Surviving those last few weeks of work

[legallyproper]

I have a week and a day left at work! My last day of work is August 24th and I have 5 days after that until I move to Budapest for a year! Wow the time flew by! I haven't started packing yet either, WTF! I'm so panicking now! Lol

[Chasely]

Friday was my last day at work. I was rueing the job a few times this summer, but left with good feelings for the work and the people.

That being said, I'm glad that I'm going to grad school.

I start my program in a couple weeks. In the mean time, I'll likely be doing a whole lot of nothing

[kateausten]

I hope it's okay to revive this thread, as I'm starting in Spring and giving my notice next week.

It seems like most of you gave a lot of notice, if not an official resignation a heads up about your goals -- is there anyone that kept their goals secret and gave a standard 2 weeks notice? How did it work out for you?

I've been working in a field unrelated to what I do long term, because it's one of very few that pays recent psychology graduates a living wage. I've only been at my current job about 4 months, so I haven't said anything about it, because I would have been replaced quickly. I've been trying to protect my own job security by acting like a dedicated employee and giving no hints of flight risk. In the corporate world, companies are looking out for their own financial best interestes in dealings with employees so I consider it fair enough to look out for mine, but I don't exactly expect my employer to shrug and say "It's just good business." I'm concerned about being allowed to work out my full two week notice, since it's not unheard of for employees to be escorted out immediately after a resignation. I have to work closely with the CEO on some things and he particularly is not going to be happy, and probably will not hide it.

I'm also trying to decide how I should word it. I'm not sure if it would be better to say that I am leaving for grad school, and say nothing bad about the company but basically admit I have been planning this all along, or say that I don't think I'm the right long-term fit for the company so I'm taking an opportunity to go to school full time. The latter wouldn't be a total lie, my program has an online component and if things had worked out splendidly I probably would have done part time online classes for the Spring at least, and I don't see this company as a great long term fit for me. (My job duties and coworkers are fine, but the way things work requires a personality that thrives under pressure and loves a good crisis, and I am the opposite of that. There's a lot of needless stress and if I were to stay in this industry, I'd still be looking.)

[SeriousSillyPutty]

I there somebody who you could ask discretely about it who's been there a long time? (Admin. assistants and secretaries are legendary for knowing everything, if there's someone you think you can talk to.) Perhaps you can word it that "a great opportunity came up" to go back to school (which is true) and leave them to imagine when the possibility of grad school came up on the horizon. Just applying and getting accepted to grad school doesn't automatically mean you'd leave, like you said, so you are only leaving now because it's a good opportunity relative to where you're at now. You don't have to say that business is a bad fit, only that grad school is an even better one.

If you can give more than two weeks, that will probably make it easier for the people that have to take over for you, and make them better references in the future, but if they'll kick you out as soon as you announce, I can understand the dilemma. Can you time it so that, if they do kick you out, you just have more time around the holidays that would be nice to have off anyway?

[kateausten]

I there somebody who you could ask discretely about it who's been there a long time? (Admin. assistants and secretaries are legendary for knowing everything, if there's someone you think you can talk to.) Perhaps you can word it that "a great opportunity came up" to go back to school (which is true) and leave them to imagine when the possibility of grad school came up on the horizon. Just applying and getting accepted to grad school doesn't automatically mean you'd leave, like you said, so you are only leaving now because it's a good opportunity relative to where you're at now. You don't have to say that business is a bad fit, only that grad school is an even better one.

If you can give more than two weeks, that will probably make it easier for the people that have to take over for you, and make them better references in the future, but if they'll kick you out as soon as you announce, I can understand the dilemma. Can you time it so that, if they do kick you out, you just have more time around the holidays that would be nice to have off anyway?

There's not really anyone I can talk to because it's a small company on the nontechnical side. The admin people work directly with the CEO, who is the person I am pretty much dreading confrontation with (and also the reason that the company isn't a great fit for me). He also keeps people in fear for their jobs, and I couldn't blame someone for telling him to get some brownie points after getting yelled at for something. I plan to minimize the chance for things to blow up by telling my boss before hinting to anyone else.

I did receive word that my nonresident tuition remission request was approved today, so it's not as necessary that I be able to work until the last day possible, thankfully. But I also found out that the girl who used to do my job and was relocated (for a promotion) is moving back, so I'll potentially be instantly replaceable. I'm just going to give exactly 2 weeks -- which is standard, and is what company policy requires, and is all that would be expected of me if I were leaving for another company -- and hope for the best. I already have a month between my planned last day and classes starting so I don't need more unpaid vacation time, but I'll deal if it happens.

[SeriousSillyPutty]

All makes sense to me! Sorry you have to deal with the drama, but glad you have a good game plan.

[kateausten]

Thanks! Conveniently, I have been legitimately unhappy with the way some things have been done and have expressed it in the last few days. So, it'll probably look like I am quitting over this more so than as the result of months of premeditation. I am actually considering giving notice (and quitting) a few days earlier than planned just for the satisfaction of doing it, because I am putting in too much overtime to get much packing done right now, and to get myself off the "People you can hand an extra non-urgent assignment at 5:30 on a Friday when they're already working Saturday and you know they're having car trouble" list.