15 ways to quit your job — looking to make the jump to full-time consulting? Take a look at 15 Ways to Quit Your Job. No matter what your reasons for quitting, I strongly recommend trying to preserve the relationship with your old employer. You never know when you may run into them again.
For example, when I first started consulting, I got a call from my previous employer. Could I come back to cover a busy period? They’d pay double my old hourly wage for a solid month. You can bet I took that job.
While I was still working on that job, the training department manager called me (at my home office) to ask if I could manage another project. I took that on and then she farmed out a couple more projects to me.
Before the month was out, I got a call from a Fortune 500 company. Stunned, I didn’t know how to set my consulting fee. I called my old boss and she gave me some solid suggestions. I priced by the project and ended up making $500 an hour.
And that’s just part of the value my old employer delivered. Can you imagine if I’d left on bad terms, though? I shudder to think about it!