Welcome back, everyone! Today, we’re here to discuss a topic that might normally bring a feeling of unease and nerves… leaving your job! If you’re looking for a new position, transitioning into a new space, or otherwise itching for an external opportunity, keep reading. We’re here to offer you our best tips and tricks for ensuring that you leave a company on positive terms (remember, you might end up wanting to return and not even know it yet!).

Leaving a Company on Good Terms

• Give notice (a minimum of 2 weeks)! Ultimately, managers and leaders are aware that there will naturally be turnover in their company. However, ensuring that you don’t leave your teammates or direct reports scrambling to complete tasks by providing ample notice of your departure is key to leaving on a positive note. Take stock of your current capacity – are you in busy season? Are you about to wrap up projects at quarter-end? What does your workload look like over the next few months? The more you can plan ahead, the more you can phase your work out toward other teammates in a timely manner.
  • Extra Tip: If your company expects that you provide a letter of resignation, make sure to put thought into it and meaningfully craft your reason for leaving. Express gratitude for the opportunity, your departure date, the reasoning behind your decision, and any related information that can help craft the story of your exit plan.
• Participate in Exit Interviews: Think about it like this, although you are exiting the company, there are still ways that you can provide value as you make your way out. One super attainable way of doing so is participating in the exit interview process – during this time, you’ll likely connect with an HR representative to discuss feedback you have on the culture, management, your role, etc., as well as your reason for leaving your position. Thinking through valuable feedback to share, layered with personal examples and anecdotes, is a fabulous way of ensuring that your opinions are heard and ideas are shared to shape the company’s policy and culture.
• Wrap up any work and Assist with Transitions! As we mentioned above, assisting in the process of transitioning your work off of your plate is a great way to make your exit more seamless. Think about what standard work you can create to document your personal processes. How can you share the knowledge? How can you best create resources to help teammates take over your projects? Setting up time with others who will help contribute to taking over your workload is a great way to solidify professional relationships that will last and a reputation for being a team player!
• Express Gratitude: As your final date nears, be extra mindful of expressing gratitude to your team and management. Thank anyone that has contributed to your growth and experience at the given company – this might look like a lateral teammate, leadership-level employee, executive, mentor, peer, etc. In the digital age, it is super easy to maintain professional relationships with just about anyone that you’ve ever worked with through platforms like LinkedIn, so ensure that these connections are strong, based on positive perception, and can be elongated throughout the remainder of your career. Like we always say, networking and connections are often the bridge between you and your dream role… so keep up with your professional relationships!