An international student was about to quit their part-time job at a café. But a Korean friend told them, "Start by saying 'I'm sorry.'" You didn't do anything wrong, so why apologize? ## When talking to the boss In a small shop or a small team, when one person leaves, the remaining people share that work. So "I'm sorry" doesn't mean you did something wrong. It's a greeting that says, "I'm sorry for making things hard for you all." It's good to add a date after this phrase. For example, like "I'm sorry, I'd like to work only until the end of next month." ## When You Submit Your Resignation Letter At many companies, people first tell their team leader in person and then submit the resignation letter. This is because colleagues feel hurt if they hear about it through rumors first. The format and deadline differ from company to company. Check your contract and the company's work rules, and if you're not sure, ask the HR team. ## When you hear "until we find a replacement" This phrase doesn't only mean "please stay until then." It's also a request to do a good handover. In Korea, people in the same field all know each other well, so how you leave stays with you as your reputation. That's why people who leave behind a document organizing their work get good evaluations. But don't just wait around for the last day to come. The last day is set according to your contract, so you can sort it out by talking calmly about the dates.