Even being laid off is brutal; when my friends and I were laid off from HarperSanFrancisco, it felt personal even though it was really Rupert Murdoch's fault — and I knew that the people deciding to lay me off didn't even know me or know what I did.
I left my last job of my own accord, and I did actually tell my boss what I thought — because he asked. In fairness, I'd been telling him since my third week on the job, because he needed to be told and because it was the only way to get through and manage to stay. I'm told I'm tactful (though I never feel like I am) and he took critiques well in general, although he didn't manage to ever make meaningful change. When I left, he asked me for feedback, so I sent him a long, thoughtful email. It didn't cover anything I hadn't said before, but it was all together in one place with examples to back up what I was saying. I didn't hear back from him about that specific email, but it felt like good closure to me, and we've had positive interactions since.
By the time I left Adobe, also of my own accord, they were no longer doing exit interviews, and I wished they had been. I had a very good run there for over 14 years, but by the end things had gotten pretty unpleasant (for which I'm grateful, as it made it so much easier to leave for less money and uncertainty). I would have appreciated a chance to give some constructive feedback.
Thanks for your perspectives, Rosana. Leaving jobs can be such a minefield, no matter what the circumstances.
I left my last job not because of bad management or the culture. I left because I didn't want to do what I was doing for the rest of my career. It was all me. And as difficult as the last 18 months (!) have been, I still think it was the right decision.
Great topic, thanks for doing this!
Even being laid off is brutal; when my friends and I were laid off from HarperSanFrancisco, it felt personal even though it was really Rupert Murdoch's fault — and I knew that the people deciding to lay me off didn't even know me or know what I did.
I left my last job of my own accord, and I did actually tell my boss what I thought — because he asked. In fairness, I'd been telling him since my third week on the job, because he needed to be told and because it was the only way to get through and manage to stay. I'm told I'm tactful (though I never feel like I am) and he took critiques well in general, although he didn't manage to ever make meaningful change. When I left, he asked me for feedback, so I sent him a long, thoughtful email. It didn't cover anything I hadn't said before, but it was all together in one place with examples to back up what I was saying. I didn't hear back from him about that specific email, but it felt like good closure to me, and we've had positive interactions since.
By the time I left Adobe, also of my own accord, they were no longer doing exit interviews, and I wished they had been. I had a very good run there for over 14 years, but by the end things had gotten pretty unpleasant (for which I'm grateful, as it made it so much easier to leave for less money and uncertainty). I would have appreciated a chance to give some constructive feedback.
Thanks for your perspectives, Rosana. Leaving jobs can be such a minefield, no matter what the circumstances.
I left my last job not because of bad management or the culture. I left because I didn't want to do what I was doing for the rest of my career. It was all me. And as difficult as the last 18 months (!) have been, I still think it was the right decision.