Before you quit your job, take care of a few things

Do you remember a few years ago when quitting out loud was all the rage? YouTube and social media were lit up with people topping each other with the most flamboyant ways to quit their jobs. Bands were hired, billboards were customized, singing telegrams were delivered … disgruntled workers could hardly wait to tell the world how they felt about their jobs.

I wasn’t a fan of the trend, but I’m old-fashioned that way. I still favor giving a little notice, but if someone’s going to leave in a huff, a simple “I quit” will do. No need to be obnoxious about it.

Quitting is in the news again, although not for the spectacle of it. Now the sheer number of job quitters is grabbing attention, with more people voluntarily leaving their positions than any other time in the past 30 years.

All I can say is we’ve come a long way. This may seem odd to millennials or even Gen-Xers, but it wasn’t long ago when people felt ashamed to be out of work. You could be rich and own five homes but if you weren’t going to work, something was wrong with you.

Those weren’t the good old days, in my view. For fear of cultural approbation, workers stuck with abusive bosses or low wages or unfulfilling positions. But if they left, new employers might decline to hire them, under the assumption that someone who quits without new employment is unreliable or a job hopper.

Overall, it’s a good thing that workers are feeling more freedom of movement. It’s better for the worker and, eventually, it will be better for the workplace when more jobs are held by people who want to be there, not by those who feel trapped into staying.

Unfortunately, not everyone who’s quitting right now is exercising some new-found sense of freedom. Lack of day care, fear of getting sick, and just plain burnout are driving a lot of the job departures that are filling up economists’ stat sheets.

Like everything else in our work lives, there are good and less-good ways to do things. If you’re toying with the idea of leaving, whether from necessity or to fulfill a personal dream, you’re probably not lining up a brass band to give the announcement. But what departure plans are you making instead?

Following are five things to do at your job before giving notice. Next week’s column will provide five more things to do in your personal life, with a final column on five things to do in your career before pulling the plug on your job.

Talk to your boss. This may be the last thing you want to do, but think about it: If you’re going to quit anyway, what’s the harm? Set a meeting and explain that you’re thinking of leaving, then see what transpires. You might not change your mind, but then again, you might end up with a raise or a better schedule while you complete your plans.

Look for internal opportunities. Maybe you don’t need to quit so much as you need a change of pace. New committees, projects or a new job altogether might make it possible to stay longer with the same employer.

Prepare to leave. Just in case things go faster than you expect, start now to collect contact information for your co-workers or others you want to stay in touch with, as well as work samples for your portfolio. While you’re at it, clean out your computer, truck, locker, desk or work station so you can make a quicker exit when it’s time.

Upgrade your training. If you’re planning to stay a few months or more, look for company training you can access in the meantime. That could be software upgrades, management classes, license renewals, etc.

Check your timing. Does your company pay bonuses in March? Then don’t leave in February if you can help it. Do you get depressed in the winter? Then it might not be smart to be unemployed when the snow flies. Since you’re controlling this job departure, make sure the timing suits you as well.

What if you just want to leave now? If you’re too burned-out to make plans, take a sick day, breath deep and think once more just to be sure. Or wait for the next two columns to see what else you might want to do before flying the coop.