How to Quit a Job Without Losing Your References (or Your Dignity)

The below guide that explains how to quit a job—and quit it well—is part of Glamour’s 2024 Smart Goals series, which explores reasonable, quantifiable, and—crucially—sane ways to embark on self improvement objectives you’d like to complete this year. We all know traditional New Year’s resolutions are nonsense and are mostly designed to make us feel terrible about ourselves and, as such, spend money on things we think we need to live a more fulfilling life. Here, we dig into how anyone can quit a job without fear if they’re feeling stuck, while also providing some tactical advice on how to know if it’s really the right time to give your two weeks.

Figuring out how to quit a job is, honestly, harder than it should be. Ideally, we’d all be able to walk into our manager’s office, respectfully give our notice, and move on without any anxiety, dread, or fear of burning what (maybe) are valuable bridges we’ve built by virtue of being a good employee. But the fact is, when we know in our gut it’s time to quit—whether because the job isn’t serving us anymore, we feel like the environment is toxic to our mental health, we’ve simply outgrown the role, or just want to try somerthing new—we tend to put off the inevitable and instead stress about what to say, how to say it, and whether your colleagues will be mad at us (ah, to be a woman.)

The important thing to remember is that the decision is entirely yours, and it likely is for a good reason.

“Quitting your job can be exciting, stressful, and overwhelming all at the same time,” says Christian Lovell, Founder of Careers by Chris and Career Educator. “It’s important to keep a positive mindset throughout the process, reminding yourself of why you are quitting in the first place. Remember that choosing to leave isn’t a sign of failure, but instead, a thoughtful step toward prioritizing your well-being and greater career goals.”

Whether you’ve found another role that aligns better with your priorities at the moment or you just want to say “eff it” and leave the role behind without the next thing lined up, it’s important to know the right way to quit a job. Here, how to resign the right way that will benefit your present and future self.

First, assess your finances.

“When you think it’s time to leave your job, one of the first questions you should be asking yourself is if you’re financially prepared,” says Nicole James, Chief People Officer at Credit Karma. This sounds obvious, but it the point cannot be stressed enough for those of us who feel okay about quitting without another job lined up. “To best understand the full financial benefits of your job, you’ll need to look at your total compensation—things like health benefits, retirement plans, stock options, and more. Your job may be more than just a paycheck you get every two weeks.”