Really need advice - resigning from professional job

[lemma]

I recently found out I was accepted into my top program with a much more generous scholarship package than I had imagined. I will absolutely be attending. However, I am currently working full time in a professional job that I was expected to be in for at least another four years. I've been here less than a year. I really need some help on how to resign. I've been having bad insomnia and anxiety attacks because it's been stressing me out so much. 

Though I sat the GRE almost four years ago, spoke to professors about this PhD six years ago, and worked in my new department a few years ago, I did not expect to be going to grad school when I accepted the job. I am happy at work, and I am doing my job well, but I am a researcher and my job has repeated exposure to academic and commercial research. This has made me realise that academia is where I want to be, which is what I also thought for most of my studies. It's a long story but I kind of fell into industry when I graduated a few years ago. 

People have been kind to me and have invested in me, which was the opposite as at my last job where I was bullied. This piece is making the whole thing so hard. 

Edited December 13, 2017 by lemma

[sc9an]

I think the top priority in your resignation process is to minimize the cost incurred on the company. If the decision has been made to leave the job for the program (congrats btw), the only thing left to think about is how to deliver this message to your managers and facilitate the transition as smoothly as possible - for example, letting them know about your plan and time frame now - instead of during summer 2018 - and showing willingness to arrange the rest of your work time according to their need, could both demonstrate your respect of their investment and avoid disruption such as having to quit during the middle of a project.

With your cooperation and a convincing reason it should not be hard for them to perceive your appreciation, especially as it looks like a research-related company where you might not be the first case to do these. Regarding navigating the actual conversation with your manager, I think some other websites like quora, LinkedIn and Vault.com should have some helpful posts.

[Crucial BBQ]

I don't know what you mean by "...expected to be in for another four years...", and I have no idea how it's done in academia, but in the other world, and unless you have a contract with the Military (that is, enlisted), things change.  Just tell your employer that you had applied to graduate school on a whim and had been accepted.  I have been working as an adult longer than I care to admit to around here so believe me when I say that they will understand.  Sure, they may be bummed but that's life.  If they truly are kind to you and have invested in you then they will surely continue to support you into graduate school.  

The sooner you mention it the easier it will be for all. 

[lemma]

1 hour ago, Crucial BBQ said:

I don't know what you mean by "...expected to be in for another four years...", and I have no idea how it's done in academia, but in the other world, and unless you have a contract with the Military (that is, enlisted), things change.  Just tell your employer that you had applied to graduate school on a whim and had been accepted.  I have been working as an adult longer than I care to admit to around here so believe me when I say that they will understand.  Sure, they may be bummed but that's life.  If they truly are kind to you and have invested in you then they will surely continue to support you into graduate school.  

The sooner you mention it the easier it will be for all. 

When I was hired, the headhunter said they expected me to stay for 4-5 years. I've been there for less than a year. Though I'm hoping to forge a career in academia or central banking, my employer is in the industry affiliated with my area of study, and is very well connected. It's less about my contractual requirements and more about managing a sensitive relationship. 

I will be resigning on the next day that my manager is in the office. I hope they let me work for the next month for financial reasons, but we'll see. 

[MarineBluePsy]

Headhunters frequently tell candidates that the employer expects a new hire to stay for several years, but without you signing a contract agreeing to that it can't be enforced.  This is said because no employer is going to say "sure we'd love to spend all kinds of time and money recruiting and training someone who will leave in 6 months."  The reality is employers get that employees sometimes resign, ideally for a good reason such as yours, and its a cost of doing business.  The advice above is great in terms of handling your resignation professionally, but be prepared for your employer to ask you to leave sooner.  Some employers do not want an employee that is planning to leave to stick around and find it easier to just dump their work on someone else until a replacement is hired.  Yes it is appropriate for you to still offer to stay as long as you can and assist with the transition, but they aren't required to accept that.

[chocolatte_]

On 12/12/2017 at 11:05 PM, lemma said:

Though I sat the GRE almost four years ago, spoke to professors about this PhD six years ago, and worked in my new department a few years ago, I did not expect to be going to grad school when I accepted the job. I am happy at work, and I am doing my job well, but I am a researcher and my job has repeated exposure to academic and commercial research. This has made me realise that academia is where I want to be, which is what I also thought for most of my studies. It's a long story but I kind of fell into industry when I graduated a few years ago. 

Some version of this is fine, honestly. It's helpful for employers to know why you're leaving: Are you miserable? Are you underpaid? Are you not growing? Are you struggling to keep up? Do you want to change sectors? Are you going back to school? People leave jobs for these kinds of reasons all the time. This is a great opportunity for you and you can feel free to emphasize that part. End on good terms with your current employer, because who knows, perhaps you'll be back there someday.

I'm not sure whether my personal experience will help you, but I was in a situation once where I left a workplace I loved after after 1.5 years because suddenly a great job opened up and I got it. My boss, who I really respected, just shrugged and said to me "Well, I figured you'd be moving on if you found something better, you're a good asset to any company." So not only was he nice, but he gave me a great compliment to get right at the start of a career.

Good luck!

[lemma]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I went through with my resignation with the above suggestions in mind, and it turned out much better than expected. My managers were very supportive, and I have a job to come back to after my PhD if I choose to do so. 

I will continue working for another month or so, and I'll make sure that my boss is aware of how much of a positive influence her mentorship has been.