Leaving is part of a career
Most people change jobs several times in their working life. How you leave matters as much as how you arrived. Your references, your network and sometimes a future return all depend on it.
Check your reasons first
Some reasons to move are strong. You have stopped learning. Pay is well below the market and cannot change. Your contract is ending. Your values no longer fit. Your life needs a new location.
Other reasons deserve a pause. One bad month, one difficult colleague or a slightly better offer may pass. A good move is towards something, not only away from something.
Search quietly
If you are employed, keep your search private.
- Use job alerts rather than public announcements.
- Apply from a personal email address.
- Schedule interviews on leave days or outside working hours.
- Do not use office equipment or time.
- Tell colleagues nothing until you have resigned.
Secure the new job before resigning
Never resign on a verbal promise. Wait until you have a signed contract. Make sure the start date allows for your full notice period.
Resign with grace
Keep your resignation letter short and polite. State your last day according to your contract and thank your employer. Leave grievances out of it. Tell your manager in person first if you can.
Some employers make counter-offers. Decide in advance whether you would consider one. The reasons you started looking often remain.
Work your notice properly
Treat your last weeks seriously. Finish what you can. Prepare a clear handover of open tasks, files and contacts. Help train whoever takes over. People remember how you left.
Collect your documents
Before your last day, gather the paperwork you will need later. That includes your certificate of service, final payslip and records of your pension or provident fund. Return company property and get a signed clearance.
Keep the door open
Thank your manager and colleagues. Stay in touch lightly. They are your future referees, and some people return to former employers at a higher level.
Finally, update your CV record with this role's results while they are fresh.
In the full lesson
- A fuller list of good and weak reasons to move, to test your own decision
- What a resignation letter should and should not contain
- A complete handover checklist for your notice period
- The full list of documents and payments to collect before you leave