-mouth them.

Answer 11

It would be better to have something lined up before quiting from personal experience but if your going to be okay financially then cool. Also depending on how long you've been working at this job it could hurt you if you need them for reference especially if you've been there for years.. if you have a good work history aside from this last job and the reasons as you say are valid then you should still be okay.. good luck in what ever you decide. Hope this helps a little.