Ask Me Help Desk - Want to quit a job

Hi. I have a quick question. I started working in a grocery store about 2 months ago. I am also taking 5 college courses during the evening. I work about 30 hours a week, which I think is too much. I am struggling with my courses right now since I do not get much free time to study. The job does not pay well (min. wage) and I have also been having health problems lately. I want to quit this job and find a job in my college. However I don't know how to approach my manager and tell him this. I initially told him I would be working for him for at least a year. When he hired me, he told me that was a major reason why he hired me instead of other applicants. What should I do?

Tell him the truth. Tell him you fully intended to continue working for him, but that your school work is suffering more than thought it would. Maybe he will allow you to cut back on your hours instead of totally quitting.

Don't lie... tell the truth.

Most employeers do want people who will stay, and I know one who will hire a person a little less qualified on paper if she thinks they will stay longer than one a little more qualified. The cost of training, hiring, etc is real.

That said. This is not your once in a lifetime job. Good to treat people with repspect, good to be fair. Your job is to do well in school. All other jobs around that are supportive.

So, buck up, tell your boss you are struggling balancing school and your job. That you are grateful for the opportunity, but you regret that you are not going to be able to committ to this position and still do well in school. Your ambition was greater than your ability to balance things out.

Accept that hell be upset. Its OK. It is life. A year from now he's not going to be stomping around cursing your name every morning. Making him happy is not one of your top priorities.

I am a firm believer to not do anything that you don't want to. So - saying that - I would do what works best for me. (Do you think that your boss would ask for your permission about something in his life - absoltly not!) so do what works best for you. Thank him for the opportunity & quit. Or - you could do what is probably not the most popular solution - (don't show up again & change your phone number!). If you look at the big picture - even though this is a dilemma right now in your life. When it's your time to go - I don't think you'll be on your death bed wishing that you had kept that crappy minimum wage job :) Hope this has helped you & brought things into perspective!

You don't want to burn any bridges. If he gave you this job based on what you told him your intentions were, than that does need to be considered. You knew what your wages and your work responsibilities were going to be before you accepted it. To complain about it now seems a little irresponsible by not sticking to your commitment. People, employers in particular will judge you on that when it comes to considering you for another job. Your manager may be called for a reference the next time you apply somewhere so you want to try and get as good a reference as you can. Having said that, those qualities are important, but not at the cost of your education and your health.

I would first try to find a better job, if your college offers you more money with less work/time, great. Once it is secure, talk to him and be honest.
Let him know that you really did appreciate the opportunity and will help him in any way you can, maybe working weekends until he can find your replacement, it shows good faith on your part that you're not just hanging him out to dry.

Good Luck!

Thanks everyone for your responses. I really appreciate it. I spoke to my manager yesterday and asked him if it was possible to assign me less shifts and shorten them because of the dilemma I am in. To my surprise, he was pretty cool about it. He told me that he would and that education was very important. He actually took me to the back of the store and gave me a mini-lecture about the its importance and that he regretted not attending post-secondary school. I guess I will continue working here and see how things go.

If you are a good worker, which you must be, often on part time help they are glad to keep you if they have to change shifts and the like.

I would say you have a great boss who really does care about younger people

An example of honesty being the best policy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by syamgr

Hi. I have a quick question. I started working in a grocery store about 2 months ago. I am also taking 5 college courses during the evening. I work about 30 hours a week, which I think is too much. I am struggling with my courses right now since I do not get much free time to study. The job does not pay well (min. wage) and I have also been having health problems lately. I want to quit this job and find a job in my college. However I don't know how to approach my manager and tell him this. I initially told him I would be working for him for at least a year. When he hired me, he told me that was a major reason why he hired me instead of other applicants. What should I do?

The best approach is the direct one, let him know that you'd like to talk to him before or after work, set up an appointment, this will show him it's a area of concern. Then tell him that alsthough you really appreciate the opportunity he gave you, you feel at this time you're a little overwhelmed with school. The five course are little more then you had originally anticipated and that your going to have to leave. Assure him that you can give the proper time needed for him to replace you, and do whatever you can to make this transition easy. It's a grocery store, help comes and go, I'm sure he'll appreciate that fact, it's not as bad as you think. School is hard enough, if you can go and do well and get a job on campus, sounds great, good luck!!