Wednesday, August 27, 2008

my haiku resignation letter


I did something freeing today. I quit my job.

This was something that was a long time coming. I'd already submitted my resignation in May and then ended up staying after I was able to negotiate a raise. Still, I knew the raise was only a temporary fix. The issues I had with the direction the business was heading and with the working conditions weren't likely to change. It could have been worse. But it should have been much better.

After a really positive interview yesterday that culminated with a great job offer, I knew I was going to quit. I would have been a fool to turn down a position that was more conveniently located and offered me better compensation and a much nicer work environment (ergonomically and aesthetically). Further reflection and discussion with Bryn made me realize that I wanted to be finished with my current position immediately. It wasn't like I needed a positive reference from the owner, both because my skill is in high demand and because I'm planning on transitioning into a different industry in a couple years when I am finished with my degree. Plus, although the owner was always talking about "assuming positive intent," my direct dealings (with the owner) have been largely negative.

But how to do it? Well, the first time I resigned I spent a lot of time writing a thoughtfully thorough letter that detailed exactly why I was leaving that I sent directly to the owner to which I received absolutely no response. This time, instead of putting a lot of energy into it, I emailed a simple haiku:

A new job offer
that I accepted today.
I will not be back.

I figured it was simple and to the point. And how likely was it that I would be in a situation where I could quit my job with a haiku again? I titled the email "Effective Immediately" and hit the send button. The only response tonight was a voicemail from the recently hired district manager asking me to give her a call. Although I feel bad for the district manager, and for my coworkers who may have to deal with covering my shift tomorrow, it isn't enough to make me want to continue working for a person who has been disingenuous and for whom I lack respect both professionally and personally.

Stick a fork in me, I'm done!

(Note: The original first line read, "Another job offer" which has six syllables instead of five. Sadly, that was the version that I sent, which is what I get for writing and emailing it quickly without proofreading it first. What can I say? I was running on adrenaline!)

2 comments:

Snotty McSnotterson said...

LOOK AT ME, WRITING ABOUT YOU, BEING PROUD. You rock, mister.

Anonymous said...

Now this is creativity. Who cares about the syllable order. How many people can say they quit their job via haiku. I'm impressed. LOL