Steps in the Resignation Process
Type letter, put in a sealed envelope with your supervisor name and
Personal/Confidential on it too. (See the sample resignation letter
below).
A. Meet with your boss and ask, “Do you have a minute?" Then
hand your boss the letter and say, “I have made a commitment to
join another organization and begin working for them in two
weeks. I am very excited about this opportunity; please accept
this letter as my official resignation.”
B. If your boss asks where you are going and why, just say “It is not
my intention to discuss where I am going or why. My decision if
final, I have made a firm commitment that I plan to keep. My goal
now is too discuss how we can make the transition smooth.”
C. Close the discussion by giving your boss a written list of your
projects and their status.
D. Remember there are only two reasons for the resignation letter &
two reasons ONLY. First, to let your employer know your last
workday and second, to establish a very smooth transition. The
purpose of your resignation letter is not to discuss where or why
you are leaving or to entertain a counter offer, which is career
suicide.
E. After you have given the resignation letter to your boss, call me
or email me to let me know that the resignation step has been
completed. If you have any questions about this process or what
to expect, please call me.
Sample Resignation Letter #1:
Your Full Name
Job Title
Company Name
City, State
Date (This is the day you give this letter to your boss, usually 2 two
weeks before your start date with your new company)
Dear Mr. or Ms. (Immediate Supervisor),
Please accept this letter as my official notice of resignation. I have
appreciated the opportunity to work, learn and grow as a
professional at “company name”. I will always be grateful, but I have
made a commitment to another company and begin with them in
two weeks. I will be resigning effective (the date you will be
resigning which is typically 2 weeks from the date you turn in this
letter). My goal will be to work diligently with you for a smooth
transition.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
Sample Resignation Letter #2
Date
Mr. John Doe
ABC Company, Inc.
100 Main Street
City, ST Zip
Dear Mr./Miss (Immediate Supervisor),
I want to take this time to thank you for the professional relationship
and leadership you have provided during my tenure here. I have
thoroughly enjoyed the work environment and atmosphere
provided by you and the company management.
However, I have accepted a new position with another company.
My last day of employment with “ABC Company” will be Friday, June
14, 2002. My decision to leave “ABC Company” is final.
I appreciate all that you have done for me in the past, and hope that
we can maintain a cordial, professional relationship in the future.
Sincerely,
Sample Resignation Letter #3
Date
Name
Address
Dear Mr./Miss (Immediate Supervisor),
It is with both regret and anticipation that I officially submit this letter
of resignation, effective today. My last day shall be XXXXXX.
I want to thank you for all you have done for me here at XXXXXX.
It's been a pleasure working with you, and representing the
company. This decision has nothing to do with the exceptional
opportunity you have provided me here. You and the company
have been more than fair with me, and I genuinely appreciate all
your support.
I wish you and all of our colleagues at XXXXXX continued success,
and I want to thank you for allowing me to be a part of your team.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do during my
remaining tenure to ensure a smooth transition of my
responsibilities.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
When It’s Time to Tell the Boss Goodbye
How to Give Notice Professionally While Staying Focused on Your
Future
By Jeff Skrentny
You made the decision to leave. You put together a competitive
resume, circulated it through professional recruiters and online,
interviewed with too many potential new employers, and finally
found the perfect next job. The offer letter has been signed and the
start date agreed upon; now all you need to do is resign. For many,
this feels like a moment of disloyalty they dread having to deal with
as they face a boss they have worked hard for over this most recent
portion of their career. For others this seems like the opportunity to
lay it all on the line as they have long dreamed of doing.
What to do?
How does one give notice appropriately while keeping one’s eyes
firmly focused on the new career choice? Well, you could grab your
IPOD and walk into your boss’s office and simply play “Take This Job
and Shove It!” The boss would get the message, yes, but that
probably isn’t the most tactful approach you could take. Seriously,
giving notice isn’t something that is taught in high school, college or
even graduate school. Most approach this critical career juncture
flying by the seat of their pants, mimicking what they have seen
others do incorrectly, and for that reason they do it wrong too.
Never use this opportunity to “get back at” or “let them know” all
that is wrong. It just doesn’t matter, and your reference is far too
valuable for your future to risk the one-day satisfaction of telling a
boss you didn’t love, where to go with all the seeming injustices you
suffered in his or her employ. Most young professionals will have at
least 9 jobs between the ages of 18 and 34; you’ll need all of your
references as you build your career in today’s competitive
workplace. Don’t blow one of them on a moment of empty
satisfaction. As you become more entrenched in your career
beyond your 30’s, it should be obvious why past employer
references are critical in any profession that gets uncomfortably
small as you move up into the executive ranks.
Giving your notice of resignation should be a simple, thoughtful and
carefully planned event that reduces your stress and focuses on the
one and only thing that is really critical: making the transition of
your departure as smooth as possible for the employer you are
leaving. With that singular focus, you can get done what you must
for your old job and leave your old employer in the best position
you can while you mentally begin to focus on your new employer.
So what must be considered?
First, remember that giving notice means you are crossing a point of
no return. It is almost never a good idea to give notice without a
new job first, and, depending on how far up the executive ranks you
have gone, you probably shouldn’t give notice until an offer letter
has been received, reviewed, signed and given back to your new
employer. Let’s assume that this has been done or that a firm
mutual verbal agreement has confirmed your position, salary and
start date.
The next question is when to give notice. The answer: immediately,
or as soon as possible, after you have tendered an official
acceptance of a new offer of employment. There is one big
exception: Never do this on a Friday, above all not on Friday
afternoon. Would you want your weekend ruined in that manner
through the loss of a key top performer? Ideally, it is best to give
notice on Monday or Tuesday in the later part of the day.
Remember, also, that no matter how close you are to some of your
co-workers, peers, or even subordinates, never tell anyone else
about your resignation before you tell the boss. It is your boss’s
responsibility, and right, to tell the rest of the team or company
about your resignation as he or she sees fit. Don’t blow a reference
or leave a bad impression by ignoring this rule.
Your next important issue is a written letter of resignation. Having
seen hundreds of these over my 20 years, I can tell you that less is
more. I suggest a simple, four-sentence, two-paragraph letter that
offers little in the way of an explanation. It just states the obvious –
you are resigning:
Dear Boss,
Please accept this letter as my official notice of resignation. I
appreciate the work we have been able to accomplish together at
[company name], but I have now made a commitment to another
organization and will begin with them in two weeks.
Know that it is my intention to work diligently with you to wrap up as
much as possible in the next two weeks to make my resignation as
smooth as possible. If you have any suggestions on how we can
best accomplish that goal, I hope you will share your thoughts with
me, as I am eager to leave on the most positive note possible.
Sincerely,
Two of the biggest simple mistakes job changers make in their
letters of resignation are to say, in some form, “I’m sorry for leaving”
or “Thank you for the opportunity to work here.” Both should be
avoided.
Why should you say you are sorry for leaving when your current
employers couldn’t do what was necessary to keep you in their
employ, however that may have been accomplished? They should
be saying they are sorry to YOU, for not doing what they could to
keep a key performer. More or less the same thing with “Thank
you”— they should be thanking YOU for your good work. Sure, it
might be fine to express a verbal thanks, or regret, but never put it
in your official resignation letter. It just doesn’t belong there.
But the biggest mistake made in the letter of resignation is too
much detail. I have seen resigning employees list the reasons they
are leaving, tell the employer where they accepted the new job, why
they accepted it, their position, responsibilities, salary and bonus
structure. Why would you share this competitive intelligence with a
soon-to-be FORMER employer and possible competitor of your new
employer? This is confidential information - information that can
only be used to emotionally or actually sabotage your new situation.
(Yes, I’ve seen it done, once even calling the new boss and telling
him all the reasons why he just made a bad hire. Really! Fortunately
it didn’t work – the new boss knew a good hire when he saw one.)
Or it can be used as a tool for your old employer to make you a
counteroffer. If your intention is not really to change jobs, but rather
to elicit a counteroffer in order to get a raise from your current boss,
then you have not read the research on why this amounts to career
suicide. We assume you know better.
After you have crafted a resignation letter, you must give it to the
boss. With few exceptions, you should do this in a face-to-face
meeting. Thus it is your responsibility to arrange for a meeting, and
if you arrange the meeting, it is your responsibility to have an
agenda for it. Should the boss want to know what the meeting is
about, simply say it is a matter of “personal concern that needs to
be addressed confidentially.”
As you walk into the meeting, have your letter of resignation in hand
in an envelope. To start the meeting, hand your boss the envelope
and say something like:
“Boss, I have made a commitment to join another organization and
will begin working with them in two weeks. Please accept this, my
letter of resignation. I would ask that you take a minute to read my
letter before we discuss together how we can make my transition as
smooth as possible.”
Don’t make it a big drama, just quietly insist that it would be best for
her to read the letter to start your meeting, and mention that you
have an agenda to share after she has read the letter. Bosses won’t
always comply, but it’s critical to focus them on the letter before you
say or do anything else. I have helped people through this process
countless times; it works. Just be politely persistent until the letter is
read. Trust me, they know what it says and are going through the
first stages of denial by not reading it. That, or they won’t read it as
part of a power play. If that is the case, do you need any more
confirmation for why you should resign?
Once the letter is read, share with the boss your meeting agenda,
which should list 3-8 items that need to be wrapped up in the time
of your two-week transition, and your plan to get those done. And
yes, except for the most senior executive-level players, two weeks is
more than enough notice for most job changers. Your loyalty needs
to go to your NEW employer, not the projects or work that remains
with your old employer. I can’t tell you how often resigning
employees get this wrong.
It will not be unusual for your superior to want to stop you at this
point and ask the “who, what and why” questions after a dose of
what we refer to as “shock and amazement” treatment. Don’t let
these oft-used ploys allow you to stray from your singular goal of
how to make the transition of your two-week notice go as smoothly
as possible. If your boss persists in asking those questions, tell him
simply something like:
“I know you may be curious about where I am going and why, but it
is not my intention to discuss that with you today. My decision is
made. I have made a commitment to another organization. If it is
really important for you to know where I am going and why, let’s talk
about it when it is not an emotional issue for us, say a month from
now. Today, my goal remains to discuss how to make the transition
as smooth as possible.”
Ask yourself: Why on the day you resign, and only then, is he so
darned interested in what your concerns are, and where you are
going and why? A seriously concerned boss would not need a
resignation to address the future with a key employee. This isn’t
some sudden interest in advancing your career, as bosses often
make it seem; this is a stalling tactic for them to figure out how to
cover their backside with this new problem that has just landed on
their desk.
I cannot emphasize this point enough. Once you understand this,
you will no longer feel the need to talk about anything else EXCEPT
how to make the transition of your two-week notice go as smoothly
as possible by addressing the items on your transition list. That is
the singular goal of this meeting. Frankly, any further information
about where you are going, and why, is simply none of the boss’s
business at this point. He or she should have asked those questions
BEFORE you felt the need to look for a new job, NOT after you have
accepted one.
Once you are past this most difficult point, here are a few pointers
to help you make your final transition steps easier: First, call a
significant other and let him or her know you gave notice and that it
went successfully — husband, wife, third-party recruiter or even
corporate recruiter that you have been working with to land the new
job. It is often beneficial to talk to a welcoming voice after this
stressful interaction. Don’t talk about your resignation with peers.
Two, make sure you have mailed or emailed a copy of your letter of
resignation to your boss’s direct supervisor and also to your human
resources contact. It gets the ball rolling on wrapping up your
employment “officially.” You’d be surprised how often the direct
supervisor forgets to take this step.
Three, the night after you tender resignation, look around your desk
or workspace and take the three or four most emotionally important
items home with you. Family photos, award for excellent service to
your employer, photos from a memorable company meeting or
outing. Just grab them and put them in your briefcase or purse and
begin the process of removing yourself from this workspace. Take a
few items home every night for the next few days.
Four, make sure that you have ALREADY removed any personal
items from your laptop or PC, and have taken home those files in
some manner. Also, copies of all your employee reviews, customer
letters or testimonials, recommendations — whatever you may want
as part of a future job search portfolio — should already be in your
possession and off-site. I hope I don’t need to remind you that you
should only take what is rightfully yours. You don’t need anything
else, so just leave it behind and do the right thing.
Five, should you be asked to do an exit interview, I recommend
politely declining the invitation. Little can really be learned that is
helpful for you at this point; they missed their opportunity to make a
difference for you. Don’t buy into the notion that you could make
things better for those who remain. My experience is that exit
interviews are seldom used constructively. If you must do an exit
interview, be polite, answer the questions in a simple, perfunctory
manner with short answers that have little detail, and do not delve
into anything controversial. Remember, your answers become part
of your permanent employee record.
Finally, focus on legitimately wrapping up your business and/or
transferring your projects or responsibilities to your co-workers,
replacement or boss as assigned. Even if your boss doesn’t give
you much direction, at least write it all up and document your work
so that it can easily be understood once you are gone. Make sure
that you leave a cell phone number where they can call you should
something come up that they just cannot understand.
And do not be surprised if your boss persists in asking the “who,
what and why” questions. Simply and politely rebuff them and
report on your progress in getting things wrapped up. You DO NOT
need to tell anyone where your career is taking you next. Your boss
is human and might be naturally curious, but don’t you think that if
he or she REALLY had your best interest in mind he or she would
have had this interest sooner than the day you resign? Simply focus
on that new job, that new career, the excitement of those new job
challenges. Sure, one door is closing, but the excitement of the new
door opening is what should have your attention on now.
Quitting Your Job? 10 Things To Do Before You Leave
Now's not the time to burn your bridges.
By Miriam Salpeter
A new job offer is on the table table, and with it, new opportunities,
a fresh start and an opportunity to be happier at work. When you
plan for your transition, don't forget to put the following on your "to
do" list.
Before You Give Notice
1. Get your new job offer in writing. This should be a given, but
sometimes people who are anxious to leave their job give notice a
little early. Even though a company can still renege on a written
offer, having things in writing means that you know exactly what
terms you should expect in the new job.
2. Finalize any pre-employment testing. Some companies require
drug tests or have other types of requirements before onboarding
employees. Ideally, you'll be able to pass these with flying colors
before giving notice at your current employer.
3. Think things through and make sure you make the right choice.
Ask yourself: "Is the new job offer worth it?" Don’t leave a job for
bad reasons. Make a list of pros and cons. Identify if you'll have new
challenges that you are not prepared to handle. For example, a
much longer commute could affect your life in ways you haven't
considered. If the new job involves a lot more travel, you may tire of
it quickly. Conduct some due diligence to help decide on the risks
and rewards. No job is perfect, but you'll want to make sure you're
not jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
4. Prepare for negative reactions when you say you're leaving. Don't
expect everyone to be happy for you. If you're a good employee,
your departure will cause more work and possibly longer hours for
those left behind. Maintain a positive outlook even if your
colleagues don't seem happy for you.
5. Understand your organization's culture regarding "notice." In
some organizations and fields, when you give notice, you're
escorted by security to the door and you receive your personal
items in the mail. If that's the norm, be prepared in advance. You
may want to remove your important personal items before handing
in your resignation.
After You Give Notice
6. Don't burn bridges. Especially if you're leaving a bad situation, it's
tempting to throw caution to the wind and run out the door without
looking back. However, keep in mind, in our constantly evolving
workplaces, it's as likely that you'll wind up working with or for the
people in your current office at some point. Behave as if you'll be
working with these colleagues again in the future and you won't be
sorry later.
7. Manage financial and retirements accounts and make plans for
your health insurance if necessary. Depending on your employer,
you may be able to leave retirement or pension plans in place, or
you may need to make plans to set up new accounts. If you'll need
interim health insurance or COBRA, make sure you understand the
administrative details you'll need to handle to make sure you don't
leave yourself without coverage.
8. Communicate your news personally. Be mindful that your news
probably affects a lot of other people. When possible, it's nice to
communicate directly with everyone your departure impacts. While
a mass email gets the job done, it's a thoughtful, personal touch to
meet or have a phone conversation with people to let them know
about your plans. This can help smooth over any negative feelings
and it also allows people to wish you well.
9. Create mechanisms to keep in touch. Social media makes it very
easy to keep connected with past colleagues. While you may have
neglected to connect on LinkedIn with your colleagues, now is the
time to forge those online links, before you forget and lose track of
people. Be sure your LinkedIn profile and other online networks use
your personal email address, not your work contact information.
10. Learn from the past and move on. This is important advice
whether or not you've had a bad experience in your current job. A
new position is an opportunity to do things differently. It's a fresh
start and a chance to take any lessons from your past job and apply
them to your next career move.
Bad Reasons to Change Career
(Don't leave a job for bad reasons.)
You know what they say: "The grass is always greener on the other
side of the fence." If you've been coveting the greener grass of a
different career, be sure to stop and reflect before you plan a major
shift. While transitioning careers sometimes makes sense, many
people mistakenly believe a career change will solve all of their
problems. Even successful career changers may be surprised to find
that they encounter the same (or worse) problems in their new
careers. Before you start to explore what's on the other side of the
fence, consider the following reasons not to change careers.
You . There's nothing worse than spending 40-plus hours a week
doing something that you really hate. Before you plan a change,
evaluate the situation. Do you loathe the work itself, or is your
overbearing boss too much to take? Are you really unhappy
because of the work itself, or do you wish you could wave a magic
wand and send your annoying co-workers up in a cloud of smoke?
Statistics show that people tend to leave positions not because of
bad jobs, but to flee bad bosses. Make sure you aren't allowing a
difficult supervisor or co-worker to dictate your career trajectory.
Think about how you can improve your relationship with your boss.
Unfortunately, you are likely to encounter unsavory colleagues and
employers in any field.
Your hours are too long. You yearn for flexibility, but your employer
demands 24/7 dedication. It would seem that a career change may
be the answer, but unfortunately, you may find that starting over in
a new career puts you at the bottom of the proverbial food chain.
As the "new guy," you could be tasked with weekends on call and
long hours. Most employers expect longer hours from their workers
due to layoffs and a need to produce more with less. While a shift
may help avoid certain unfavorable characteristics of your current
career, make sure you aren't jumping from the frying pan into the
fire. Research new options carefully to be sure you won't be trading
one problem for another.
You can't get a raise or a promotion. It's tempting to plan to throw in
the towel on an entire career if you've hit the earning ceiling or if the
money and recognition aren't worth the effort. Is a new career really
the answer, or might some key changes in your current job put you
in a position to win the praise and raise you seek? Have you been
coasting along while new team members push ahead with new
ideas? It's probably a lot easier to shift your attitude and work ethic
than it is to carve out an entire new career. Make sure you think
carefully before trading in what you have for something new.
You crave predictability and consistency at work. It can be unsettling
when new requirements, policies and procedures come down the
pike every other week. If you hate uncertainty, it's tempting to
dream about a career where you can do your job and the rules
don't change, but it's not realistic.
You think a new career could be more exciting. You've been doing
the same thing for years; wouldn't making a change put a new
spring in your step? It might. However, many career changers are
disappointed to learn that they bring many of the same negative
feelings about work to their new careers. Even a new career
becomes old in time. Before planning your career shift, make sure
you think about what you need to change in your life and consider
the various opportunities to incite that change. For example, if your
job isn't challenging, maybe you could spend your extra energy
creating a freelance business to bring in extra money on the side.
Or, if you're not entrepreneurial, identify some activities you've
always wanted to try and join a club with other aficionados.
Work isn't the only place where you can make changes in your life.
Before you jump over the fence to walk on the greener grass, be
sure to consider other alternatives and clarify your expectations. You
don't want to be surprised to learn that every lawn has some weeds.
Ted Nelson insert::
When considering looking for another position, it helps to
determine that you can or cannot accomplish your goals within your
current company. When you resign your position and your company
asks you to stay = counter offer, it is too late to know if your
company really wants to keep you on board, or merely does not
want to have to find another person to fill your position. It is helpful
as a starting point to a job search to consult with your company to
see if you can address the issues you have, to know ahead of time if
you should stay or go. Then when you have turned in your
resignation, and the company asks you to stay, you will know
whether that is a good idea or not.