It’s your last day at a dead end job. You are so happy to leave, and you despise your boss. Yes, it might be tempting to send a strongly worded email on your last day, letting everyone know how happy you are to be quitting. But, think twice before you burn any bridges in the workforce. The business world is smaller than you think and word travels fast. Don’t ruin your reputation by stomping off on your last day.

You never know who you will work with or work for someday. I now work with many people who I worked with at a different company 15 years ago! I never thought I would see those people again, but I am so glad I never burned any bridges with them. If you plan to stay in the same industry or the same city, you never know who you will ruin into again. One of my former bosses at another company now rolls up to me at my current company, and I am so glad that I always maintained a good reputation with him. Otherwise, there would be all kinds of gossip going around. You also never know who you may need to call on for references in the future. It’s  important to stay in contact with people you have worked with in case you ever need to call on them for a professional reference.

At the time, it may feel satisfying to burn a bridge on your way out the door and let your boss or your team know how much you disliked working with them. However, in the end it will only end up hurting you. The feeling of vindication will only last a few hours, days, or at most weeks, but your reputation will follow you for the rest of your career.