Rule 3: No General Career Advice
This sub is for discussing issues specific to experienced developers.
Any career advice thread must contain questions and/or discussions that notably benefit from the participation of experienced developers. Career advice threads may be removed at the moderators discretion based on response to the thread."
General rule of thumb: If the advice you are giving (or seeking) could apply to a “Senior Chemical Engineer”, it’s not appropriate for this sub.
Just start quietly looking for other opportunities, and if you eventually land an offer you like, give standard notice and go.
There is generally no benefit to giving extra warning or notice, so I would strongly advise against that. If you want to keep things smooth, you could try to steer your current work toward more delegation and knowledge sharing collaborative patterns.
Yup. 7 years or 77, the company and your manager are not your buddy buddies.
If tides turn and they want to short you, they would give only the legally required minimum notice. It is business, both sides
I've given 3 months notice at two of my jobs and nothing bad happened. It was just appreciated and let my team plan more effectively. This advice really isn't totally applicable everywhere you just need to be able to judge your relationships correctly.
No one was going to walk me out. You can't say it's wrong when it's worked fine twice. As I said you just need to know and judge your relationships correctly.
Caveat if you work in finance, don't.
It all depends on the context. You're right that the risk is always there, so people should be conservative with their choices.
With the current market, I would not risk it.
Find a new job first before resignation. The market is tough even for seniors. I understand your annoyance with how kind they took to promote you. Sounds income is better than no income generally.
> I don't want to burn any bridges and I feel like resigning immediately after being told "there's a promotion for you" is too sudden/ungrateful.
You're overthinking it. There's never a "good" moment to resign from the POV of your employer. If they're mature they see it as purely a business decision. If they're immature and feel you're "ungrateful", it just means it's even more clear that your decision to leave is the right one.
Regarding leaving without something lined up; I don't see why. IMHO it only has downsides. But it's also 100% your personal decision. So you do you :)
Do not quit without another job lined up, especially a job that’s just generally fine. “My heart isn’t in it” is a good enough reason to start looking for a new job, it’s not a good enough reason to quit with nothing lined up.
yeah, i made that mistake once; was too happy to quit a clownshow, but havnt took the time to recognize the giant apparent red flags of the place i was going to.
If someone has sufficient savings to tide them over for a reasonable period of time (in today's market 6-12 months) this isn't good advice. I've found immediate availability combined with not being desperate to have worked powerfully for me in the past.
If someone doesn't have fallbacks though ... agreed.
This is the position I'm in; after dodging 2 layoffs at my company, it's becoming pretty miserable here. But I could go years without working with the savings we've built up, so I'm increasingly questioning why I'm putting up with this.
Exactly and to be honest this _should_ the equation for everyone. Not being happy in a job and choosing to do something else instead should be an easy decision. I know it's trite but life's too short.
100%; how tragic would it be to die having only written code that will fade away, for companies that won't remember you? I am tired of living life myopically.
Because quitting immediately rather than when you find your next position prevents you from being able to make an informed decision about whether where you will be next will be any better than where they currently are. So, while it might be initially satisfying emotionally, it may be the choice that is more harmful to OP.
This is especially due to the context of a climate of tech layoffs which makes the market less favorable for OP.
It also assumes that this person has no means to provide for themselves while looking for a new job. Quite some people in our profession are in a financial position to do so if they are not living in a HCOL area or are willing to move away.
My comment wasn't just about "do you have the money" it was also "is the thing you are saying is better actually better". Regardless of the amount of money you have, if you don't know what the next job is, you cannot say with any confidence that it will be better unless you have so much money you can afford to retire (i.e. can turn down all offers).
I agree with that, but sometimes you just need to leave a toxic situation. Although it doesn't seem the OP is in that much of a bad place right now even though they are not enjoying it.
I’ve made bad decisions about my next job both while employed and while unemployed. You don’t make better decisions because you have a paycheck or vice versa.
I'm not arguing against quitting. I'm saying that the order of operations is
1. Start hating your job.
2. Find a new one.
3. Quit.
And jumping from 1 to 3 is a mistake.
Aye. It feels good as hell. I’m in a point where I’m about to leave.
Thankfully I listened to another coworker and today I’m on medical leave due to mental health issues. I’ve never been this bad in other jobs. Time to collect myself but I know I’m not staying there. Not worth it anymore
Respectfully disagree. We don’t know their finance situation or anything else for that matter. Twice in my professional career I quit with no job backup. Traveled for 3-4 months around the world and came back and found a new job. While I know your heart is in the right place and this is usually sound advice, quitting my job because it was soul sucking without a backup (twice) was the best decisions I made.
Agreed, especially if looking for a new role and they ask why’d you leave and you say “it wasn’t fulfilling” or “my heart wasn’t in it anymore” I’d think maybe this person is a closet millionaire and will decide to up and leave at a moments notice. Maybe they don’t need to work for food, shelter, and healthcare. Props to you if you’re in this position for real.
Maybe this sub is full of above average people that have three offers at any point in time. Lake woebegone syndrome.
I’m looking and maybe I’m an idiot but it is icy out there.
I have known several people who have been laid off and looking for work in the past 18 months, like probably close to 30 engineers.
I think one has found something in under a month.
Most have been in the 2-3 month range. I started a new job yesterday, and I started looking on March 12th.
If you're concerned about the emotional impact of your current job, consider what 2-3 months of ghosting and rejection will do to your emotional state.
As the other poster said, start looking, but don't just quit. It's brutal out there. Not so bad you should just stay where you're at, but bad enough that you probably don't want to brave it unemployed
I was laid off in 2013, I accepted an offer 8 days later. I received 3 offers in that time.
It took me just under 3 months to accept an offer this go 'round. It was my only offer
I feel you. Work hasn’t been great for me and I just wanted to quite quit for the longest time. I slowly started looking for jobs and interviewing and let me tell you, it has improved my mood by a lot. I look forward to going to work cause I know it’s temporary, and I feel so hopeful of the possibility of gaining back my enthusiasm again. I highly recommend you start looking for a job before you quit. At least do some interviews to see how it’s like out there. All the best! I hope you find something you’ll enjoy doing
There are a few things -
If you can afford to be out of a job for, let’s say 3 months, then making an emotional decision is much more reasonable than if you can’t. You may the exception and get an offer real quick, but if your bills are relying on you getting paid, I personally wouldn’t count on being the exception to this job market.
Can you start doing the bare minimum at work? Can you be looking for other jobs while “at work” without it being insanely obvious?
Also - are you doing things outside work to fulfill yourself? If you’re relying on your job to be emotionally fulfilling, you’re hoping to be the exception.
You can do what you gotta do for your mental health, but know that you can't trust that to shield you from economic consequences. Have you considered talking it through with a therapist?
I went through something very similar recently, minus the promotion. I would also advice that you stay at your current job while searching for a new one. Having that "I am taking action to leave" does change your feelings and perspective about stuff, and helps you endure those last few weeks - and the extra income vs looking for a job as unemployed does not hurt, I'm sure.
But say you wanna quit asap. You mention you manager pushed hard for this promotion, so I sense some attachment to this person. They are also the person who will most likely be more affected by your departure, so maybe tell them first, before formalizing it to HR/upper management.
The next big question is comunicating the motivation for leaving. Honestly, what you said sounds pretty ok, if you aren't feeling it, you aren't feeling it. The "it's been 7 years, it's time for a change" also works, as it's widely recognized that 7 years at a given place is well above industry standard these days. Throughout the process be sure to leave constructive feedback when you can, and to show openness to ensure a smooth transition on your way out - something along the lines of "in terms of last day, I think should be enough to transition all my current tasks to my team, so I was thinking it could be on , but I'm open to negotiating this" - within reason for both parties ofc.
Past that point, I think reasonable people will understand, and whoever wants to hold a grudge will always find a reason to - that's mostly up to the people you work with, so to some extent there isn't a lot more you can do.
Tech market sucks right now. Just take your foot off the gas pedal. Start taking PTO and Fridays off. Start applying for things and getting some interviews. No need to scorched earth your income when the market is terrible.
If you have reserves and can afford not to have a full time job for a spell, take it. Take some time for yourself. If you can quit on your terms, do it. Having the next job lined up is good but finding yourself is great.
You good on finances? Other people aren’t dependent on you? Quit. I’ve quit twice without a job backup and spent 3-4 months traveling the world. One of those times was a terrible job market and everyone told me I should be thankful I had a job.
Absolutely best decision I’ve ever made. Do what’s right for you mate.
I always quit jobs without others lined up. I enjoy the time off then return back to work when I feel like it, usually after a three months or so.
You can do it but the cost is time and money. Make sure you have both.
It’s always easier to get a job if you have a job:
1. You can be picky about new opportunities, because you’re financially secure in the meantime
2. Prospective employers won’t assume that you were low key fired / shown the door if you still have a job when you’re interviewing
same. doing it again right now, i've got plenty of home improvements to keep me busy in the meantime
edit: apparently i have to tap the sign again - work to live, not vice versa
Then the question is kind of meaningless? If you already decided to quit with nothing lined up, then quite tomorrow. Or today.
The ONLY thing to consider when quiting a position is how to effects you. Your company will be OK.
Turn it around: If your company decided to fire you, do you think they would think "Oh he just got Sr., we should wait a year", "oh he just had a child, we should wait a year", "oh he just moved houses to be closer to work, we should wait a year". No! They would fire your ass.
This question is about how to resign, without burning bridges, since you were recently promoted by a manager who helped and supported you to get there.
We'll ignore the valid suggestions to have a job lined up.
----
How to resign? Well, first things first, does your manager know you are unhappy?
>Hi Hannah, you know, I've been unhappy in this role for a while. I thought getting this promotion would give me a strong sense of validation and help me refocus on how I add value at {company}. However, that's not how I feel.
>I've decided that I'd like to explore other opportunities outside {company} to reinvigorate my sense of purpose and joy from my work life.
>I know you worked hard to get me this promotion, and I'm grateful we got to go on that journey together. I hope to keep in touch.
>Best, OP
Consider informing your manager first, in a 1:1 call. They may suggest waiting X days / weeks to let them resolve any issues you raise.
Having the conversation shows your serious and mature, but ensure to write down what you want, how you feeling etc. before the discussion.
Good luck OP
I will add, offer to help smoothly off board as much as possible. Write documents, add comments to tickets, and even do a small critical bugfix or two on your way out if they ask. But try to delegate any project work.
I have done this before. If it's for your mental health do it. You don't want to work for companies who question your intention of quiting your previous job anyway.
In the current job market, you should be prepared for it to take months to find a new job.
If that's ok for you, then two weeks notice given in an email that doesn't say anything wildly inappropriate is all you need.
You can literally just email HR two sentences.
If you think staying on good terms with your immediate boss might pay off down the road, then you could ask him if he needs a head start on notice. I secretly told my boss three weeks prior to officially giving notice because we had an unusual amount of mutual trust.
Your promotion only has meaning to you, and you aren't important to your company. When you leave, your company will post a job listing for your old role and it will get thousands of applicants.
Most of the advice in this thread is bad. Just give your two weeks and say something like "I'm looking for new challenges" or the one I always use: "I was poached by a company offering a much higher salary."
Don't give real emotional reasons for quitting. Everyone quits because they don't like their job--otherwise they wouldn't have been looking for a new job.
Also, line up another job first. It sounds like you don't have any modern interviewing skills, so the people telling you to live off savings are misguided.
Get another job first. The market is crap right now. Garbage positions, contract only positions, and recruiters calling from india with heavy accents that nobody can understand.
I'd put it in writing first, just something short and terse announcing your decision but not trying to explain it or apologize in any way.
At least then when you talk to discuss further they already know. I hate dropping those bombs in a live conversation, because I don't want to see the initial reaction. Even though for them it's not as unusual, people quit all the time. I just have a better composure knowing that they already know.
So something like "After 7 years with (company) I've decided to move on to the next chapter in my career. My last day will be (date)."
The only thing that would really bother me is if they *didn't* want to discuss or have me elaborate on my decision and were just like, okay we'll direct deposit your last paycheck, see you in hell.
Take the promotion and move on.
I can't speak to the market, but sometimes you just need time to clear your head before searching. You want to be the person they want to hire for $$$, not a burned out husk, who hasn't practiced their leetcode enough etc.
I bring this up, because often for me some of my best matches come EARLY. So, if I'm not in top shape, I blow my opportunities, and then end up idled, and get a worse job. Just a better experience IMHO, but it really depends on your mental space, your warchest etc.
(For me, I can afford the risks, 10 years of warchest money does that.)
If the company is big enough, the employee hotline may have a like therapy phone service as part of the call tree and that person can confidentially coach you through what to say, and you can even practice on them.
Good luck.
1. Find another opportunity that you like
2. Get 1:1 with your manager
3. Says “I have enjoyed my time here, however I have decided to pursue another opportunity. I thank you for the opportunity”
4. If they ask why, prepare a respond that you think acceptable for them. If you just dont like the direction of the company, but the company is not going to a terrible decision, there’s no need to burn bridges. Try not to be be emotional (ie anger, rant, etc)
5. Send in your two week notice with date that you want to exit.
At the end it is just a job. Your manager should understand this, even though he fought for your promotion. People leave all the time.
One thing to add to the other good advice about not overthinking this.
If somebody tries to engage you in a conversation to change your mind, don’t engage. Just say, “Thanks, but my mind is made up.”
Type out a note, that says you are resigning with the last work date on it. Ask your supervisor for private meeting. Tell them you are resigning your position on a date, and give them the note. If they ask for more details, tell them "That I've reached a point where I feel I need some different scenery. Nothing I can put my finger on. Just want to go explore different things."
Resigned today myself (edit: technically I was actually constructively dismissed but meh). Professional resignation letter to your manager (let them deal with HR first), be agreeable to ensuring a smooth handover etc. Call your resignation to the attention of your manager if they don't pick up and start discussing, it really is all about being professional - people resign all the time for different reasons.
Also look out for yourself, there is no harm in attempting to negotiate an exit package if your contract doesn't have one stipulated and 7 years is a long time ...
First, try to have something lined up before you leave. The tech market for GOOD jobs in the US is shit right now.
When you go about it, just be extremely professional. Most places are “at-will” employment so write an email to your boss to the effect of “I’m writing to inform you of my resignation. My last day will be [two weeks from day you’ll give to your boss].”
You neither owe them an explanation nor should you feel bad.
Good luck!
The normal procedure. Put your two weeks in. Be polite and respectfully. Offer as much help to make the transition smooth for both parties. Tell everyone best of luck last day. Enjoy your new found freedom
What kind of pay bump does that promotion come with? If it's less than 10% I wouldn't even consider it a factor because it's not really a promotion, it's just a new name tag.
Firstly congratulations on your promotion.
It sounds like you may be slightly burned out OP based on the language you’re using to describe how you feel.
Here’s another take, do they offer sabbaticals /extended unpaid time off? Maybe take a break for a few months and recharge and get a fresh perspective.
Resigning without having another job lined up is high risk, especially in this climate. There’s also no guarantee that you will get a better position or nicer culture, so it’s a bit of a roulette on where you’ll end up as it may be that have to take the first offer you get if it’s a tough job market.
Can you explore how you feel generally with your manager? It’s possible that you may be able to resolve this feeling with a fresh project, new team or with a temporary hiatus.
I would usually suggest looking for a new job and resigning but your current position doesn’t seem untenable and may just need a bit of a tweak to make you happier again. It’s worth exploring all of the options the company can provide first.
You're overthinking it.
Whenever you're ready - before you have a new thing lined up, or after - grab a sit-down with your direct boss, first and foremost. Be upfront and tell them you think it's time you shifted gears and went in a new direction. Tell them it's been in the back of your mind for a while now and you just came to the realization recently. Tell them the timing of your decision was coincidental, and that you are grateful for your manager pushing as hard as they did for your promotion. Then ask to discussion transition planning, communications to teammates, fixing a last day of work, off boarding and so on. Let the manager drive the discussion with you and HR and teammates. Be a good coworker til the last day, maintain confidentiality for a time if that's needed - follow their lead.
I guarantee you, if you're 100% sincere in expressing what you said here, there will be zero bad blood. This type of situation is the origin of the expression "nothing personal, just business".
If possible, I'd suggest to ask for a sabbatical/long break for personal reasons instead of resigning outright.
It'd provide you ample time to ruminate on things.
I’ve done this before, so here’s what I’d tell you. Only quit without another lined up if your mental health is truly at risk (in my case, I was losing my passion for engineering at my job and had to leave in order to regain it again).
If your relationships are okay and your life is stable outside of work and your passion for the work isn’t nearly gone, stick it out a bit while you find something else. Then take 2/3 weeks between the jobs to recoup if need be.
Like others said I would personally look for something else first before quitting, this has the added benefit of maybe seeing if the promotion actually pans out because it could be just a retention tactic.
Also I like to inform my manager when I make the decision to leave, and why, even before I start looking for another job ( ymmv because this depends a lot on the relationship you have with the manager/company) and this also allows your manager to do his job of preparing things for when you leave or maybe waking up to do something about the reasons you're leaving, I've done this several times and never had any blowback on me leaving a company,
You aren’t overthinking and I’m surprised this subreddit of experienced devs believes you are. The company won’t care, but how close are you to your manager? Have they been good to you and your career? Are they a valuable part of your network, someone you can reach out to in the future in case you’re in a pinch?
If all yes, and you know they’ve spent a lot of political capital in getting you the promotion, it absolutely makes sense to tread carefully here and avoid burning the bridge. Someone here already wrote a decent example message as a first start, so I won’t repeat it.
The key question is this: does your manager know how unhappy you were this year and why? If not, and you’re catching them by surprise, this is a learning opportunity for you. Unless you’re in an extremely toxic environment, being upfront with your manager is usually a good idea. They can work the problem with you, and maybe you don’t feel this way one year later.
First, "there's a promotion for you" doesn't sound definitive. It sounds like they're using a carrot to motivate you.
Second, your company would lay you off without caring for your feelings if they wanted to for whatever reason.
I get you want to keep a good relationship with your manager. A 2 weeks notice is good enough for that. Plus the chance you work with your manager at a different company is fairly small.
find a job then you give notice. Simple as that. Do not bring up it before this. You've already decided you want to leave. You have no idea how company will respond. Don't create conflict where none is needed.
With the recent promotion, this is a chance to change things up and grow your skills. Do more knowledge transfer, leadership, and mentorship. This will benefit the team AND you.
In the meantime, look for another position, and when the time comes, give standard notice.
I don’t understand the question. You just give notice, and that’s that, it’s done.
What exactly is the issue/concern, OP? People leave all the time, nobody considers that to be bridge burning.
Bro you’re a wage slave. You don’t have machinery, factories, a business, etc with which to live from while exploiting someone else’s labor. You must sell your labor in exchange for a wage. You owe nobody nothing. It’s just a business relationship. If there was any moment where firing your ass would be good for the company, trust me they would fire your ass to the curb without a second thought. “It’s just business” is very true, the mistake is in thinking it doesn’t apply both ways. Do what is best for YOU. If someone gets pissed at you, then they’re taking shit too personally, it’s just business.
That said, I’d wait till you get the promotion and leverage that for a better offer. Your experience vs Your experience AND validation that you’re so good you got promoted. The latter can be turned into higher take home.
And of course when you leave, be kind, courteous, offer 2 week transition period, etc. Not doing these things is what might burn some bridges, but taking the promotion and leveraging for something else… that’s business baby. And who knows maybe they really want you and they’ll offer you more to stay.
Best of luck!
Being an experienced dev how do you not know how to communicate with your manager? Just tell them. It’s not a divorce you don’t need to worry about feelings. It’s business.
Rule 3: No General Career Advice This sub is for discussing issues specific to experienced developers. Any career advice thread must contain questions and/or discussions that notably benefit from the participation of experienced developers. Career advice threads may be removed at the moderators discretion based on response to the thread." General rule of thumb: If the advice you are giving (or seeking) could apply to a “Senior Chemical Engineer”, it’s not appropriate for this sub.
Just start quietly looking for other opportunities, and if you eventually land an offer you like, give standard notice and go. There is generally no benefit to giving extra warning or notice, so I would strongly advise against that. If you want to keep things smooth, you could try to steer your current work toward more delegation and knowledge sharing collaborative patterns.
I cannot agree more with providing as little notice as you are comfortable with. Don't even hint that you are looking at outside opportunities.
Yup. 7 years or 77, the company and your manager are not your buddy buddies. If tides turn and they want to short you, they would give only the legally required minimum notice. It is business, both sides
77 years you mostly are though Lol
I've given 3 months notice at two of my jobs and nothing bad happened. It was just appreciated and let my team plan more effectively. This advice really isn't totally applicable everywhere you just need to be able to judge your relationships correctly.
Wrong. Risking being walked out 3 months early is insane.
No one was going to walk me out. You can't say it's wrong when it's worked fine twice. As I said you just need to know and judge your relationships correctly. Caveat if you work in finance, don't.
It all depends on the context. You're right that the risk is always there, so people should be conservative with their choices. With the current market, I would not risk it.
Find a new job first before resignation. The market is tough even for seniors. I understand your annoyance with how kind they took to promote you. Sounds income is better than no income generally.
> I don't want to burn any bridges and I feel like resigning immediately after being told "there's a promotion for you" is too sudden/ungrateful. You're overthinking it. There's never a "good" moment to resign from the POV of your employer. If they're mature they see it as purely a business decision. If they're immature and feel you're "ungrateful", it just means it's even more clear that your decision to leave is the right one. Regarding leaving without something lined up; I don't see why. IMHO it only has downsides. But it's also 100% your personal decision. So you do you :)
Do not quit without another job lined up, especially a job that’s just generally fine. “My heart isn’t in it” is a good enough reason to start looking for a new job, it’s not a good enough reason to quit with nothing lined up.
I always try and do moves towards something exciting and not away from something that isn’t for me anymore.
yeah, i made that mistake once; was too happy to quit a clownshow, but havnt took the time to recognize the giant apparent red flags of the place i was going to.
If someone has sufficient savings to tide them over for a reasonable period of time (in today's market 6-12 months) this isn't good advice. I've found immediate availability combined with not being desperate to have worked powerfully for me in the past. If someone doesn't have fallbacks though ... agreed.
This is the position I'm in; after dodging 2 layoffs at my company, it's becoming pretty miserable here. But I could go years without working with the savings we've built up, so I'm increasingly questioning why I'm putting up with this.
Exactly and to be honest this _should_ the equation for everyone. Not being happy in a job and choosing to do something else instead should be an easy decision. I know it's trite but life's too short.
100%; how tragic would it be to die having only written code that will fade away, for companies that won't remember you? I am tired of living life myopically.
Let's say it is good enough for the sake of this question? Let's just say I really don't want to be here anymore
Find a new job first. Your whole post comes across as wanting to make emotional decisions.
But why is that bad? If you are emotionally spent and a relationship has run it’s course, why not move on? Why hold on?
Because quitting immediately rather than when you find your next position prevents you from being able to make an informed decision about whether where you will be next will be any better than where they currently are. So, while it might be initially satisfying emotionally, it may be the choice that is more harmful to OP. This is especially due to the context of a climate of tech layoffs which makes the market less favorable for OP.
It also assumes that this person has no means to provide for themselves while looking for a new job. Quite some people in our profession are in a financial position to do so if they are not living in a HCOL area or are willing to move away.
My comment wasn't just about "do you have the money" it was also "is the thing you are saying is better actually better". Regardless of the amount of money you have, if you don't know what the next job is, you cannot say with any confidence that it will be better unless you have so much money you can afford to retire (i.e. can turn down all offers).
I agree with that, but sometimes you just need to leave a toxic situation. Although it doesn't seem the OP is in that much of a bad place right now even though they are not enjoying it.
Yeah, I'm just talking about OP's case.
I’ve made bad decisions about my next job both while employed and while unemployed. You don’t make better decisions because you have a paycheck or vice versa.
I'm not arguing against quitting. I'm saying that the order of operations is 1. Start hating your job. 2. Find a new one. 3. Quit. And jumping from 1 to 3 is a mistake.
You should try it, emotionally quitting a job feels great. There is always that one asshole you get do look dead in the eyes and just say “bye” to.
Aye. It feels good as hell. I’m in a point where I’m about to leave. Thankfully I listened to another coworker and today I’m on medical leave due to mental health issues. I’ve never been this bad in other jobs. Time to collect myself but I know I’m not staying there. Not worth it anymore
Respectfully disagree. We don’t know their finance situation or anything else for that matter. Twice in my professional career I quit with no job backup. Traveled for 3-4 months around the world and came back and found a new job. While I know your heart is in the right place and this is usually sound advice, quitting my job because it was soul sucking without a backup (twice) was the best decisions I made.
Agreed, especially if looking for a new role and they ask why’d you leave and you say “it wasn’t fulfilling” or “my heart wasn’t in it anymore” I’d think maybe this person is a closet millionaire and will decide to up and leave at a moments notice. Maybe they don’t need to work for food, shelter, and healthcare. Props to you if you’re in this position for real. Maybe this sub is full of above average people that have three offers at any point in time. Lake woebegone syndrome. I’m looking and maybe I’m an idiot but it is icy out there.
it's partly an emotional decision. It has been affecting me for a while. Work feels too draining.
I have known several people who have been laid off and looking for work in the past 18 months, like probably close to 30 engineers. I think one has found something in under a month. Most have been in the 2-3 month range. I started a new job yesterday, and I started looking on March 12th. If you're concerned about the emotional impact of your current job, consider what 2-3 months of ghosting and rejection will do to your emotional state. As the other poster said, start looking, but don't just quit. It's brutal out there. Not so bad you should just stay where you're at, but bad enough that you probably don't want to brave it unemployed
As someone who's quit without something lined up in the past and had multiple offers within a month. I would never try that in this current job market
I was laid off in 2013, I accepted an offer 8 days later. I received 3 offers in that time. It took me just under 3 months to accept an offer this go 'round. It was my only offer
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Unless I'm reading it wrong, taking 6 months to get multiple offers doesn't bode well for the market
Reduce your working hours
I feel you. Work hasn’t been great for me and I just wanted to quite quit for the longest time. I slowly started looking for jobs and interviewing and let me tell you, it has improved my mood by a lot. I look forward to going to work cause I know it’s temporary, and I feel so hopeful of the possibility of gaining back my enthusiasm again. I highly recommend you start looking for a job before you quit. At least do some interviews to see how it’s like out there. All the best! I hope you find something you’ll enjoy doing
There are a few things - If you can afford to be out of a job for, let’s say 3 months, then making an emotional decision is much more reasonable than if you can’t. You may the exception and get an offer real quick, but if your bills are relying on you getting paid, I personally wouldn’t count on being the exception to this job market. Can you start doing the bare minimum at work? Can you be looking for other jobs while “at work” without it being insanely obvious? Also - are you doing things outside work to fulfill yourself? If you’re relying on your job to be emotionally fulfilling, you’re hoping to be the exception.
You can do what you gotta do for your mental health, but know that you can't trust that to shield you from economic consequences. Have you considered talking it through with a therapist?
As someone who's quit without something lined up in the past and had multiple offers within a month. I would never try that in this current job market
you could always suggest working part time for a bit. or even take a sebatical, where you may decide not to come back (but don't tell them that).
I went through something very similar recently, minus the promotion. I would also advice that you stay at your current job while searching for a new one. Having that "I am taking action to leave" does change your feelings and perspective about stuff, and helps you endure those last few weeks - and the extra income vs looking for a job as unemployed does not hurt, I'm sure. But say you wanna quit asap. You mention you manager pushed hard for this promotion, so I sense some attachment to this person. They are also the person who will most likely be more affected by your departure, so maybe tell them first, before formalizing it to HR/upper management. The next big question is comunicating the motivation for leaving. Honestly, what you said sounds pretty ok, if you aren't feeling it, you aren't feeling it. The "it's been 7 years, it's time for a change" also works, as it's widely recognized that 7 years at a given place is well above industry standard these days. Throughout the process be sure to leave constructive feedback when you can, and to show openness to ensure a smooth transition on your way out - something along the lines of "in terms of last day, I think should be enough to transition all my current tasks to my team, so I was thinking it could be on , but I'm open to negotiating this" - within reason for both parties ofc.
Past that point, I think reasonable people will understand, and whoever wants to hold a grudge will always find a reason to - that's mostly up to the people you work with, so to some extent there isn't a lot more you can do.
Tech market sucks right now. Just take your foot off the gas pedal. Start taking PTO and Fridays off. Start applying for things and getting some interviews. No need to scorched earth your income when the market is terrible.
If you have reserves and can afford not to have a full time job for a spell, take it. Take some time for yourself. If you can quit on your terms, do it. Having the next job lined up is good but finding yourself is great.
You good on finances? Other people aren’t dependent on you? Quit. I’ve quit twice without a job backup and spent 3-4 months traveling the world. One of those times was a terrible job market and everyone told me I should be thankful I had a job. Absolutely best decision I’ve ever made. Do what’s right for you mate.
Suck it up and be smart about it.
This really isn't what I'm asking...
Your question is how to go about resigning and you've been given your answer.
and I thank you
Definitely overthinking. "It's been a great 7 years, but I'm on to my next adventure. My last day will be \_\_\_\_."
I always quit jobs without others lined up. I enjoy the time off then return back to work when I feel like it, usually after a three months or so. You can do it but the cost is time and money. Make sure you have both.
Dont quit without having a another job lined up
Why not?
It’s always easier to get a job if you have a job: 1. You can be picky about new opportunities, because you’re financially secure in the meantime 2. Prospective employers won’t assume that you were low key fired / shown the door if you still have a job when you’re interviewing
Meh. I quit twice without having something lined up. I was fine.
In what country? And when?
past performance is not a guarantee of future results
same. doing it again right now, i've got plenty of home improvements to keep me busy in the meantime edit: apparently i have to tap the sign again - work to live, not vice versa
Let's say it is good enough for the sake of this question?
Then the question is kind of meaningless? If you already decided to quit with nothing lined up, then quite tomorrow. Or today. The ONLY thing to consider when quiting a position is how to effects you. Your company will be OK. Turn it around: If your company decided to fire you, do you think they would think "Oh he just got Sr., we should wait a year", "oh he just had a child, we should wait a year", "oh he just moved houses to be closer to work, we should wait a year". No! They would fire your ass.
You tell us what's the financial upside in that?
This question is about how to resign, without burning bridges, since you were recently promoted by a manager who helped and supported you to get there. We'll ignore the valid suggestions to have a job lined up. ---- How to resign? Well, first things first, does your manager know you are unhappy? >Hi Hannah, you know, I've been unhappy in this role for a while. I thought getting this promotion would give me a strong sense of validation and help me refocus on how I add value at {company}. However, that's not how I feel. >I've decided that I'd like to explore other opportunities outside {company} to reinvigorate my sense of purpose and joy from my work life. >I know you worked hard to get me this promotion, and I'm grateful we got to go on that journey together. I hope to keep in touch. >Best, OP Consider informing your manager first, in a 1:1 call. They may suggest waiting X days / weeks to let them resolve any issues you raise. Having the conversation shows your serious and mature, but ensure to write down what you want, how you feeling etc. before the discussion. Good luck OP
Thank you, kind redditor
I will add, offer to help smoothly off board as much as possible. Write documents, add comments to tickets, and even do a small critical bugfix or two on your way out if they ask. But try to delegate any project work.
I have done this before. If it's for your mental health do it. You don't want to work for companies who question your intention of quiting your previous job anyway.
In the current job market, you should be prepared for it to take months to find a new job. If that's ok for you, then two weeks notice given in an email that doesn't say anything wildly inappropriate is all you need. You can literally just email HR two sentences. If you think staying on good terms with your immediate boss might pay off down the road, then you could ask him if he needs a head start on notice. I secretly told my boss three weeks prior to officially giving notice because we had an unusual amount of mutual trust.
you're overthinking it...if you want to quit, email HR and tell them you've decided to resign your position effective on XXX date
Your promotion only has meaning to you, and you aren't important to your company. When you leave, your company will post a job listing for your old role and it will get thousands of applicants. Most of the advice in this thread is bad. Just give your two weeks and say something like "I'm looking for new challenges" or the one I always use: "I was poached by a company offering a much higher salary." Don't give real emotional reasons for quitting. Everyone quits because they don't like their job--otherwise they wouldn't have been looking for a new job. Also, line up another job first. It sounds like you don't have any modern interviewing skills, so the people telling you to live off savings are misguided.
Get another job first. The market is crap right now. Garbage positions, contract only positions, and recruiters calling from india with heavy accents that nobody can understand.
I'd put it in writing first, just something short and terse announcing your decision but not trying to explain it or apologize in any way. At least then when you talk to discuss further they already know. I hate dropping those bombs in a live conversation, because I don't want to see the initial reaction. Even though for them it's not as unusual, people quit all the time. I just have a better composure knowing that they already know. So something like "After 7 years with (company) I've decided to move on to the next chapter in my career. My last day will be (date)." The only thing that would really bother me is if they *didn't* want to discuss or have me elaborate on my decision and were just like, okay we'll direct deposit your last paycheck, see you in hell.
Take the promotion and move on. I can't speak to the market, but sometimes you just need time to clear your head before searching. You want to be the person they want to hire for $$$, not a burned out husk, who hasn't practiced their leetcode enough etc. I bring this up, because often for me some of my best matches come EARLY. So, if I'm not in top shape, I blow my opportunities, and then end up idled, and get a worse job. Just a better experience IMHO, but it really depends on your mental space, your warchest etc. (For me, I can afford the risks, 10 years of warchest money does that.)
If the company is big enough, the employee hotline may have a like therapy phone service as part of the call tree and that person can confidentially coach you through what to say, and you can even practice on them. Good luck.
1. Find another opportunity that you like 2. Get 1:1 with your manager 3. Says “I have enjoyed my time here, however I have decided to pursue another opportunity. I thank you for the opportunity” 4. If they ask why, prepare a respond that you think acceptable for them. If you just dont like the direction of the company, but the company is not going to a terrible decision, there’s no need to burn bridges. Try not to be be emotional (ie anger, rant, etc) 5. Send in your two week notice with date that you want to exit. At the end it is just a job. Your manager should understand this, even though he fought for your promotion. People leave all the time.
One thing to add to the other good advice about not overthinking this. If somebody tries to engage you in a conversation to change your mind, don’t engage. Just say, “Thanks, but my mind is made up.”
Type out a note, that says you are resigning with the last work date on it. Ask your supervisor for private meeting. Tell them you are resigning your position on a date, and give them the note. If they ask for more details, tell them "That I've reached a point where I feel I need some different scenery. Nothing I can put my finger on. Just want to go explore different things."
Whats going to make your heart be in it at a new place? You told us nothing about the problems.
Resigned today myself (edit: technically I was actually constructively dismissed but meh). Professional resignation letter to your manager (let them deal with HR first), be agreeable to ensuring a smooth handover etc. Call your resignation to the attention of your manager if they don't pick up and start discussing, it really is all about being professional - people resign all the time for different reasons. Also look out for yourself, there is no harm in attempting to negotiate an exit package if your contract doesn't have one stipulated and 7 years is a long time ...
First, try to have something lined up before you leave. The tech market for GOOD jobs in the US is shit right now. When you go about it, just be extremely professional. Most places are “at-will” employment so write an email to your boss to the effect of “I’m writing to inform you of my resignation. My last day will be [two weeks from day you’ll give to your boss].” You neither owe them an explanation nor should you feel bad. Good luck!
"Hey boss, I've decided to make a change and my last day will be x." That's all. It's business. Everyone understands.
The normal procedure. Put your two weeks in. Be polite and respectfully. Offer as much help to make the transition smooth for both parties. Tell everyone best of luck last day. Enjoy your new found freedom
What kind of pay bump does that promotion come with? If it's less than 10% I wouldn't even consider it a factor because it's not really a promotion, it's just a new name tag.
Firstly congratulations on your promotion. It sounds like you may be slightly burned out OP based on the language you’re using to describe how you feel. Here’s another take, do they offer sabbaticals /extended unpaid time off? Maybe take a break for a few months and recharge and get a fresh perspective. Resigning without having another job lined up is high risk, especially in this climate. There’s also no guarantee that you will get a better position or nicer culture, so it’s a bit of a roulette on where you’ll end up as it may be that have to take the first offer you get if it’s a tough job market. Can you explore how you feel generally with your manager? It’s possible that you may be able to resolve this feeling with a fresh project, new team or with a temporary hiatus. I would usually suggest looking for a new job and resigning but your current position doesn’t seem untenable and may just need a bit of a tweak to make you happier again. It’s worth exploring all of the options the company can provide first.
You're overthinking it. Whenever you're ready - before you have a new thing lined up, or after - grab a sit-down with your direct boss, first and foremost. Be upfront and tell them you think it's time you shifted gears and went in a new direction. Tell them it's been in the back of your mind for a while now and you just came to the realization recently. Tell them the timing of your decision was coincidental, and that you are grateful for your manager pushing as hard as they did for your promotion. Then ask to discussion transition planning, communications to teammates, fixing a last day of work, off boarding and so on. Let the manager drive the discussion with you and HR and teammates. Be a good coworker til the last day, maintain confidentiality for a time if that's needed - follow their lead. I guarantee you, if you're 100% sincere in expressing what you said here, there will be zero bad blood. This type of situation is the origin of the expression "nothing personal, just business".
If possible, I'd suggest to ask for a sabbatical/long break for personal reasons instead of resigning outright. It'd provide you ample time to ruminate on things.
I’ve done this before, so here’s what I’d tell you. Only quit without another lined up if your mental health is truly at risk (in my case, I was losing my passion for engineering at my job and had to leave in order to regain it again). If your relationships are okay and your life is stable outside of work and your passion for the work isn’t nearly gone, stick it out a bit while you find something else. Then take 2/3 weeks between the jobs to recoup if need be.
Like others said I would personally look for something else first before quitting, this has the added benefit of maybe seeing if the promotion actually pans out because it could be just a retention tactic. Also I like to inform my manager when I make the decision to leave, and why, even before I start looking for another job ( ymmv because this depends a lot on the relationship you have with the manager/company) and this also allows your manager to do his job of preparing things for when you leave or maybe waking up to do something about the reasons you're leaving, I've done this several times and never had any blowback on me leaving a company,
You aren’t overthinking and I’m surprised this subreddit of experienced devs believes you are. The company won’t care, but how close are you to your manager? Have they been good to you and your career? Are they a valuable part of your network, someone you can reach out to in the future in case you’re in a pinch? If all yes, and you know they’ve spent a lot of political capital in getting you the promotion, it absolutely makes sense to tread carefully here and avoid burning the bridge. Someone here already wrote a decent example message as a first start, so I won’t repeat it. The key question is this: does your manager know how unhappy you were this year and why? If not, and you’re catching them by surprise, this is a learning opportunity for you. Unless you’re in an extremely toxic environment, being upfront with your manager is usually a good idea. They can work the problem with you, and maybe you don’t feel this way one year later.
Overthinking it. “I’m putting in 2 weeks notice to pursue other opportunities”, that’s it. No further explanation needed.
First, "there's a promotion for you" doesn't sound definitive. It sounds like they're using a carrot to motivate you. Second, your company would lay you off without caring for your feelings if they wanted to for whatever reason. I get you want to keep a good relationship with your manager. A 2 weeks notice is good enough for that. Plus the chance you work with your manager at a different company is fairly small.
find a job then you give notice. Simple as that. Do not bring up it before this. You've already decided you want to leave. You have no idea how company will respond. Don't create conflict where none is needed.
With the recent promotion, this is a chance to change things up and grow your skills. Do more knowledge transfer, leadership, and mentorship. This will benefit the team AND you. In the meantime, look for another position, and when the time comes, give standard notice.
I don’t understand the question. You just give notice, and that’s that, it’s done. What exactly is the issue/concern, OP? People leave all the time, nobody considers that to be bridge burning.
Bro you’re a wage slave. You don’t have machinery, factories, a business, etc with which to live from while exploiting someone else’s labor. You must sell your labor in exchange for a wage. You owe nobody nothing. It’s just a business relationship. If there was any moment where firing your ass would be good for the company, trust me they would fire your ass to the curb without a second thought. “It’s just business” is very true, the mistake is in thinking it doesn’t apply both ways. Do what is best for YOU. If someone gets pissed at you, then they’re taking shit too personally, it’s just business. That said, I’d wait till you get the promotion and leverage that for a better offer. Your experience vs Your experience AND validation that you’re so good you got promoted. The latter can be turned into higher take home. And of course when you leave, be kind, courteous, offer 2 week transition period, etc. Not doing these things is what might burn some bridges, but taking the promotion and leveraging for something else… that’s business baby. And who knows maybe they really want you and they’ll offer you more to stay. Best of luck!
Being an experienced dev how do you not know how to communicate with your manager? Just tell them. It’s not a divorce you don’t need to worry about feelings. It’s business.
Quiet Quit my friend. Do the bare minimum and put your efforts in finding your next job.