Reader Responses January 22, 2009

SURVEY SAYS: What's the Most Fun/Satisfaction You Ever Had Quitting a Job?

January 22, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Because "parting" really can be such sweet sorrow, as a bonus question this week I asked readers what was the most fun/satisfaction they ever had quitting a job.

Reported by

Nevin E. Adams

There’s obviously no meaningful way to tabulate the responses, but some of my favorites were:

“The one in my dreams — where I win the lottery and get to quit the next day, with no notice and not caring about all the things on my “to do” list at work that aren’t done! The one where I don’t have to start a new job. And most importantly, the time when I get to tell everyone the real reasons I didn’t want to stay, instead of having to put some positive spin on things so I don’t burn my bridges!”

“When the new job I was taking was a significant move up in salary, moving my new earnings beyond what my current boss was earning.”

“Fun: the going away party with co-workers and not having to work the next couple of weeks. Satisfaction: professionally confirming my market rate to my boss.”

“When my client found out I was leaving the company, my client hired me to help manage the very vendor I was leaving. My former bosses were not too happy, but I sure was.”

“The most satisfaction I got was hearing after I left that job that the gal that I had trained for the position couldn’t hack it because it was too hard and asked to move departments before a year was even up.”

“I haven’t yet, but I’m sure going to have fun leaving this one! (Only because I’ll be retiring, not because I don’t like it.)”

“Telling my manager that 4 pm on my last day was not the time to begin transition training. She was much too busy before that time.”

“It’s never been fun leaving a job but at one job I left the owner made a snide remark about leaving for more money but I informed him I was actually getting less at my new position. I think it hit home that he was the reason I was leaving.”

“Telling my boss that I was going to a client, and that they would take the service out to bid.”

“I was asked to stay on as a consultant and my consultant’s fees were twice as much as the salary they previously paid me!”

“The realization that, in my new job, I can go home at lunch and play with my dog.”

But this special bonus question survey’s Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said “â€¦the most satisfaction/fun was when I left a job where I was responsible for new associate orientation. This goes back a few years, I left after receiving my graduate degree, which was very threatening to my boss. So upon leaving I took the slide of her shown every orientation and drew a mustache on her face. When our assistant who was a very nice person, showed it at the next orientation she could not wait to call me and tell me how hilarious it was.”

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!

The one in my dreams -- where I win the lottery and get to quit the next day, with no notice and not caring about all the things on my "to do" list at work that aren't done! The one where I don't have to start a new job. And most importantly, the time when I get to tell everyone the real reasons I didn't want to stay, instead of having to put some positive spin on things so I don't burn my bridges! Ahh -- fantasy is nice, isn't it?

Hearing about how -- without me to rely on -- my former boss's glaring inadequacies were exposed soon after I left...

Only working 40 hrs. / week during my 2 week notice period!

When the new job I was taking was a significant move up in salary, moving my new earnings beyond what my current boss was earning.

When I got to leave a stingy boss from a small pension firm that held salaries frozen for two years prior despite our continued solid billing rates.

Fun: the going away party with co-workers and not having to work the next couple of weeks. Satisfaction: professionally confirming my market rate to my boss.

The co-worker in question was a bit psychotic. She was perfectly nice to me until I announced my engagement. At that point she looked for opportunities to harass me, including hitting me over the head with rolled up papers and "accidentally" telling me about my surprise wedding shower. No one believed my side of the story, however, until another coworker -- who caught the bouquet at my wedding -- announced her own engagement. The psychotic old maid then struck again until she drove her to quit too.

I've never enjoyed leaving because doing so meant leaving some really good people behind.

My last real job (other than temp work) was with a personal injury attorney. He was a good attorney but a lousy boss. He kept trying to get me to quit but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. The best day was when he laid me off and had to pay me severance and give me other benefits. Some men should never argue with a Southern woman. They don't stand a chance.

When my client found out I was leaving the company, my client hired me to help manage the very vendor I was leaving. My former bosses were not too happy, but I sure was.

Watching the crash and burn after I was gone.

From my last job - from giving my two weeks' notice on my boss' birthday, to hearing a 'better' offer to retain me practically every day after that (even though in my mind there was NO WAY I'd ever consider staying with that firm).

Hmmm.. I blew up and walked out of a job at McDonald's once 🙂 And although I left Wachovia for multiple reasons above, it wasn't necessarily fun. It was a "parting is such sweet sorrow" thing as I recall. *sigh*

When I quit wrote letter to the President highlighting the robbery they did to the field rep's.

I'm only on my second career -- my first job lasted 16 years and I'm ten years at this one. Quitting my last job resulted in an overwhelming feeling of relief, but I got no satisfaction from management.

Quitting my job in a great economy (clearly, many years ago) when I didn't even have another job lined up. I had another offer by the time my 3 weeks notice was up.

I gave a month's notice, and said that since that would mean leaving in the middle of a week that I would stay to the end of the week. By doing so I got an additional year's retirement contribution and vesting.

Our director repeatedly told us, "If you're not happy leave." He even said it during a townhall meeting. It was great to finally say, "Ok, I will." Especially when I got to tell them I was leaving because of how miserable he made us and not for a better opportunity.

Resigning "effective immediately".

I had limited opportunity for advancement that I was OK with when I enjoyed my job. Over the course of a couple of years (which I kept telling myself would change back to the happy times) everything became my fault & I was consistently blamed for everything that went wrong anywhere in the office. I quit the job as a Christmas present to myself and didn't even try to find another for a month. I had a job before the month was up at a wonderful company that praised me & promoted me within a year.

There was great satisfaction in knowing I left my previous employer jsut six months before they filed for bankruptcy. But there was nothing fun or satisfying about learning my former co-workers were uncermoniously walked out the door.

Quitting my great paying job as a headhunter. I hated it. I made good money but I felt as if I was using my people skills for the dark side of the force.

Many years ago, I worked as a union carpenter. I was sick of my job, and took a 'mental health day' on my birthday, a Thursday that year. When I came in to work the next day, a Friday, there was no one there - they'd all been laid off. The foreman then laid me off - and I could barely refrain from hugging him! What a perfect birthday present!

I got a lot of satisfaction from the story of a friend of mine who was promised an exciting experience as a legal intern for the summer at a law firm in New York City. While his law school colleagues who interned at other firms were wined and dined at the most exclusive restaurants and clubs and given easy and enjoyable projects, he slogged out the summer at his firm doing all-day document reviews, editing boring partner speeches, and his dining perks consisted of having cold sandwiches or hot dogs delivered to the office so that he could eat while he worked. When the summer internship was over, he was given a t-shirt that read: "Summer Intern for [firm name]" emblazoned across the front. He went down to the street and found the most drunken, unshaven panhandler and paid him $20 to wear the t-shirt in front of the law firm's building all day. He said it was the best $20 he ever spent!

being the only one with network administrator duties.

The most satisfaction I got was hearing after I left that job that the gal that I had trained for the position couldn't hack it because it was too hard and asked to move departments before a year was even up.

I haven't yet, but I'm sure going to have fun leaving this one! (Only becuase I'll be retiring, not because I don't like it.)

I was relieved to leave my last job per the experience described above. However, the most satisfaction/fun was when I left a job where I was responsible for new associate orientation. This goes back a few years, I left after recieving my graduate degree, which was very threatening to my boss. So upon leaving I took the slide of her shown every orientation and drew a mustache on her face. When our assistant who was a very nice person, showed it at the next orientation she could not wait to call me and tell me how hilarious it was.

I was teaching at a private school and had just completed my MA degree. When talking to the principal about a raise for the following year, he told me no, so I told him I would have to look for another position. The next day he put listed my position in the newspaper. I "reapplied" for my job, but kept looking anyway. I eventually found another position during the summer and was able to tell him good bye for good.

Telling my manager that 4 pm on my last day was not the time to begin transition training. She was much too busy before that time. However, it had the lasting effect of feeling that my contribution was not valued.

I've always fantasized about quitting a job with flair and drama (you know, yelling "I quit!" at my boss and storming out, leaving a trail of unfinished projects behind), but I always seem to have the quite dull good sense to leave on good terms without burning bridges behind me.

It's never been fun leaving a job but at one job I left the owner made a snide remark about leaving for more money but I informed him I was actually getting less at my new position. I think it hit home that he was the reason I was leaving.

Hopefully it will be when I find something so I can leave this sinking ship that cares nothing for the rank and file human beings out in the plants that do the work. And hopefully my next job will let me actually take care of all employees, not just executives.

Gave myself a 30th birthday present by providing my 2 weeks notice.

I was given an assignment 1 week prior to my resignation. It was one I was trying to avoid for a long time. I guess I showed them

Quitting a job where I had been putting in 70+ hours a week and continually being denied resources needed. After I left, the new manager was failing to keep up and cursing me for leaving. Eventually a major restructing took place and an additional manager hired.

Actually, when I was canned from last job, that was the most satisfaction. It was high-stress, being run by incompent owner, and was looking anyway. I hadn't felt that good in a long time!

Realization that I could advance in my career without having to work around the clock...and that I can/should be appreciated for my work.

I had a boss who would never open emails much less read them. Since I was in a different building, I emailed her my resignation. 24 hours later after the email was not opened, I forwarded it to her again and copied our VP. The VP called me instantly wanting to know why I was leaving.

Turning down an incredible counter offer for all the right reasons, knowing I hadn't sold out.

Telling an unreasonable boss who worked from 10 to 7 and complained that I wasn't in the office at 6 pm when I worked a normal 8 to 5 schedule. This joker also told me on a review that I wasn't doing a particular task as well as the others but then gave me a monetary award at a company event for doing this task the best. Go figure! I changed careers at this point and haven't looked back.

In college I worked as a cook at a chain restaurant. I was working the fryer one night and had a large second degree burn on my forearm and they were so busy they would not let me go home to tend to my injury. Months later as spring exams approached my hours kept increasing even after repeated requests from me to cut back my hours so I could spend more time on school work. A month before exams they scheduled me to work nearly 80 hours over a two week period. They day the schedule was posted I submitted my two week notice and danced a jig on my way home that night!

The company I worked for had a generic farewell gathering whenever someone at my level left. On my last day I swiped the cake out of the fridge and went home early. Well before the party. Best cake I ever tasted.

About a month after one career move, they fired my ex-spouse and her executive "friend" for conduct unbecoming.

This last job. The relief of no longer having to commute 160 miles and instead can walk 50 feet to my office is the greatest satisfaction I got from quitting.

I can't say I ever enjoyed leaving a position...but I did find it interesting that, after I left one job, the person they told would be assigned to it, started crying and quit shortly thereafter.

Heck after 38 years and in 6 jobs in HR, I was laid off 4 times and only elected to leave the first & the last. Fun/satusfaction were not factor!

I was asked to stay on as a consultant and my consultant's fees were twice as much as the salary they previously paid me!

telling my boss that I was going to a client, and that they would take the service out to bid

Being able - after being told I would never advance any higher - to list the reason I left was to take a director's position. It's been three very sucessful years and each time I run into one of my old co-workers I just have to smile!

The realization that, in my new job, I can go home at lunch and play with my dog.

Leaving politely with much critical business information & history contained in my head after 11 years on the job. It took two people to replace me.

Burning a bridge and telling my Manager to "Go to ****"

My last one - because I got 9 months severance including health benefits. Getting paid not to work - doesn't get any better than that.