It’s time to resign you job! Congratulations! You just got an offer for a wonderful new job. There’s just one catch. You have to say good bye to your current employer. And you have to resign your job with professionalism and pride.
Maybe you loved your job and you face an emotional farewell. Or perhaps you hated every minute and you have been counting the days until you could walk out the door one last time.
Employees often admit they are nervous about making the departure announcement. They are afraid the boss will be annoyed and irritated. They feel guilty about the work they are leaving behind. Perhaps someone else has to take up the slack for a while.
But employees also wonder how to resign gracefully yet still protect their own longer-term career interests. Employees suspect their departure style will influence their careers for a long time.
You’re right! Resign your job with professionalism and your employer will eventually take it in a good way.
10 Tips To Resign Your Job With Professionalism And Pride
Here are some guidelines to resign your job and move to your next work with grace and style.
1. Give the correct amount of notice required by your company’s written policy.
Every so often my clients feel sorry for their former colleagues. So, they stick around an extra week (or even an extra month). Inevitably, they begin to feel like a fifth wheel. Nearly everyone says, “Next time I’m leaving right away!”
2. After you leave, do not accept any job-related calls from your company unless you have a written consulting contract.
Your boss required two weeks’ notice – but belatedly realized she needs four weeks for a smooth transition to your successor.
Your boss made a business decision to require two weeks’ notice. When they miscalculate, they need to accept the cost. Just as they had accepted the cost of late payments to a supplier.
If your company needs additional help, offer to work as a paid consultant with a contract. But get everything in writing and make sure your new job becomes your Number One priority.
3. Study your current and future company policies regarding disclosures and no-compete agreements.
Some companies are extremely proprietary about their process and their people. Once you resign your job, you may have to leave the workplace immediately.
Or your new company may ask you not to work for your former employer, even on a part-time basis. There are also companies that require you to not work on the same industry for a period of time, say 2 years.
4. Resign your job and to your boss in person, if at all possible.
Phone is second best. And tell the boss before you tell anyone else – even your best friend or work buddy. This is where professionalism gets really involved. Your boss will appreciate it because you gave him a head’s up and it will be up to him to designate someone to take your place.
5. Expect your boss to be professional.
Employees often fear the boss’s reaction. However, bosses rarely are caught by surprise. Good bosses are happy to see their employees move ahead. Thank him for the opportunity to learn, which has led to your newest and most wonderful career move.
6. Thank your boss and your coworkers, even if you hate them all and can’t wait to leave.
You may regard them more fondly through a haze of memories than a glare of office lighting. You may encounter them at conventions and networking groups after you resign your job. And most likely you will benefit from strong references and goodwill.
7. Decline a counter-offer.
Employers knows this well, “Sixty percent of those who accept a counter-offer are gone in six months.” If you decide to stay, get a written job contract. And if you decided to resign your job with professionalism, do not accept anymore counter offer. Unless, this was your plan all along to get a raise.
Exception: A few companies and industries actually demand proof of an outside offer before offering you any kind of internal raise or reward. College professors often work in this environment.
8. Treat the exit interview as a business formality, not a therapy session.
When a Human Resource professional asks why you are leaving, be upbeat and positive: “for a better opportunity.” Talk about how much you loved the company and your job. You never know where your comments will turn up, mangled and misinterpreted.
9. Resist entreaties to share the details of your future position with anyone.
Occasionally a colleague will try to assess your salary or other information “so we can stay competitive in recruiting.” Helping your company recruit is not part of your job and anyway, do you really believe this? Details of your future employment should remain confidential, even from your close friends in the company.
10. Focus on your new opportunity – not your past experience.
Once you’re gone, you’re history. The very same folks who loved meeting you for lunch will barely remember your name a week later. And, if you haven’t changed jobs for a while, you may be in for a shock. Your first day in a new position can be a real eye-opener!