This is topic burning a bridge in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
 
I'm not entirely sure why I'm putting this up as a thread topic on Hatrack, but here we go.

I sent my email (not letter these days) of resignation for my current job today. The back story being that I'm getting married the end of January and moving two hours away to another state.

The decision has mentally been made for months now, but I still let the composed email sit there for twenty minutes after typing it up and reading it through repeatedly. I ran easily eight spell checks to postpone the inevitable. And when I finally clicked send, all it did was make me go teary eyed.

I guess I've really enjoyed working here, and I'm going to miss the people and the atmosphere. Truly, how many people can say they've actually liked their job and the other folks working around them so much? I should be grateful for this time and am. But I feel kind of listless now. A bridge has been burned.

My last day is January 15th. Wow.
 
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
That sounds like it was difficult, regardless of when the decision was made, and that it is for good reasons.

Good luck with all the changes in your life!
 
Posted by paigereader (Member # 2274) on :
 
If you even eluded to that last paragraph in your letter you haven't burnt any brigdes. I am sure they know how much you enjoy working there. I know it is sad but I am sure they all want you to be happy in your new married life. I'm sure they will give you a glowing recommendation, also.
 
Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :
 
I wish you the best, and just to share in hopes that it makes you feel better as to how your leaving, when I respectfully gave my two weeks notice at my first job that I kept for three and a half years, employed by a die hard christian... he fired me... after I told him I was quitting.

So good for you, having a job so lofty that you send a resignation instead of having the owner of the company realize that he will have to empty his own trash again.
 
Posted by Vadon (Member # 4561) on :
 
Paige reader is right. By the metaphor, it seems like you've only crossed the bridge. Burning a bridge requires you to leave on less than amicable terms.

But I think whether you burned a bridge or not is hardly the focus of your post. What matters is you had a great place to work and that's awesome.
 
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
 
No, burning a bridge means that you've made an irrevocable decision. You can't cross back once it's burned, and I think that's what she means.

Although, I'll bet if she took the resignation back for some reason, her company would be happy to have her. [Smile]
 
Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
 
Thanks, everyone. [Group Hug]

I think a new metaphor is needed altogether. Neither quite seems to fit now.
 
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
 
What kind of work is it?
 
Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
 
Despite the bad rap lawyers get, I've been a paralegal (and hope to still be so in the future) and worked with some good ones. [Smile]

(edit to omit stray word)
 
Posted by scifibum (Member # 7625) on :
 
Any chance you can work for them remotely? I don't understand paralegal work well enough to know if that's a silly suggestion.

My own employer doesn't officially hire remote employees, but when a valued team member decides to move, they often are able to work out a telecommuting arrangement.
 
Posted by Dobbie (Member # 3881) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Traceria:
Despite the bad rap lawyers get, I've been a paralegal (and hope to still be so in the future) and worked with some good ones. [Smile]

(edit to omit stray word)

You mean "good" in the sense that a hired killer could be considered a "good shot", right?
 
Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by scifibum:
Any chance you can work for them remotely? I don't understand paralegal work well enough to know if that's a silly suggestion.

It's not as silly a question as you might suspect. While we can do some things remotely, those are very limited. Much of what needs doing has to be done at the office.
 
Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :
 
Traceria:

congratulations on your upcoming marriage and best wishes in your marriage and your move.

Re: burning bridges. A co-worker got a job at a local magazine (I work at a newspaper). On his last night, after I had proofread the comics page and it was checked by the person on desk, he went in and bolded certain single letters in the Annie's Mailbox to spell Carol is a fat stupid bitch. He even had to make a C capitalized because there were no capital Cs in the letters. Since I and the person on desk had already checked his work, we had no idea he was doing this. (Oh, and I'm the Carol in question - there are no other people named Carol at my work.)

The guy even called the press guys to call back the correct page. I'm not sure when he decided to pull this prank.

I was just stunned - I had no idea he had such malice toward me. I only remember once having sharp words with him over how he was doing something, but it didn't seem like the kind of thing to hold a grudge over.

He has truly burned his bridges. He will never work at the paper again. His band will never be mentioned in the paper. Our webmaster quit a few months later and he would have been offered that job, except for that stupid prank. (edited to add: he's not working at the magazine, either)

So, in my mind, quitting a job because you are moving away is not in itself burning a bridge, because if you were a good employee and your circumstances change, they could hire you back. (if you moved back for some reason) But pulling a stupid stunt on your last day just because you can get away with it (in the short term, anyway), something that makes it so they will never hire you again - that's burning a bridge. [Wink]
 
Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
 
You didn't burn anything, Traceria. You left the job because you had to, and the people there probably still like you, you still like them, and things are good for future possible interactions and so on.

Life's natural progression isn't burning bridges. All is well! =)
 
Posted by Traceria (Member # 11820) on :
 
Wow, CaySedai, that is just...it's just awful!

Thanks, all! [Smile]
 


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