First and foremost, I realize plenty of people are looking for a job and can’t imagine leaving a job right now. I realize the idea of resigning from a paying job seems foolish in this economy. But I also know that many people are leaving jobs for several reasons.

• New parents are opting to stay at home with their children.
• A lagging industry makes this the best time for a career switch.
• Moving to a new city (because of college, graduation or cost of living) means leaving a job behind.

Even in a recession, life events are forcing people to quit their jobs.

In the few days since Sarah Palin announced that she was leaving her post as governor of Alaska, people on both sides of the aisle have been confused. Why is she doing it? What does this mean for her career? Is her exit strategy smart? Is her party going to support or turn on her?

I don’t know. Nobody does except Palin. But the whole ordeal has proven two things:

1. Politics is its own bizarre world. If any regular person quit his or her job, the media really wouldn’t care and this hoopla wouldn’t occur. (And I wouldn’t be blogging about her.)
2. If you’re going to leave your job, don’t follow in Palin’s footsteps. What works for politicians don’t exactly work for everyone.

To that second point, here are some tips for leaving your job on the right note:

Lesson 1: Stay on message
Palin did this: The most memorable thing about Palin’s resignation has been her cryptic speech. It had mixed metaphors and vague references.
You should do this: Your boss doesn’t need to every detail of your departure. Still, whatever reason you give your leaving–needing a fresh start, a great opportunity elsewhere, wanting to start a family–stick with it. Maybe it’s a mix of reasons. Whatever the case, stay on message because if you give one reason today, another tomorrow, and a third later, you’ll sound dishonest. You want your boss to remember your good work, not that you’re lying to him or her as you head out the door.

Lesson 2: Have good reasons
Palin did this: Part of the problem with the confusing speech mentioned above was that Palin’s reason to leave her post early wasn’t very solid. Since she wouldn’t be running for governor again, she didn’t want to be another lame duck in office, she said.
You should do this: Leaving a job can be awkward regardless of how long you’ve been there, but if you’re leaving after a short period of time, you’ll face more scrutiny. It’s just the truth. You don’t want your boss to think you outright lied during your interview if you said you were in it for the long haul. You don’t want to leave the impression with this boss or a future one that you just couldn’t handle your duties.

If you realize that this isn’t something  you like, explain that the position ended up not aligning with your career ambitions and you think your skills are better suited elsewhere.  You don’t need to blame the boss or play the victim. Tell your boss that when  you accepted the job, you didn’t anticipate moving on so quickly and you are appreciative of all you learned during your time there.

Lesson 3: Give plenty of notice
Palin did this: Here’s where Palin sort of got it right. She announced in July 3 she’d be leaving office on July 26. That’s a little more than three weeks’ notice. Seeing as she’s governor, that might not be a lot of time for her because her position’s more powerful than most of ours. If you leave, you might just have to show someone how to use Excel and where the coffee room is.
You should do this: Two weeks is the normal amount of time, so announcing your departure three weeks before your last day is a nice show of consideration for your employer. If your announcement will catch everyone off guard, a reasonable amount of time lets your boss form a game plan and possibly have you train someone else before you leave. Use your best judgment to see what works best for you and for your employer. Walking up to your boss at the end of the day and saying, “Yo, I’m outta here! Have a nice life. Neener neener!” is not a graceful exit.

The lesson in all of this is that you want to leave on a good note. Especially in this economy, you don’t know when you’ll need references or to come back to your previous job. As fun as it might be to give a big kiss-off speech to a bad boss, it won’t help your career. At all. If someone’s chatting with your boss in a few months, you want them to say, “Oh, she was a great employee. We really miss her but hope she’s doing well.” You don’t want, “Oh, yeah. Her. I feel bad for the sucker who hired her. Good riddance.”