Quitting your current job is a delicate situation. Ideally you want to leave in good standing so that you can use the employer as a future reference. The average length of time spent in any job for young people is about two years, so two years from now you'll be better off if your old boss is willing to provide a good reference.

By following a few easy steps, you can preserve your dignity while making a graceful exit.

1. Don’t tell anyone before you tell your boss: Everyone knows how fast the office rumor mill works. If you’re in a small office it works even faster. You may feel you owe your friends an explanation before you quit, but all you’re doing is risking getting fired before you quit. That is NOT smart business decision.

2. Know what you’re going to say before you go in: It's natural to get nervous before quitting a job. Confrontations like that are intimidating. Don’t walk in bumbling and stumbling like Hugh Grant saying “excuse me, terribly sorry but I uhh, do umm, ohh dear I ohh boy oh gosh but I umm, do believe I umm, don’t want to work, umm, here so I’m not uhh I mean I quit?” Have a reason or two, give it and be brief without dragging out the painful parts.

3. Beware the desperate employer: Remember, you’re quitting for a reason. If you didn’t have a better opportunity or dislike your current coworkers you wouldn’t be leaving your job. Don’t let them convince you otherwise. The most desperate employers have been known to do anything to convince people to stay, but aside from a huge raise there is no good reason to listen to them. Stand firm, and don’t listen to their entreaties. Politely inform them that you have made up your mind.

4. If possible, give 2-3 weeks notice: Speaking of Hugh Grant, Two weeks notice is the generally expected term to give when quitting. In a smaller office you might want to consider 3 weeks since you'll likely need to be replaced from the outside. Giving any less than two weeks is rude and counterproductive. No matter how quickly you want to get out of there, your next employer will always wait 2 weeks for you.

5. Resist any and all further temptation: Look, we would all like to pull a Jerry McGuire on our way out of the office. I’ve often dreamed of giving a rousing speech and convincing people to quit with me, but it’s usually not going to work and you’re not a good enough sports agent to show Rod Tidwell the money. Also, avoid any Office Space style schemes to steal money from the company. You’re not smart enough to pull that off, Milton.

6. Be prepared for the worst: There are two worst case scenarios that can play out when you quit. One is being attacked physically, which seems rather unlikely. The other is being asked to leave right away. The thinking that some employers have is that the sooner you leave, the less likely you are to pollute their other employees. If you know you’re quitting soon, start cleaning up and taking things home little by little. Before you go in, make sure you have yourself organized so you don’t have to spend a long awkward period packing while coworkers offer fake condolences. You’re going to want to get out as quickly as possible.

For those of us who don’t like conflict, quitting a job can be a really stressful situation. Even if you’ve dreamed of doing it for years, the point when you have to look your boss in the face and tell her you’re leaving can be very difficult. As long as you leave in good standing and retain your dignity, you’ll still be able to use them as a reference.