What's the longest role you've had and then left?

[incontrolofmyownlife]

And did you shock everyone when you handed your notice in?!

Left a job after 9 years, had to give a week's notice. Had some holiday owing so left that day.

Had an email to my friends at work (some in my office) prepped and ready to go so as soon as I had done it officially I came back to my desk and pressed send

Most gratifying responses

18 years. Nobody was shocked as I'd been making noises about being unhappy for some time. It was my time to leave.

However not been very settled ever since. Still looking for my next stretch!

@MT2017 love that! I can never get my head around being able to use your holiday as your notice period (makes sense of course). Must have been great just getting up and leaving that day 

@Tanfastic that's a long time! I've been in current role for 14 years and I know I need to leave but I am concerned about finding something else I like (even though I don't particularly like my role now I'm very comfortable there). I just know my current employers/colleagues will get a shock when I come to hand my notice in. I dread the reaction tbh.

5 years. No surprises - I’d been trying for promotions after finishing a two year professional qualification mid way through year 4 and they didn’t think I was good enough, so I went (now a senior manager so delighted to attend alumni events with a fuck you attitude )

DH just handed in his notice after 10 years with one company (impressive as he’s only early 30s) - he’d also been angling for promotion for ages and kept getting knocked back but asked to cover for senior team members when they left. Amazingly his director was surprised when he did it - I think that says it all that they kept denying him the opportunity to progress but didn’t think he’d look externally!!

15 years as a solicitor, went on maternity leave and have now handed my notice in. I have no idea how I did it without a baby, never mind with one. No idea what I'm going to do but not that. They cannot believe it and think I've gone mad. I've never felt happier.

Seven years.

Then I quite amazingly popped up at a new company that had been started by previous colleagues. As did about a dozen other people we worked with...

Two years. Nobody was surprised as it was a fixed term contract and everyone knew my next one was lined up four months previously as that employer couldn’t confirm if they had a vacancy until the last fortnight of the contract.

As it turned out they did, someone else worked there for a year, then they offered me a six year contract with progression.

18 months.

13 years. Went on my second maternity leave and never went back. They weren't surprised. It had mostly all gone to shit and I was just the first to go. All the good people left after that.

22 years but had been off sick for the last 18 months so no surprise to anyone.

15 years and I would still be their today given the choice but I was made redundant.
In current job for 7 years but getting itch feet . . . . .

15 years. Everyone was gobsmacked. Including me.

I’d been born there (literally on that ward) and worked there for 15 years and used to say I’d probably die on the ward as well.

24 years as a Childminder from 1993 to 2014.

And yes it shocked everyone. I believe they thought I would carry on for ever.

Did any of you feel guilty when you left?

Did any of you feel guilty when you left?

Not guilty per se, more professional pride/determination not to be talked about as that Buzz who left shit behind her - I worked until about 8pm on Christmas Eve one resignation, to completely clear out my inbox, before I set my OoO and sent a final message to my manager to say that was it. I've never regretted it.