ALT-14 Deciding whether to Give two Weeks Notice or not
You've had it. Once again you have been passed over for a promotion. The fool who works next to you just got an inexplicable raise. And now you can't take that vacation you had been planning.
It is time to quit. But should you give two weeks notice or make a dramatic exit and storm out, yelling, "I quit!"
While it can be a neat fantasy to make a statement as you quit, deciding not to give two weeks' notice is a bad idea. Why? Because while you are literally slamming the door, you are also figuratively slamming the door on part of your career.
Leaving without giving two weeks' notice will often leave a bad final impression in your employer's mind. Without a doubt, there will be a note regarding your abrupt departure placed in your employee file. This is not good, because when you are going for another job, most employers are going to want to contact previous employers. When your hoped-for employer finds out that you left your previous job abruptly, they will hesitate to hire you.
Another reason to give two weeks' notice is that it helps you avoid the spur-of-the-moment decision that you may later regret. Being able to leave a job due to good reasoning and not because of a knee-jerk reaction to something negative is an important issue to consider.
Finally, giving two weeks' notice helps you rise above the problems you are experiencing at work and be the professional you want to be. Tempting though it is to make a statement as you quit, it will be more satisfying to be the better person and the professional that you wish to be.
