Many people have been asking for a post about resignation, and I'm writing this with a cautious heart. This post contains a record of my resignation process, which taught me a lot. But looking back now, I realize there were many ways I could have handled it better and more gracefully.

Before my first official job resignation, I had spent months thinking about it, imagining hundreds of different reasons. I was worried that saying "I just don't want to do this anymore" would seem immature, and I might be persuaded by my manager to "think about it more." So I hesitated for a long time. But eventually, once I had really made up my mind and found my next job with no lingering concerns, I went to talk to my manager.

At first, my approach was naive. I thought: as long as I have a valid reason, stand firm, and make sure everything is handed over properly, it should be fine, right? If faced with temptations or inducements, as long as I don't let myself be swayed, everything will go smoothly!

But I was far too naive. My friend kept telling me "after you speak up, that's when it really begins," and she was absolutely right!

This happened more than two years ago. Let me first explain why I wanted to leave. The main reason was interpersonal issues at work. Almost every period of time, there would be some "gossip," and while I certainly wasn't perfect in my work, this "gossip" bordered on personal attacks. What made it worse was that it came from colleagues close to me. Even though it was spread behind the scenes, I couldn't pretend not to know about it. I was physically and mentally exhausted for a while, but I never told my manager. (This was a terrible example to set)

（Extended reading: First Job Important Insights (Part 2-5): Cultivating a Mature Work Attitude: Learning to Express Your Position）

Then, quite suddenly one day, I told my manager I was resigning because I had found a new company. The new company was in a different industry and had a better reputation. I thought to myself: "There's no way they can stop me now!" Sure enough, my manager at the time said, "When someone is looking for a job, they consider many factors—salary, location, job content. So I believe you've given this careful consideration before speaking up. That's fine then." I naively walked out of the meeting happy...

The very next day began what felt like a week-long offensive. A senior executive who had always been very kind to us walked up behind me, patted my chair and said, "Come buy me a coffee!" I gasped... and followed them out. I kept repeating to myself: don't be persuaded to stay, don't be persuaded to stay.

【Retention Tactic One: Transfer Departments】

The executive said, "I have no objection to you leaving with a new job. But from the company's perspective, I need to retain talented people. Sometimes it's not that you're unsuitable for this company, but rather that this position isn't right for you. Perhaps you could transfer to a different department."

Objectively speaking, with my abilities, I would indeed perform better in another department. The company's KPI assessment methods would be more beneficial to me there—I might even get bonuses, or KPIs would be based on fair, objective data. But since I still didn't want to stay in that position, and because the autonomy was slightly lower, I declined.

【Retention Tactic Two: Appeal to Emotions】

The executive continued, "You're very capable. Think about it—you haven't even been here for two years. You're leaving without achieving anything significant. That seems too hasty. If you stayed longer, the company might have new ventures, and you could work on something you really want to do!"

This was indeed tempting. But because my mind was restless, and because companies often oversell their future plans, I couldn't wait two years to do what I really wanted. The interpersonal complications behind the scenes were my biggest concern at the time. As for staying longer to achieve something, I believed it was impossible then, and would even waste time. So I declined that as well. (Actually, looking back now, it might have been possible. I'll write another post someday called "Never Leave a Company Because of Any Person" to discuss this further)

【Retention Tactic Three: I Understand Your Pain】

The executive seemed to sense something, and said, "I know there are many people talking behind your back. You don't need to worry about it, because we've heard it but don't believe it or care about it. I've been talked about before too..." Hearing this kind of empathetic persuasion, I could only silently think that I really had more than just this to deal with. But I felt I should be gracious—to avoid affecting others, I never revealed the whole truth.

After more than an hour of the executive's persuasion, I never wavered. But I was deeply grateful to the executive for taking so much time to try to retain a fresh graduate who had just entered the workforce, and for affirming my abilities during the process. However, the reason for my resignation wasn't about the work itself. Still, I did inquire somewhat about opportunities in other departments.

The next day, the senior executive and my direct manager both asked me to stay and discussed it again in the conference room. They strongly urged me to transfer departments or change my working hours, asking if that would make things acceptable. But I felt the department transfer itself was very sensitive. Why?

(To be continued in Part 2)