Quit Your Job Via Text

Apparently the traditional letter of resignation (or even more traditional "I quit!!" shouted at the top of your lungs at your boss) is going the way of the dinosaur.

According to a piece on Foxbusiness.com, an app available at the iTunes store makes that whole quitting thing a lot less painful.

The “Quit Your Job” app debuted for free on iTunes this summer and Android earlier this month and allows users to construct a personalized “I quit” message to send via text directly to their boss.

The app is powered by career website TheLadders and the makers of “Breakup Text,” which sends custom messages to help people end relationships via text.

Oh. From the makers of Breakup Text. That sounds classy. So, how does the Quit Your Job app work?

Reasons for quitting include: “I’m sick of the corporate world,” “I want to get rich” and “I found a new job.”

After sending their resignation text, users can then browse positions that are hiring on TheLadders’ job search app.

I don't know, maybe it's just me and the "old school" way I was raised, but that doesn't seem to be the best way of changing your employment situation. Nicole Williams, a career expert with Linkedin.com, seemingly agrees with me:

“The timeliness of its release is great because in terms of New Year’s resolutions, many people have quitting their job at the top of their list,” she says. “But quitting is one of the most important things you can do over the course of your career—you can make or break yourself.”

However, Williams recommends maintaining a sense of professionalism when leaving a company by telling the boss in person.  She says using an app like this is a social media risk, and could likely make the user look immature or irresponsible to potential future employers.

Kind of like the person who dumps someone via a text message? Not gonna get a great reputation behaving like that. So, how does the mature and responsible person do it?

“Do it in person and tell your boss first because you owe them personally,” she says of quitting. “You want to control the message and be clear—tell them how grateful you are.”

Williams likens resigning from a job to breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend that just isn’t the right fit for you.

“Tell them, ‘it’s not you, it’s me,’” Williams says. “Be sure to tell them how much you appreciate the opportunity, and be sure you are not bashing your employer once you quit.”

For a look at some outrageous ways people have quit their jobs, check out this piece from theweek.com. Just think twice before trying any ideas you may get.