By Colleen J. Miller

Managing Editor

It may seem odd to you to be reading a column about quitting a job while everyone else is preparing you to find one.

But I think that the getting-the-job part has been covered by Yahoo! news’ interview tips and Oakland University’s networking opportunities. So as managing editor of The Oakland Post, and an experienced quitter of many a job, I’d like to share some quitting tips for when you’re ready to have a go at a different life experience.

•First things first — if after the interview you realize you don’t really want the job, for whatever reason, don’t accept it just because it’s offered to you. This will save you, the boss, your interim co-workers and the payroll department a lot of grief.

• If you have a modicum of gratitude or respect for your co-workers and the work that they do, give them ample notice, catch up and organize your work for an easier transition. If you’ve been there a long time and are the only one that knows what’s going on, it’s only decent to offer to train your replacement. Make your last impression a good one because you could work with those people again some day. Besides, why have all your hard work wasted if nobody there will be a lasting contact or reference?

• Have another job lined up, if not overlapping your last couple weeks. It’s a terrible place to be when you quit a job for greener pastures and it ends up being a huge mistake.

Have a quit tip? Comment on this column on

oaklandpostonline.com