There can be a time in our life when we dislike our job to the point that we simply give our resignation letter to our boss and quit.  For Goldman Sachs executive, Greg Smith, he not only resigned from his company, but he published his resignation letter in the New York Times and wrote how much his company sucks.  It’s a bold move that many us can only fantasize about as a way to publicly express our work related gripes and walk in the glory of shame we put on the company.  It is akin to publicly breaking up with your loved one on Facebook and expressing in your status update how bad of a person he or she it.

Although there is temporary satisfaction, it comes at a cost that can outweigh the benefits.  There are two major costs.  Greg has tarnished many of his relationships with executives and employees at Goldman.  They have had to endure financial and mental suffering as a result of his behaviour.  He also will probably find it hard to work at another financial firm or company outside the industry again.  The concern will always be whether he will publicly express his gripes instead of doing so directly and privately with the person he has a problem with.

From this I have put together my top 5 list of ways not to quit your job.

1.  The Obvious.  If you feel negatively about your company, don’t publicized your resignation letter and why you are leaving to everyone. Do so privately with your boss.  Anything negative you say to others will only reflect poorly on you.

2. The One Hour Notice.  Give your employer sometime to adjust and get ready for your departure from the company.  A two week notice of your resignation is a standard rule.  A short notice of your resignation will only hurt your relationship with your boss.  You never know when and how you will need your boss again in the future.

3.  The Rant.  Waiting until the last day of your job to tell your boss all of the negative things that you wanted to say to him but haven’t would not be the best idea.  You will not only hurt your relationship with your boss, but it will be put on your record.  If your company were ever to go in a direction that you like you wouldn’t be able to work there ever again because of your previous actions.

4.  The No Show.  The art of simply not showing up to work anymore only can make you look bad.  Others will think that you didn’t even have the courage to communicate your resignation at all.

5.  The Text or Email.  Quiting any job is a very personal thing. Consequently, it is best reserved to be done in person.  It probably would not be a good idea to communicate your your resignation via a text message or a email from the comfort of your home.  It would definitely prevent you from using your employer as a reference.