How to leave your job

Some people want to quit their job as they are ambitious to progress and move up the job ladder – others are simply ready for a change of scenery

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Robert Half

Sometimes, securing a new job can be the easy part; the bigger difficulty may come in plucking up the courage to resign from the current job! It never does any good to burn bridges in business; you might just need a reference in the future, or run into the same boss again further down the line. So, you can’t afford to leave your job on bad terms – it may come back to you in a negative way.

Whatever the nature of your relationship with your employer, it’s important to be resign with grace, tact and professionalism. Providing you fulfil your responsibilities, and adhere to resignation convention, there should be nothing to worry about. Remember, this won’t be the first time one of their employees has left – voluntary turnover is a fact of business and organisations understand this and plan accordingly. Your employer may be disappointed, but they have systems in place to oversee the transition when staff members move on.

If you’re unsure about how exactly to go about handing your notice in, our seven-point guide can help on how to quit your job.

Be certain of your decision

You need to think very carefully before starting to look for a new job; once you hand in your resignation letter, there may be no turning back. In resigning, you break the bond of trust between yourself and your employer – should you change your mind, this will be difficult to repair.

Make a list of the reasons you want to leave, and the reasons you might stay. The key question is, will you be better off making a change? A new role could, potentially, offer new career opportunities, higher pay, more attractive benefits and/or greater job satisfaction – but you have to know what you want and take as long as you need to make a decision.

Find another job first

It always makes sense to find a new job before resigning from your current one. Firstly, it reduces the risk of you being left without an income. Secondly, it may make you a more attractive proposition to potential employers if you already have a job.

Candidates who are unemployed when they attend interviews will inevitably face awkward questions about why they left their previous post. It is so much better if your reason for applying is for career advancement, rather than – in the eyes of the interview panel – to simply get back into work.

It could take you a number of weeks or months to find a new job you love. During this period you need to make every effort to maintain performance levels at work, even if you are attending various job interviews on the side. If your standards slip, it could affect your relationship with your current employer – somebody you do not want to alienate.

Tell your boss

It can be hard to find the right way to politely quit a job but, once you’ve accepted another offer, it’s time to talk to your manager. In the first instance, inform your manager orally of your decision to leave. It’s often best to do this on a Friday afternoon – this will put distance between you and your employer over the weekend and allow the dust to settle. Should you make your announcement on a Monday morning, or another peak time, it can have a knock-on effect on your team’s morale and productivity for the whole week.

Prepare what you are going to say in advance and then stick to it – particularly if you are asked to provide information you’d rather not disclose. You can expect some form of reaction from your boss, unless they were expecting you to resign. If they become confrontational, and start questioning your decision to leave, revert to your pre-prepared comments.

It’s important to leave this initial meeting on good terms, if at all possible. This means retaining your composure – even if your boss takes the news badly – and trying to focus on the positives of your time with the organisation. The conversation may be awkward, but it is one you need to have.

Write a resignation letter

As well as informing your boss in person, you should write an official letter of resignation, addressed to your immediate superior. There are a few things you need to say when you are resigning; your letter should include your name, notice period, when this is effective from and also your signature. You can hand it to your boss when you give oral notice.

There is scope to add other information to your letter – such as a thank you to your employer; although not essential, there is no harm in including a short, positive message. However, resist the temptation to air your grievances. Your resignation letter will be kept on file, so it could be a mistake to criticise the company, senior members of staff, or your colleagues. If you’re desperate to vent, and can’t be persuaded otherwise, save this for your exit interview.

Ignore the counter offer

If you are a highly-valued member of staff, your employer may pull out all the stops to try and keep you, knowing how important an asset you are –  they may even make a counter offer, in a bid to dissuade you from leaving. Having come this far – you’ve found a new job and given notice – why exactly would you consider it? There are underlying reasons behind your decision to leave, and these are unlikely to change. If your sole concern was your current salary, it would have been far simpler to negotiate a pay rise with your employer weeks or even months ago.

The question is, should you accept a counter offer and remain with your current organisation, how long will it be before the same career frustrations arise? By staying put, you might miss a huge opportunity to advance and develop as a professional. Another 12 months down the line, you might just be drafting another letter of resignation. Furthermore, the trust between you and your manager will be broken, and often difficult to repair.

Work your notice

It goes without saying that you need to work your notice period, as stated in the terms of your employment contract. The only exception would be if it is mutually beneficial for you and your existing employer to bring your departure date forward – for example, they may have your replacement lined up, or you may be willing to sacrifice a bonus. The organisation you are joining may even agree some form of financial settlement with your current employer to secure an early release.

Your principal role during your notice period is to ensure the smooth handover of clients, accounts and uncompleted work to your colleagues, or the person taking over your role. Unless the transition is seamless, you’re in danger of leaving a negative final impression – one which will stay with your former managers and colleagues for good. So be as thorough as possible and think about every detail, otherwise your legacy could be tarnished.

Attend an exit interview

You may be invited to an exit interview towards the end of your notice period. Make sure you attend this and try to be as co-operative as possible during the session. Your employer will want to know more about your decision to leave, and your perceptions of their organisation as a whole. By all means offer constructive suggestions as to how things could work better, but resist the urge to be overtly critical if you can.