Leaving Your Position Gracefully
No matter what your reason for leaving, there is always a right and wrong way to go about it. If you leave the Wrong Way it can lead to negative feelings, bad references and sour grapes. If you leave the Right Way it can not only leave you and others with pleasant memories but more importantly contribute to your network and potentially your future career and successes.
These tips will equip you with valuable information on how to conduct yourself when leaving your current employer:
- Make sure you are well informed.
- If changing positions, is your new contract signed and watertight?
- Have you discussed your new career move with partners, family or friends?
- Are you emotionally ready to leave? Changing job is a stressful time; discuss your feelings with your recruitment consultant and family as it will help alleviate some of your concerns.
- Always remain professional and positive throughout the whole process.
- Just as first impressions count, so do last ones! You never know if you will need to contact them again.
- Once you have made your decision the most important thing is to tell your immediate manager first.
- Resist the temptation to tell colleagues or friends.
- If you happen to have told colleagues first, realise that bad feelings could result when you go in to tell your manager you are resigning and they turn around and say “I know – heard it in the lunch room, or so and so told me!”.
- Once you have told your manager, (depending on the above) discuss with them the appropriate steps for letting others know. Many companies prefer to keep it quiet until the last possible moment or have a chance to make you a counter offer. Other managers may like to announce your resignation at a team meeting.
- If no suggestions are offered by your manager, remember discretion is always the best option.
- Many positions require notice periods – discuss this with them first before handing over anything in writing. Some companies take the option of paying you out your notice pay, rather than having you work out the term of your notice.
- Check with your financial institution in regards to direct debits for mortgage’s etc so that payments can be made while there is a gap between you leaving one employer and starting with the next.
- Once you have come to an arrangement with your manager your next step is to put your decision in writing. A simple resignation letter would include: name, date, the person it is addressed to (your manager), notice of termination of employment, when it is effective from and your signature.
- If you are leaving in good circumstances and feel you would like to say a bit more, add a paragraph thanking your employer or specific manager for the opportunities that you were given and that you enjoyed your time with the company.
- If your leaving is in not so good a circumstance, do not use your resignation letter as a medium to vent or badmouth.
Finally – The number one tip is to remain Professional in all your dealings. This includes your last few weeks of your position with the company. You never know what the future holds – the grass is not always greener on the other side. (You may be back working for this company or any of its employees in the future!)
Reference Material: Engineers Australia June 2003 pg69. By Jennifer O’Donovan (National Careers Advisor)