Would You Ever Quit Your Job With a Youtube Video? Y/N

by Mike Dang and Logan Sachon

Mike: No, can you describe it to me and for everyone who hasn’t seen it yet?

Logan: Basically, a woman quits her job by making a YouTube video. (She dances to a Kanye song and there is overtext about how terrible her job is.) And the reason that works is because she works (worked) for a company that makes videos (a Taiwanese animation firm) . So they saw her video. But so did 12.5 million other people. Plus Queen Latifah, who offered the woman a job on her new talk show. I first saw it on Facebook. It was posted by an adult journalist and her reaction was, really? This is how people quit jobs now?

Mike:Well, I don’t think it’s how people quit jobs now, or if it is, this is the first time I’m hearing about it as a thing that people are doing. It does make sense in this situation to me — that a person who makes viral videos for a living would make a video to quit her job and that the video would go viral. I think my reaction to it would be different if it were a regular office-type job. Because most people quit their jobs by meeting with their boss in person and giving notice.

Logan: I think sending emails is also acceptable. I mean, maybe not like, the most best way, but an email is ok. At least that’s what I told a friend who asked me if she could give notice over email last week. Sure! Go ahead!

Mike: I think email is okay if you also have face time — if you work in the office with your boss and not remotely. I think email could essentially work as a formal letter of resignation, because once you’ve had that face time and quit, you should also have it acknowledged in writing. But then again, when I last quit my job, I just did the face time and a formal letter wasn’t necessary — I just had to fill out paperwork with HR.

Logan: Oh I was like, sure you can, skip the facetime. Wave on the way out. I think her boss was out of the office the day she needed to give notice. I don’t know. I mean, yes, I think that’s best, the face to face. Just like breaking up in person is better! But ultimately, my attitude is, do what you gotta do to get the thing done. So if your heart is like, I must make this viral YouTube video, you do you. You’ve managed folks — have you ever had to accept someone’s resignation?

Mike: Nope — everyone I’ve worked with has wanted to work with me forever! Hah, no. It just never came up. Also, I feel like seeing people come and go is just part of the job. But I do feel like if someone sent me an email saying he or she were leaving, I’d want to talk about it in person. You know, to talk out the details and to answer any questions and just to treasure the last time we’ll have together. Kidding, but also not kidding.

Logan: Make plaster handprints. Hit up a photobooth. I’m trying to think about the last job I quit. I’ve worked at a few companies where the company just dissolved, so that was nice — didn’t have to quit, didn’t have to get fired. Win, win. The last time I quit I was working at a clothing store chain in Virginia and it was like, a non-event. “Oh btw, I’m moving to New York so if you could not put me on the schedule next week or any week, that’d be great.” The manager was like, “Ok bye.” It was very emotional.

Mike: Yeah, and people come and go pretty frequently in retail, so I’m sure it was a No Big Deal, back-to-the-application-file situation. So the thing about the quitting video was that it wasn’t just about quitting? It was about sharing that experience with basically everyone in the world. Which, to me, would be terrifying.

Logan: Yeah as I watched I felt more like, aw girl, you should have quit this job ages ago before you felt like you had to do this! What’s that famous movie where he quits on air? It wasn’t like that at all. But maybe she wanted it to be.

Mike: I feel like there are a lot of movies where people quit on air? But in my head I am picturing Jim Carrey for some reason. In any case, I am happy that it worked out for this young woman and that she now has a job with Queen Latifah.

Logan: Who could ask for anything more.

Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.