Your first days at a new job can often be stressful, but so can your last.
If you’re in the process of leaving your current job to go to another company or do something else entirely, you know the excitement and anxiety that comes with it. Before you can jump into your next opportunity, you have to break the news to your current manager and colleagues, tie up any loose ends with the work itself, and engage with both IT and HR to make sure you’re walking out the door with the compensation you deserve (and without any personal technology that belongs to the company).
For the most efficient route to resigning from a job, follow the steps below.
1. Make sure your new opportunity is a sure bet.
Be 100% sure that you will be quitting your job; once you have the conversation with your manager, it’s very hard to walk the cat back. Even if you’re only chatting with your manager about the job offer in the hopes of leveraging it into a raise or title change, you’re putting your current job at risk; your manager might just say “Sorry, we can’t beat that offer.” When you have a job offer that you truly want to pursue, make sure to get the details in writing. You don’t want to leave yourself stranded in any possible way.
2. Have an emotionally intelligent conversation with your manager and ask for his or her input on telling colleagues.
It doesn’t matter what kind of relationship you have with your boss; you should always strive to have professional interactions. Resigning from a job is particularly sensitive; your boss may or may not see it coming, so be sure to put yourself in their shoes. What are they going to want to hear? What questions will they have? Try to anticipate these sorts of answers as much as possible. Also be sure to ask for their preference on when and how you tell colleagues; it’s ultimately your choice, but often a manager would be happy to have some insight on the timing (i.e. – telling your colleagues you’re leaving during the most important week of an important client project might destroy morale and through the project off course).
3. Write a letter of resignation and send it to your manager and HR.
Your manager will likely ask you for a letter of resignation. This doesn’t have to be long, but it should hit on a few key points: what your current title is (i.e. – “I’m resigning from my position as senior developer in the self-driving car unit at Google”), the current date, and the last day you intend to work. Unless the relationship was particularly fraught, you will probably want to include something nice about how you’ve learned a lot at the company. Burning bridges is generally discouraged.
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4. Talk with HR and IT about your remaining vacation days, 401(k), and personal devices.
Now’s the time to talk to HR about any lingering questions – i.e., will you be paid out for your remaining vacation days? What are your options regarding health care and 401(k)? When will your exit interview be? When can you expect your last paycheck? Who do you need to contact to turn in your computer or phone? Be sure to create a checklist so there are no surprises when you leave.
5. Offer to help with the transition.
The paperwork alone can be a lot for a manager to deal with when someone leaves the group. Offer to help with the transition in whatever way you can. If you can write out a document that outlines key passwords or contact information for key contacts, that’s a good start. Clear out your desk and leave any files that may be important for the next person stepping into your role or the people covering for you during the transition period. You want to make it as easy as possible for them to pick up where you leave off. Also – if you have friends or professional contacts who might be a good fit for your soon-to-be open role, reach out and see if there’s interest. Your manager will appreciate the extra help.
