Do’s and don’ts of exiting a job
You may want to go off on your current boss or co-workers but aside from attaining a few seconds of post-aggression bliss, you’ll just damage your reputation and snuff out any chance that your former workmates will be recommending you for a position in th
W aiting to hear back on a job offer can put you into a state of nervous exhaustion, but don’t worry, any stressinduced fatigue will be quickly offset once you get that “you’re hired” phone call. You’ll probably enter an adrenaline-fueled state of mind, ready to dump your desk, throw your things in a cardboard box and begin an expletive-filled walk of triumph past your manager’s desk on the way out the door.
Despite the urge to leave a job in a scene worthy of an Oscar, don’t do it. All the triumphant YouTube videos of employees who go off on vindictive rants when they leave Company A for Company B usually don’t have sequels. If they did, they might be of the recruiters at Company C passing on yesterday’s Johnny Paycheck wannabe. “Take this job and shove it?” Maybe not.
If you are leaving a current position, here are a few suggestions on how to handle your departure:
DO give appropriate notice. You may want to jump right into your new job but it’s only fair to let your current employer know that you’re leaving at least two weeks before you committed to begin at the new place. While you may not need to train your replacement, you should want to make his or her entry as seamless as possible. Tie up loose ends, let clients know you’re leaving and help out anyone who temporarily might be handed some of your responsibilities.
DON’T leave in a blaze of glory. You may want to go off on your current boss or co-workers but aside from attaining a few seconds of post-aggression bliss, you won’t achieve much. In fact, you’ll damage your reputation and snuff out any chance that your former workmates will be recommending you for a position in the future. Besides, it’s not that uncommon for employees to leave a company, do something else for a few years and then return to their previous employer. Don’t do anything to put you on the future “do-not-hire” list.
DO take all your stuff. Not only do you want to avoid leaving personal documents behind, you also don’t want to be the person who leaves six pairs of shoes in the bottom file-cabinet drawer and four bottles of almond milk in the refrigerator. Take the time to look through every space you’ve utilized during your time with your employer and remove your things before your final day. DON’T wipe your computer clean. Let the tech department do that after you leave. While you should take your personal files off of your computer or any company servers, leave the documents that will come in useful to your replacement or provide important information to someone else in the future. As companies move
to store all their important documents digitally, those files sometimes get placed on various hard drives or in personal Dropbox accounts. Make sure that you leave the company’s property with the company.
DO say thank you to everyone you work with, not just your supervisors and peers. The cafeteria workers who let you get away with forgetting your debit card now and then or the front desk security guard who greeted you each day with a smile deserve a quick handshake and word of appreciation. The people who make up a company’s support system are often left out when those they’ve worked with for years are celebrated with farewell dinners and company-wide emails. Just take a few minutes to say thanks for the various acts of kindness you received over the course of your tenure. It will mean a lot to the people you’re thanking and it will make you feel better as well. DON’T pitch jobs at your new
company. Avoid talking to your fellow employees about opportunities might interest them. Sure, some managers like to tap into some of their previous employees to fill out new staffs but what you consider a noble gesture may be construed as an attempt to cause disruption. And keep in mind that you’re probably in no position to hand out jobs, so why get others’ hopes up? If there’s an opportunity that a co-worker is well suited for with your new employer down the road, you can absolutely give them a call to let them know. But to do so before you even put in an hour of work for your new company seems manipulative and vindictive — don’t do it.
DO send out a department or company-wide email announcing your departure, if you feel comfortable doing so. The right people will find out once you give your notice so there’s no need to send out the “I’ll be gone in two weeks” letter. Instead, on your last day, send out a brief email telling others that you’ve accepted a new opportunity and that you appreciate your time working together. You can also leave a cell number or personal email address in case anyone wants to get in contact with you in the future. DON’T get carried away during your
exit interview. Despite what you may think, your comments about your boss and co-workers won’t be used to reshape the company. If your boss has been abusive, you have the right and responsibility to say something. If you’ve worked with unethical co-workers and want to let your HR representative know, tread carefully. No matter the intent, people who badmouth others come across as petty. If you’ve made complaints in the past, be sure to follow up. If you’re mad because John from marketing kept stealing your Lean Cuisines, you should probably get over it.