Congratulations, your job hunt was fruitful, and you just said yes to a new employer’s fantastic job offer. Now it is time to let your current employer know you will be leaving. While you may be thrilled to be leaving your job, don’t burn any bridges on your way out the door. Here are steps to take when giving notice:
- Ask for a personal meeting with your supervisor. This could be on the phone, a video chat or in person.
- Inform your supervisor that you are taking a new position and leaving the company. Tell them how much notice you are giving, and what your last day will be. Two weeks’ notice is standard.
- Formally resign from your job. Inform Human Resources or upper management that you are resigning and when your last day will be. This most often is in a letter or email of resignation. Keep it concise and professional.
- Let your staff know. When informing your supervisor, ask when you can let your direct reports know about your resignation. Inform your staff as quickly as possible to avoid any rumors spreading. It is best if they learn about your leaving directly from you.
- Finish projects and transition work to others. Determine the tasks and projects you need to complete before leaving. Discuss with your supervisor and other team members how to transition your work to others.
- Maintain your professionalism. While you may feel checked out after you accept a new job, you owe it to your current employer to complete your assignments and pass your work over to others. Keep your interactions professional and courteous.
- Keep communication channels open. This is particularly important during your transition, but if you are comfortable staying in touch with your colleagues after your departure, let them know that. It might make sense to outline some “rules of engagement” such as only communicating outside of your new work hours or only about specific issues you were responsible for.
- Thank everyone and exit gracefully. You’ve spent a good amount of your time at this company. Thank everyone you worked with, and encourage them to stay in touch with you in the future.
Keep it professional. You never know where your career will take you. One day you may be working with some of your old colleagues, or asking for a work reference for that next job hunt.
