ALT-2 Should you let certain People know You’re about to Quit
Your manager should be the first one informed that you are about to quit - always. There are many important reasons to do this, and most have to do with maintaining your reputation, and the hopes of getting a good reccomendation. Even if you don't think you'll ever work in the same field, or if you have no chance of getting a positive send off from your employer, it is still a common courtesy and smart move.
Information that is "leaked" before letting your manager know undermines their authority, and can be embarrasing if you decide to reconsider. It can also make life more difficult for your coworkers.
You have to accept that no matter who you tell, or how much you trust them, your manager can find out if you are planning to quit. It is also unfair to burden someone with a secret that they can't tell their supervisor, and may create undue stress in the office.
Once you have discussed your departure with your manager/supervisor, then he or she may recommend that you wait to tell certain people, or may leave it to your discretion.
In a diverse career market, it is impossible to know what contacts at your current job you may run into at a later time. If you get a reputation for flaunting your upcoming departure before the boss knows, or "checking out" you may run into problems in the future. Also, with the networking and communication that goes on in the business world, you don't want to be the next water-cooler story about the employee that told everyone but the boss that they were leaving.
However, there are a few subtle ways that you can make your life easier if you know you are planning to resign, even before the discussion with management occurs. Try to avoid volunteering for any committees or projects that have a long-term commitment. It will help them to not have a vacancy midway through a project, and you won't have to worry about feeling guilty while in the meetings thinking, "Well, I won't even be there for this task I have just taken on" This also saves you from having to delegate or re-assign the work later.
Also, you can begin to direct your contacts outside the company to other people, if applicable. If there is a general mailbox for customer requests, for example, but several of your clients are used to mailing information directly to you, begin to transition them towards the general mailbox. This will help your coworkers because when you leave, the information will not be wiped out with your email account.
All in all, when you've made the decision to quit, it is time to tell your manager.
