Bridge Burning = Bad Idea!

Have you ever heard the expression, "That bridge burnt up a long time ago."? If not, let me elaborate. If you have ever been in a job that you felt was a dead end and you just didn't care enough about the job to care about showing up or to work real hard when you were there, then that is a bridge you probably burnt up. In other words, you didn't care enough about the job to put value in doing a good job while you were there... you were just collecting a paycheck.
The problem is that although the job you had there may have been a dead end to you at the time... that same company may have another opening that interests you later on, but if all they remember about you is how poorly motivated you were when you worked there before... don't hold your breath for a call back on that resume submission!!!

Often I'm shocked when people are surprised that they are not eligible for rehire when they were just fired 6 months earlier for poor attendance or misconduct. They don't seem to understand the concept I'm talking about here with regard to burning bridges. IF YOU BURN A BRIDGE... YOU CANNOT CROSS IT LATER. So if you burn the bridge, you better make sure you never want to turn back, because if you change your mind later, it will take a LOT OF EFFORT to rebuild the bridge, and your efforts may be futile. For example, I had a friend once who was so frustrated with her boss at Company X that she just blew up at her one day and quit with no notice and stormed out. Unfortunately for her, about 3 years later she wanted a job at another company completely unrelated to her former position that she stormed away from, but much to her surpise (and regret)... the hiring manager was her former boss at Company X. Needless to say, she did not even get a call back for an interview. Remember, people change jobs, just like you do. Your line supervisor today at Company Y may just be the CEO of Company Z in a few years... so don't burn ANY bridges! You never know when those things will come back to haunt you. Really, it all boils down to the Golden Rule. If you want people to show you respect and fair consideration in dealings with you, then do the same to others. Always put your best foot forward, even if you think your job is unimportant or no one is watching... because people notice "the little things" more often then you know.