Does burning bridges REALLY matter? (apply, job, careers, companies)

[Suburban_Guy]

Well, obviously it would depend on industry, how the bridge was burned, etc.

But burning a bridge would really matter IF one felt any need to go back to that same organization. I'm not talking about being fired for performance issues or some clear ethical violations which would automatically make you ineligible for rehire.

I'm talking about badmouthing the company during exit interviews, or quitting without a proper two week notice, things of that nature right when you leave (you know, the kinds of things people repeatedly ask if they should do on this section of the forum, knowing damned well they shouldn't). And especially pissing off the wrong people.

One former co-worker expressed interest in an opening in my group, but he had reservations as he had a not so good experience with the director of the group (the director used to be his manager at another job years ago). And he was right to do so, because our director would have laughed and torn up his resume if he saw it on his desk.

Some people are able to overcome burning bridges, but others aren't. Why even take that chance, don't listen to the 'experts' here on CD forum who think there are 'no' consequences for one's professional behavior and conduct. Do things the right way as much as it is in your control.

[ccm123]

Never burn bridges, you never know when or how it can come back to haunt you.

[DorianRo]

Generally no unless you want to go back to the employer you already left, but why would you leave a quality employer? They are very hard to come by these days. And if its lousy why go back? Crappy companies and work environments, rarely if ever change for the better

[fishbrains]

It really depends on the situation. I can could share some anecdotes similar to the OP, but I also know people who have quit and told the manager to go F themselves while they were at it, and never recovered from that. I have refused to interview/rehire people who left under bad circumstances as well.

[glass_of_merlot]

It depends on your field of work. My field is small. I know and my coworkers know people in all locations in Chicago land. It can be good and bad.

[Mae Maes Garden]

These days..with social media etc...one needs to tread carefully. I see people blasting away at there CURRENT employer. I shake my head at the absurdness of it.

[DDmenen]

I don't have an answer to this but I can share my personal sentiments on the matter,

I don't burn bridges, EVER!.... I've worked in some really **** companies and jobs, some I knew id never work in the same industry again but being a b**** is not in my character so telling people to f*** off isn't really my cup of tea unless its an ex or something like that.

With jobs I always leave in peace, burning bridges for me isn't just about your job or industry imagine if your ex boss turns out to be associates with your new boss or even friends or even related... for me that's the point of not burning bridges because telling your current manager or boss off can affect you directly or indirectly (both matter) but indirectly is the one that matters to me the most imagine the person about to hire or promote you overhears randomly at a restaurant or somewhere your ex boss talking about you, life is like a strange intersections so you never know.

I just don't want anyone having a bad word to say about me relating to my work. People talk and you never know who's ears will hear about your current actions later on

[Florida2014]

Sounds like we're talking about two different things here:

1) Burning a bridge with a specific manager

vs.

2) Burning a bridge with an entire company

As long as your colleague put in her two weeks notice, and quit her position in good standing, it shouldn't matter if she didn't get along with her manager. You simply do not list the manager as a reference.

[BusinessManIT]

In some companies, if you dare to quit then you've already burned a bridge. Even if you are polite and work out a 2 week notice (or longer) you're toast with the company and you can rely on your eligible for rehire flag to be set to "No" and to be bad mouthed after you leave, no matter what your work performance was. A traitor is a traitor.

Unfortunately, I had the "privilege" of working for a number of those kind of companies.

[Ted Bear]

Originally Posted by Surfer Guy

I know of a couple of people who were fired in pretty dramatic circumstances. When I worked at a small accounting firm about a decade ago, one woman did not get along well with this one manager at all. She basically got into a shouting match with the manager and was fired on the spot. A few months later, she was hired by another accounting firm. I looked her up, and she is now a manager herself at the accounting firm that hired her. Obviously, her firing didn't affect her that much in the long run.

Another person is someone at my current job who had some personality conflicts with management and he got kicked out on the spot after a confrontation with my boss (and his boss at the time). A few months later, he got hired on at an accounting firm in a different city, making more money than what he made at the job he was fired from.

Both of these people left on very bad terms, but yet they were just speed bumps in their career paths. I've always heard that you should be worried about "burning bridges," but these people practically nuked their bridges and they came out alright.

Speed bumps, until their firms merge and the old manager is now a partner in the new firm, and you are still a manager (with a relationship problem).


Just don't burn bridges. Nothing good can ever come from it. The few minutes of satisfaction leads to a lifetime of looking over your shoulder.