I quit my job.

That qualifies me to teach you how I did it.

Here is my five-step action plan I wish I had beforehand.

Step 1 — Make Your Decision

You can either quit or you can stay; it’s up to you.

Nevertheless, it has to be well thought through!

The decision itself is not that hard, but telling others about it is.

In my case, it was a remote conversation. Pressing the button to call coworkers through the software and speaking to them virtually were the hardest clicks I ever made. It was easier to press publish on my first YouTube videos.

Expect discomfort.

Step 2 — Inform Your Manager

You spend a lot of time at work, so it is only fair to inform your coworkers about your decision.

But before you make the news official, inform your manager and explain your reasoning!

At this point, you have to be sure that you want to quit. You don’t want to get talked out of it. Make up your mind before you go into this conversation! If you get talked out of your decision and you keep working there, it doesn’t reflect well on your character or your ability to follow through. It doesn’t make you look credible.

So, make sure that you want to quit your job.

Step 3 — Inform Your Colleagues

After you’ve informed your manager, you want to inform your colleagues.

This is easier said than done…

Step 4 — Inform Your Human Resources Department

In every step, tell the people you are talking to about the previous steps.

• When I went to my manager, I told him about my decision.
• When I went to my colleagues, I told them that I had already spoken to my manager about my decision.
• When I went to my human resources department, I told them that I had already spoken to my colleagues and manager about my decision.

This system is very beneficial to all parties because then there are no surprises when the email goes around about your departure and your last workday. You want no surprises.

This way, you also increase your chances of getting a great certificate of employment, a document that certifies what you did at the company, the value you provided, what you worked on, who you worked with, and how they would rate you if they were to work with you again.

Maybe you can also get some good reviews from your coworkers on a social media platform like LinkedIn.

Step 5 — Housekeeping

The last step is organization.

This is individual for everyone, but your human resources department will inform you of all the steps you need to take.

Generally, be friendly whenever you talk to your coworkers. Let them know that nothing is final.

Quitting your job doesn’t mean you will never see them again. Maybe you will hire them, start a business with them, or do business with them in the future. Who knows?

Build a network of like-minded people who help you grow.

Summary

1. Make your decision.
2. Inform your manager.
3. Inform your colleagues.
4. Inform your human resources department.
5. Expect organizational housekeeping.

You got this!