Resigning and Dumping

Firstly, I apologise for the long gap between posts. Hopefully there will be a few this week to make up for the lack of previous posts.

Last Wednesday, I resigned from HSBC, after over 6 years of faithful devotion to the company. I move onto a Job with everyone's favourite company, Telstra.

Someone once told me that change is as good as a holiday. Well I am going on a holiday in September, so change will have to be it for now.

But as I went to hand in my resignation, I couldn't help but feel like I was "Breaking up" with HSBC or to be harsher, "dumping" her.

And it got me thinking that there were quite a few similarities between breaking up and resigning.

But also a few key differences.

Allow me to show you.

Similarities

1) The affected party (Ex Girlfriend/Boyfriend/Company) will make some sort of counter offer. "How can I change? What do I need to do?"

2) More often than not, the "dumper" will respond with a line which resembles "Its not you, it's me".

3) In the time immediately after, there is an awkward feeling between the two parties, and maybe one more awkward conversation on the topic.

4) There is certainly the feeling of moving on in your life. Leaving a part of you behind, and picking up and moving on.

5) There is a handover of goods. Things which people have of the other persons needs to be exchanged. At work this would be laptops, phones, security passes. With a partner this may be anything from DVD's to books to clothes.

6) At the same time, you want to ensure you don't burn any bridges on your way out.

7) Its much more dangerous to move on to a company or partners rival.

Differences

1) When breaking up with someone, there is no need to give 4 weeks notice. That would make life quite hard!

2) In most resignations the person has a new job to move onto, but in most break-ups, the person has no one to move onto.

3) When leaving a company, you have an exit interview with HR.

Can you think of any more?

Jim