Please help me think of something to tell my company! I’m currently working at an eikawa (which I hate of course), and through luck I’ve been presented with the possible opportunity to finally transition to another job. The thing is, if it goes through I’ll be starting the new job on March 15. Now I haven’t told my eikaiwa anything yet as I haven’t even gone through the interview yet or even know when the interview date is, and of course there’s the issue of whether I can pass the interview. However there seems to be a high likelihood that everything will go well and I’ll be able to exit this eikaiwa. So my dilemma is what should I tell my eikaiwa now… as I want to give them fair warning but at the same time I don’t want to put myself on the spot if this opportunity doesn’t actually go through… In other words if I tell them I’m in talks for another job now but can’t actually get that other job I’ll look like a jackass, but if I don’t say anything and do get that other job and suddenly drop the bomb on my eikaiwa I’ll look like a jackass too… So where I’m at right now is I think I’ll say nothing and if I can pass the interview then I’ll drop the bomb, and as much as that sucks for the eikaiwa, it’s the safest option for me. So I’m looking for good believable excuses to suddenly quit my job (right now I’m leaning on something happened to my mom back home and there’s no one to take care of her) or other advice if possible… Thanks!!!
20 comments
What kind of job gives you two weeks notice for start date before even taking an interview?
Don’t mention quitting until offer letter is signed and turned in. I also wonder why your new company wants you to start so early. They should know that you should give at least 2 weeks notice during which the old company must prepare a gensenchyoshyuhyou.
Do not quit if you “pass” the interview. Quit when you have a signed offer letter and it’s accepted. Also if the start date is March 15th, how are you going to have an interview and get all the necessary paperwork beforehand? That’s only two weeks away as it is. This company sounds unprofessional or disorganized at the least…
Right now you don’t have a new anything of any kind with any certainty. So don’t tell your current company anything about it.
If you don’t want to get screwed, the order of doing things is very simple. You apply to a new job, then maybe the interview, then maybe they give you the job offer, which you carefully read over so that you’ll find out if they’re trying to screw you with anything. Then you sign or stamp it and they sign or stamp it, and only at this point do you inform your current employer.
Of course you can ignore the above process, and it might work for you, but I’ve known too many people who got screwed because they didn’t get things signed when they needed to. Including me. And it’s kind of annoying to deal with.
As for what you tell your company when you’re ready to tell them, you tell them when you be leaving and you thank them for the time that you worked with him, and you let them know that your career is moving in a different direction now. When they ask for details you simply repeat. It could be convenient to practice the script.
You don’t owe both parties anything. Protect your own interests at all costs. Resign only once you got the other job and then you can negotiate with them to leave on a shorter notice. Your new job should understand this otherwise it’s a red flag.
You don’t say anything right now because your supposed new job has no certainty yet.
What is your Contract with Eikaiwa? If you break your contract with them, let’s say you signed a Contract that ends on the last working day of March, then you’ll be breaching the contract, and they have the right to give you a no-good referral for your next job or so.
For most jobs, if not an emergency reason for quitting, we have to give them a month’s notice at least. So your last resort is to make your reason an Emergency. You are right.
You don’t need an excuse to quit a job. Just be an adult and tell them the truth (after you’ve accepted a new offer). Your current employer is not going to care why you’re quitting and the reason is irrelevant from their perspective. You gain nothing by lying and can end up making things more difficult for yourself if you make up an excuse like you’re leaving Japan, because that has consequences for your tax and pension paperwork.
If you’re going to look like a jackass either way, look like a jackass to the people you’re no longer working with – quit when you sign with the other company.
Is it just me that absolutely can’t stand the idea of lying that my mum is sick, injured or had “something happen to her”? I mean I’m not superstitious but it just doesn’t sit right with me at all.
Anyway. As others have said, don’t say anything until you’ve signed the new contract. But the new job sounds dodgy given the timeline they’ve given so best of luck
DO NOT TELL THEM. They wouldn’t give you advance notice of firing you, so no need to give them advance notice of quitting, especially if you don’t need them as a reference. When you get an official written offer from the other place, THEN tell your current work “I’m quitting because I found better work.” You don’t need to justify anything, and it gives them opportunity to make a counter offer (they probably won’t.)
These are companies you’re dealing with, no need to be nice to your detriment.
If there is one thing I have learned about quitting a job. Give your previous company the mandatory notice and take all your leave that is coming to you. Don’t be pressured to by the old company to stay any longer and don’t be pressured by the new company to start early “because they are busy”.
You are never going to get that time that is owed to you back. If they ask what you are going to do with the leave, that is none of their business, but you could say you are thinking of going back home between jobs.
But, as others have said. Don’t promise to be available for work when you are aren’t. Don’t quit a job before have signed the contract for the new one. Do make up shit.
Only quit after sign the offer. From the offer to start working is one month , less than that is fishy. sign the offer with dates that give at least one month to ur current employee, as they need to do some papers too.
As what to say, I don’t understand the question, “I got another job and signer an offer? “ That’s it.
Quit and inform only when you know you have the new job.
Even if you hate your job, you signed a contract and you’re an adult. The legal requirement is two weeks notice. Give them two weeks notice so that they can at least shuffle things around a bit not to inconvenience the customers.
As has been advised – DO NOT quit or tell your employer about your plans to quit until you have a signed offer letter.
A business professional will give the current job as much notice as they can – two weeks minimum, ideally a month. Your prospective new job absolutely should understand this, if they want you to start work on March 15 regardless of your notice to your *current* company, they are not a company you want to be working at.
If they don’t care that you treat your current company like shit, don’t be surprised if the new company treats *you* like shit.
Rule of thumb is that you don’t tell anyone your new job until you have a formally signed letter with your starting date from said job.
If said job doesn’t give enough time to give your customary forewarning, it either needs to be of such significant opportunity that your previous company can’t begrudge you or be because you are on bad terms with the current company and there is no love lost.
If you are being pressured by the new company to jump ship before you have even gotten an offer letter signed and contract figured out, there are probably 20 people they have told that it is a sure thing, and they’ll ditch 19 of you because they expected at least 15 of you to dip anyhow.
Tell them you got a new job 🤷♂️
There are very, *very* few reasons to ever quit a job before you have signed a contract for your next job.
You could try to negotiate the start date of the next job.
The job suddenly needing a new worker within 2 weeks is a bit of a red flag.
1. No professional company in Japan would give you inside a month to interview, give notice and transition jobs!
2. What you tell you Eikaiwa job should be upfront and truthful. Why do you dislike the position and want to leave? This is what you tell them in a courteous and mature way of course.
3. NEVER use a close friend or relatives name in such a way… it puts bad karma on you both! Why would you say something horrible happened to your own mother just to avoid an awkward/difficult conversation. It’s time to adult properly and have a hard conversation based on YOUR own feelings.
It’s a job. You look out for yourself first.
Say absolutely nothing to your current employer until you have a binding offer from your new employer. Often this means a signed contract but if it’s a seishain position you may not get a contract as such.
Once you have a guaranteed position with the new company, give your current employer the required amount of notice, and try to help make the transition smooth.