5 Steps to Break Up with Your Job
You have planned your exit strategy, and you've succeeded. Now that you have your new job offer (I hope!), it is time to start thinking about your transition from your current role. It is easy to think, "well, it's their problem," but the truth is that you want to ensure that you are transitioning out gracefully. Read below to learn six ways to sustain your reputation as a reliable and professional employee without burning any bridges.
1. Provide Adequate Notice
It is customary to provide at least two weeks' notice to allow employers the opportunity to create a contingency plan for the work that you would have completed. Your employer might ask for more than two weeks to re-allocate your projects and responsibilities to others on the team. Before sending in your resignation letter, plan to have an in-person conversation with your manager expressing your decision to leave. After the discussion, follow up with an official resignation letter, either printed or by email. Remember that due to at-will employment laws, employers are not required to allow you to finish out your two weeks. Some employers might request that you leave on the spot. While this could be awkward or lead to tension, you must retain your composure and professionalism. Understanding that the employment field changes so rapidly, you never know when you might reencounter your supervisor or depend on them to provide you with a reference or LinkedIn endorsement. Amiably departing from an employer might also allow you to return in the future, should the dynamics meet your professional needs.
Note: If you at any time feel that your life is endangered, you have been sexually harassed, consider it to be an unethical or hostile work environment, or have family concerns, you should feel 100% comfortable quitting on the spot!
2. Submit Your Resignation Letter
Resignation letters are professional "Dear John Letters," but without emotions and feelings. It is your official notice to express your decision to depart from the company. Depending on your reasoning for leaving, some people might think that this is the opportunity to list all their grievances and negative experiences while working at the company, but it is not. Resignation letters are one of the phoniest professional documents in existence. When writing your letter, keep it short and sweet. Clearly express your decision to vacate your position, state your appreciation for the opportunity and growth provided (even if you aren't), and include your official last day of working. When writing your resignation letter, remember to play nice. You are not required to provide a reason for your departure, and you should not do so in writing. Instead, your goal should be to check it off your exit to-do list and keep it moving.
3. Get Your Affairs in Order
Once you have provided notice and received your new offer, it is easy to lose care for your job. However, if you value the relationships you have with your co-workers and others, you should consider tidying and closing out all responsibilities you own. If your job is client or vendor-facing, you can write a farewell email that includes your last workday, who they should reach out to, and how they might contact you after your departure. We must remember that often our job affects those inside and outside of our company, so to maintain your professionalism and working relationships, share the news respectively. Before telling others, though, you should speak with your manager about sharing the information with staff and other stakeholders. You should also discuss your status on ongoing projects and accounts to assist with a more effortless transfer to whoever will take over your responsibilities.
4. Remove Personal Information and Documentation
While it is best practice to handle personal affairs and business on work technology, I am sure that we have all fallen victim to it. Be sure to delete all personal information that you might have stored on your computer's desktop and other folders. Keep in mind that downloading or deleting files you created at a company is frowned upon, and depending on the company, might make you vulnerable to legal penalties. In addition, many of us sign in agreement that all documents and collateral created while in our position is the company's intellectual property. However, you should consider saving any work samples that you might be able to add to your work portfolio, being sure to redact any confidential or client information. Far too often, we forget to build our professional portfolio that speaks to the quality of our work product, but there is no better time to start than now.
5. Meet with HR
Lastly, schedule your meeting with the Human Resources department. Not only will you often need to complete an exit interview that speaks to your reasoning and motivations for leaving your position, but also you will have the opportunity to inquire about ex-employee benefits. For example, depending on your company, you may be entitled to receive pay-out for vacation time unused, retirement roll-over options, and COBRA to extend your insurance at a discounted price while you are between positions. Most importantly, though, this is an opportunity for you to verify when and the method by which you will receive your last paycheck.
Ultimately, you should aim to depart gracefully from your job, whether you loved or hated it. There's a saying that when one door closes, another one opens. Congratulations on opening your new door!
Diana Williams, Resume Tailor
