As everyone knows, the initial impression (interview and first days of employment) are paramount to career success by setting into motion employer expectations and paving future consideration. As a result, common sense dictates that your behavior should be nothing less than professional in nature and always timely in consequence. How many readers would enter a relationship, personal or professional, without being on their top behavior? For those with a sore cheek due to an inappropriate first contact, you know what I’m talking about.
The employment arena holds forth certain truths and expectations as we know. Unfortunately, not as many individuals adhere to the concept of departing relationships with the same degree of respect. Bringing truth to the surface, leaving a position carries baggage of its own; and this goes for personal as well as professional situations. When was the last time you took the role of the invisible superhero—how did that turn out? Hmm, I guess that’s why Elton John calls it the blues.
Let me give you a recent example of professional courtesy and you tell me if the employee burned any bridges upon employment separation. Let’s call this young lady (who was employed for just over 90 days) Sam. As many readers will attest, (self included) health issues can disallow a consistent work schedule; thus, holding ill-feelings against an employee for things that are out of their control is not always the right thing to do, though is often what does happen… when was the last time you spent a few minutes at the gossip water fountain? I thought so. For Sam, her health forced her to make a choice.
For the first 60 days Sam was the ideal employee. Great attitude, super work ethic, and was making a positive effect on the bottom line. Unfortunately health issues caught up and she was unable to perform her duties. She made the choice to severe our business relationship and did the right thing by personally notifying me of her inability to continue and a time/day was scheduled for her to pick up belongings. This act of professional courtesy meant a great deal, not only for the moment, but also for future consideration. The option of not calling and simply not showing up could have been chosen. The option of not showing up occurs more often than not as it is, for many employees, the easy and cowardly way to end employment.
Bit of advice: when a decision has been made by an employee to no longer work for a company, ALWAYS inform your supervisor. In the case of Sam, her bridge to this company remains open and when she is capable of returning, she has a home and a group of people who genuinely care about her. I believe that’s what makes a company and its employees successful.
On this same note, how many readers decided to leave a company and “accidently” forgot to inform your supervisor, choosing option number 2 and quietly vanish into thin air, leaving your employer in the dark? No doubt we’ve all done it, but that does not make it right.
Building bridges between networks and employment histories is part of maturing as a professional and person. Keeping those bridges, even if the path did not work out, is just as important.
When you get a few minutes, let me know some of the situations you encountered used to justify your disappearance act?
Tomorrow is built upon Today’s action(s) and Yesterday is the glue binding all… think about it.
Danny Huffman, MA, CEIP, CPRW, CPCC, is an author, educator and business owner of Career Services International-Education Career Services. For more information please visit
our Student-Centered Career Blog at www.educationcs.wordpress.com.
For service inquiries, contact Paula at 1-866-794-3337 ext. 119.
Interesting story as something close to that happened to me while I was interviewing a few years back. What is this site going to be concentrating on? I am interested in looking for another position but not sure what steps to take. Will your report go into depth? If I ask for specific topics, will you be able to respond and, if so, when?
Thanks for the info and will check out your column.
Nice read! The truth is really expressed in this written report. I will not lie, I am guilty of simply “leaving” without notice in my younger years. Unfortunately, I had to learn a lot of things on my own, and professionalism was one of them. —————— Then suddenly, one situation changed all of that…
I was very young and worked at my second job; a fast food restaurant. I was going through personal & work trials in life. It was hard for me to get to work on time and at times. I was ashamed. The more I kept doing this, the less I wanted to be there because I felt I was undeserving of my chances. — Also, someone that worked with me (at that time, I set in my heart to protect because of her “mental limitations”), turned on me. She made accusations of me to the boss which were completed unexpected (some would call this “a slap in the face”). My boss confronted us in the situation and asked me to apologize for something that was completely opposite of hurting her. My personal and work life were pulling me down and I was afraid to tell my boss I was unhappy and I had personal issues. He was, from what I remember (weighing ALL circumstances), a boss and an amazing individual —— “hands down”. It was just at that particular time, things were tough. So unfortunately, I was afraid to talk to anyone. ———-Well, after a bit of this, I simply didn’t call or show up. ————– (here’s the part that changed my lack of professionalism)————
After all was said and done, at some point I had to confront him (other people in my family worked there so I had to visit). —– All he told me was, “I called you when you worked for me, only to see how you were doing. I wanted to make sure you were okay, that’s all.” —————————————————Um…. WOW!!! — That changed a lot of things. Here I was dealing with bad situations, and scared my boss was “harassing” (that’s what I felt at that time) me to come to work. Instead, I had a boss who truly called me from his heart. He said some amazing things that day that changed me and he didn’t have to. —– He was busy with a restaurant! —– He didn’t have to take the time to talk to me and be concerned! He became a “person” and didn’t pour a sticky sap of guilt on me when we talked. He was older and truly understood and remembered what it was like to be young, go through trying times, and make mistakes. His kind words and understanding motivated me not to be a coward but to educate myself in learning the “how’s and when’s” of “breaking up” with a company. (That would be a great next “Huffman Report”) He simply gave me that respect, and I was going to spend the rest of my life returning it…
**Note: I wrote this not to encourage every boss to take the same approach, because every situation is unique in its own. I was just writing about my own experience and the day the “light of professionalism” came on for me. After all, I was my own teacher and student…