My first job was working as an intern, something we call here in Spain a “becario”. I left the job because they weren’t interested in teaching me anything and it cost me money. They weren’t happy but not because I left but because it made it harder for them to get new unpaid people.
The second one was in a big company and by that time in our profession it involve a very bad salary. I was there about three years. I learned a lot and I was so engaged with the company that I rejected a very good opportunity in another company, one month later my company was trying to move me to a subsidiary company with a lower salary, that was too much and I learned then how professional relationship works.
Since then, every time I got bored or I find anything better I move to a new job until one day my boss asked me why I didn’t say anything before. I am not going into details but it wasn’t exactly true that I dindn't say anything but in any case it was an eye-opener to me. We have a responsibility with our team, our project, our customers, It doesn’t change the fact that you have a contract and are only an employee that have to look after yourself but, at least you must communicate clearly the reasons because you are leaving the company. We are not surgeons but we still have a responsibility.
I am not going to lie to you, this way of doing things has played against me a pair of times, once even made me lose some money but I am still convinced that it is the right way of doing things overall when you are playing in a management role.
Nowadays there are two reasons because I would leave a company: I think I am not contributing anymore or the context doesn’t let me do my job. When one of these two things happen I meet with the person on charge and I try to explain the situation and get an agreement about time and the procedure of leaving the company. Usually it doesn’t tunr out well, at least not for me but I don’t know any other way of saying goodbye. Do you?