cellphone and other electronic devices after you resign. Some will not, so be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
TELL YOUR BOSS If you are going to leave your job, you owe your boss the first discussion about your plans. When notified that you are resigning, your boss or human resources will likely ask you for a resignation letter. This is for your permanent employee file and for your employer to prove that you resigned and were not fired or laid off. While you may be tempted to dump all of your frustrations
about your job or employer on your boss, think positively. You are moving on and want to leave a positive final impression. Tell your boss what you are doing. Skip the why unless it is
a positive reflection on you. Thank your boss for all of his or her help and support. Make positive statements about your expe- rience with the company, how much you learned, the oppor- tunities your job provided, and so forth. You have absolutely no reason to burn bridges that may prove useful later in your career. The same goes for human resources and your resignation
letter. Be polite, positive and brief. Write professionally and in a forward-thinking manner.
OFFER YOUR HELP Two weeks’ notice is standard and the expected practice when you resign. Your employer may not take you up on it, and you may find yourself walked to the company door, but you need to offer your help with the transition as a courtesy. Offer to train your successor. Write manuals and working procedures covering key components of your job. Fulfil client engagements and introduce your replacement to clients and vendors. You can even offer to continue to answer questions and help after you start with your new employer, with his or her permission of course, unless you help during off-work hours. Your efforts to make the transition seamless for your employer when you resign will be remembered and appreciated. Do keep your start date commitment to your new employer.
Your former employer may need your help, but do not start on the wrong foot with your new boss to appease the old one.
FOLLOW A CHECKLIST An employment finalisation checklist tells what the employer will cover with you when you resign. Use the checklist to pre- pare yourself for your last day. Plan to turn in any company- owned property such as laptop, cell phone, keys, door cards and badges. Pack up your personal office items and remove a few every day to avoid a last-minute overload. Prepare your exit questions involving benefits, final pay and
more. Schedule a quick meeting with human resources staff to ensure you have all the answers you need for your end-of- employment questions. Ask for a reference letter. Be sure you are connected with
colleagues, bosses and friends on sites such as LinkedIn. Former colleagues change jobs, move on and become hard to contact over time. Plan to stay in touch periodically even as you move into the next chapter of your employment.
TAKE THE INTERVIEW If asked to participate in an exit interview, do so. But depend- ing on your employer, you may want to be cautious with your responses. If you have genuine ideas for improvement that might benefit the employees you leave behind, offer them. However, the exit interview is not a chance to cuss out your former boss,
complain about how you were treated by the company, or air grievances about why you resigned. You should have aired these issues during your employment
when action could have been taken. At an exit interview, professional, positive, polite behaviour still rules. The one thing you don’t want to leave behind you is a bad impression.
BE PROFESSIONAL If you have worked out your two weeks’ notice, you’ll have the chance to email a formal note to say good-bye to your colleagues. Be sure to include a brief statement about where you are going to seamlessly close this chapter in your employment history. You will also want to include a personal email address and a phone number so colleagues can stay connected and reach you if necessary.
Remember that your access to email and telephone accounts
will be discontinued on your last day, unless you have made a special arrangement with your employer. E
TOP TIPS Top 10 reasons to quit
You’ve done all you can to make your job work out, but to no avail. These top 10 reasons for resigning are difficult, if not impossible, to solve. You need to look out for your best interests. Your job consumes too many hours of too many days of your life for you to stay where you are miserable. No excuses, now – if you face these issues in your job, make a plan and change jobs...
1
Your company is on a downward spiral, losing and money, and there are rumours of possible closure, bankruptcy and failure.
2 3
Your relationship with your boss is damaged beyond repair despite you seeking help to mend it.
Your life situation has changed. You may have married or may be having a baby, or the salary and benefits no longer support your life needs and you need to move on to better opportunities to support your family.
4
Your behaviour at work may have been deemed improper (too many sickies, slacking off on the job, failing to maintain skills). Once earned, such a reputation sticks so you may as well move on.
5 6 7
You’ve burned your bridges with your co-workers. Your group is not getting along when teamwork is needed. The reasons don’t matter – start afresh with a new job and resolve to not let this situation happen again.
Your stress level is so high at work that it is affecting your physical or mental health as well as your relationships with your friends and family. Watch for the signs of burnout, and if there is no remedy, move on.
8 9
10
You are unchallenged, need more responsibility and seek opportunities that are not available in your current company.
ISSUE THREE 2012 |
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Your values are at odds with the corporate culture. Perhaps your company is egalitarian and you believe in assigned parking spots for salaried employees.
Your company does annual employee satisfaction surveys and you think these are a waste of time. Your company is hierarchical and you want to influence every aspect of your job. No matter what the clash, a lack of congruence with the corporate culture will destroy your attitude at work.
You’ve stopped enjoying your job. No matter what changed, when you dread going to work in the morning it is time to leave your job.
Your company is ethically challenged. Don’t stay in an organisation if you believe it has dishonest practices.
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