Hire Me: I'm Excellent at Quitting, by Brittany Martin

Abstract

You have the right to be happy at work --- why would we want it to be any other way? As our careers as Ruby developers flourish, amazing new opportunities will require you to quit a job that you may love or loathe. It's OK to quit. If you want to learn how to gracefully leave your job with a solid game plan, an educated successor, and without burning bridges, this talk is for you.

Details

Intended Audience: Anyone -- including hiring managers, employees.
Outcome: My goal is for attendees to be more thoughtful and considerate when exiting jobs.

Outline:

• Introduction
  • About Me
    • My Career History
  • Our Current Industry
    • Hiring vs. Quitting
    • Statistics
      • Ruby Developer Jobs
      • Boomerangs
    • Reputation
      • References
      • Linked In
      • Networking
  • When to Know to Quit
    • People?
    • Culture?
    • Mission?
    • Career Growth?
    • Deal Breakers?
    • Our Right to Be Happy
  • Acceptance
    • It's OK to Disappoint Others
    • Open Communication
    • Know Your Goals
  • Game Plan
    • Tips on Finding a Job While Still Employed
      • Update Your Resume
      • Don't Look Like a "Flight Risk"
      • Schedule Interviews Meticulously
    • Communicate Your End Date
      • Formal Letter
      • Be Available for Any Questions
      • You Will Wreck Your Manager's Day, Get Comfortable With It
      • Dealing with Counter Offers
    • Confirm Future References
    • Resist Burning Bridges
      • Save It for the Exit Interview, Only if Helpful
      • Skip the Gossip, "Home Free" Mentality
    • Write Down Lessons Learned
      • Helpful When Considering Boomeranging
  • Successor
    • Candid Conversations About Your Role
      • Was it Too Much for One Person?
      • Was the Pay Fair?
      • Any Job Description Updates
    • Document, Document, Document
    • Hiring
      • Volunteer to Assist in Interviews
      • Volunteer to Assist in Training
      • Allow Employer to Communicate With You Post-Departure
  • Questions

Pitch

Leaving a company is often difficult. But if done professionally and gracefully, employees will be remembered in a positive way. The Ruby community is a tightly knit group and reputation in our industry can be paramount to our success. A lot of content is written about obtaining jobs but often skips leaving the last one. Time and time again, I have seen people return to a former employer later on in their career. As someone whom has had left jobs as both a developer and a product manager, I can be an authority on quitting with style and dignity.

Edit proposal

Submissions