How to Avoid Burning Bridges In The Workplace

In most cases, you can–and should–try to stay on good terms whether you’re the one leaving or being left. Why?

Because it’s a small world and you never know when professional paths will cross again…

• Badmouthing will get you nowhere. As tempting as it is to talk about your former boss being a jerk, keep it to yourself. Keep it definitely out of social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
• You never know when you’ll meet again. While you may think your paths won’t ever cross with an old boss or employee with whom you had it out, it’s likely that they will. Or that you’ll connect with them again through others, particularly in the era of LinkedIn and Facebook, whether you want to or not. In most industries, the same people move around from company to company and tend to know one another.
• Not saying goodbye to your work friends. Don’t just ghost.
• Avoiding people when you see them out in public. If you’ve made a graceful exit, you shouldn’t need to do a total 180 when I see you in the grocery store.
• Not saying thank you to the people you’re leaving who’ve helped your career. The boss who promoted you twice? A nice note will go a long way.
• Making a scene. Unless you’re leaving because you won the Powerball, this is not the time to tell everyone how you really feel. You’ll need them again eventually.
• You want a good reference. You want as many people saying positive things about you in the workplace as possible. Even if you quit to take another job or got laid off from one, you may still be able to ask for a recommendation for future jobs. If you conduct yourself in a professional manner, stay focused until your last day (i.e. not “checking out” in the last two weeks of your current position) and leave on good terms you should be able to secure a reference letter from your employer or, at the very least, have them say that you were a class act in your final days with the company.

All in all, leaving a job on a positive and professional note can do wonders for your career.