By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
Why does your boss want to know where you’re going?
When can I quit without notice?
Okay, let’s set the scene. You’ve done it. You’ve found a new job, signed the offer, and are ready to give your two weeks’ notice.
You’re about to make your next big career change. But there’s one last kind of tricky conversation you have to complete. That’s it.
question. You’re sitting in your boss’s office and you just announced the news and they hit you with the news. So where are you going? Looks innocent enough, right? Just a friendly question.
But believe it or not, how you answer this question can make a big difference. So what is the right move? Well, based on our source material, the answer couldn’t be clearer. Telling them is just a bad idea.
period. There are some very, very good reasons for that. You have to ask yourself, why do they want to know so much? Is it really just that they are friendly and curious about your profession? Well, not always.
Let’s explore the real motivations that may lie behind this seemingly simple question. This is where things get interesting, because there’s a huge gap between what we want them to think and what actually happens. You know, you hope they’ll think, wow, we’re losing a great guy.
Maybe we should make a counteroffer. But what about reality? It could be a completely different ball game. They may try to collect data to use against you or, this is most important, try to convince you not to leave.
This sentence illustrates exactly this point. This is one of the ugliest tactics they can pull off. Your manager or someone in HR may start badmouthing your new company, basically trying to make you feel like you’ve made a terrible mistake.
Look, this is not to help you. It’s a defensive act that makes you re-examine yourself and maybe just makes you stay. So when you come down to it, sharing this information doesn’t do you any good.
It almost never leads to a better counteroffer. All it does is create a super awkward situation where you suddenly defend your life choices. Best of all, you’ve just given your old company valuable intelligence about their competitors for free.
This won’t do you any good. Well, we’ve spent a lot of time doing what we shouldn’t. Let’s flip the script.
How do you actually deal with this problem? There is a very simple, completely professional way to solve this problem without burning any bridges. That’s it. It’s a simple two-step process.
First, be kind. Be polite. Thank them for the opportunity and for everything you learned.
Then, step two, when the question comes up, you just politely refuse to answer. Something simple like, I’d rather keep that to myself for now, but thanks for asking, it works great. It was professional and firm.
That’s why it’s so important. This is not secrecy for the sake of secrecy. It’s about conservation.
You’re protecting your decision from criticism, and you’re protecting your brand-new opportunity from any last-minute drama or politics. You stay in control. At the end of the day, it really just comes down to this question.
Your career path is your business and your business only. You are leaving soon, so you are under absolutely no obligation to share details. So next time you find yourself in a tight spot, ask yourself, why did you give free intel to your former boss?
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About Big Game Hunter Jeff Altman
People hire “Big Game Hunter” Jeff Altman to provide no-nonsense career advice around the world because he makes many things in people’s careers easier. These matters may involve job hunting,
Recruit more effectively, manage and lead better, career transition, and advice on solving workplace problems.
He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 job search podcast on iTunes with over 3,000 episodes.
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You’ll find important information to help you with your job search on my new website, JobSearch.Community In addition to video courses, books, and guides, I answer members’ questions about their job search every day. Leave your job search questions and I will respond every day. Becoming an Insider+ member gives you everything you get as an Insider+ member, plus you can connect with me via Zoom call to get your questions answered. Become an Insider Premium member and we offer individual and group coaching.
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