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The Right Way to Say, "I Quit!"

The job market is finally showing signs of life—and that means more workers will likely have the opportunity to change jobs in the coming months.

It’s clear that many will welcome this: A recent survey by the Corporate Executive Board, a research and advisory services company, found that 25 percent of workers whom employers had labeled as having high potential were hoping to move to a new company in the next year. This figure is up from just 10 percent in 2006.

Once you’ve found a new job, you may not give too much thought to the one you’re exiting. But leaving a job—and the colleagues who will now become part of your network—the right way is crucial to your career.

“Reputation is very important,” says Marianne Adoradio, a career counselor in Silicon Valley. You’ll cement yours with how you leave.

Experts explain how to avoid four common mistakes when leaving a job:

Staying too long
In most jobs, the standard is to give two weeks’ notice when resigning. When you give notice, you may feel as though you should stay longer to make sure you don’t leave your former employer short-handed.

Sometimes this is a good idea—for example, if you’re working on a project that will be done in three or four weeks. However, you may discover that as soon as you announce your resignation, you are no longer considered indispensable and are left out of the loop. Your continued presence can even be a drain on an employer if you’re no longer being useful.

Plus, “it’s depressing and very demotivating,” Adoradio says.