How to leave a job in the arts without burning bridges

Setting the house alight as you walk away looks good in movies, but in life it's best to leave nicely and stay on good terms.

15 Jan 2024 9:00

Rochelle Siemienowicz

small house made of matches is burning on one side.

All Arts

It’s rarely a good idea to burn the house down. Photo: Pixabay/Pexels.

When you know, you know.

But for most of us, especially those working in Australia’s small and interconnected creative sectors, it makes good sense to leave on good terms wherever possible and take the high road.

Here are some guidelines and protocols for keeping things nice, so you can leave your job with a cool head, a clear conscience and your good reputation intact.

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Rochelle Siemienowicz is a Melbourne writer and editor. Her first book Fallen, a memoir was published in 2014 and her second, Double Happiness, a novel, in 2024. She has a PhD in Australian cinema and was previously a journalist at ScreenHub and ArtsHub. ou can find her on Instagram: @Rochelle_Rochelle or at Substack where she writes a fortnightly newsletter, The Fool and the Queen.