You have decided to leave your job. You’ve weighed your options and made up your mind to do it. Now what’s next? How do you leave your job gracefully? I recently had to think about this when I made my decision to leave. In this post, I’ll share some of the things I did to make my smooth job transition possible.
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| Photo by Sora Shimazaki |
Leaving your job is not an easy decision. But what you do once you have decided to leave is also something that you need to think about and handle with care. You can’t up and leave without proper notice. That is not the professional thing to do. I have been in my job for years and wasn’t sure how to go about the resignation process. Due to that, I planned what to do once I had decided to leave. I needed a workplace exit strategy and this is what I came up with.
#1: Make Lists
The first thing I did before informing anyone at work about my decision was to make a few lists:
Documents on Hand
I made a list of all the documents that I had on hand. That means both soft copies and hard copies. I needed to be sure that I could prepare a proper turnover of all files once I left the office. I marked documents for records/storage and which ones still had pending action. Those pending were those that I would have to pass on for another person to complete before I left work.
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| Photo by cottonbro studio |
Work Assignments
I made a list of all the regular work assignments I had and who I would recommend for each assignment. I had to choose people I could turn over the work to until they could find a proper replacement for my position. I also made a list of any pending or recurring work that was part of my responsibilities. This included the names and contact details of anyone outside of our office. These were people I was responsible for communicating with on work concerns.
Office Property
Another list I made was of all the office property assigned to me. I wanted to make sure that I had a list I could surrender on my last day at the office. That way I could also make sure that everything was complete and in order before I left.
#2: Submit Resignation Letter
The next thing I did was write a resignation letter and surrender it to HR and my supervising officer. I haven’t written a resignation letter in years! I am thankful that many websites give samples of professional resignation letters. I decided to combine the best of several online samples to make my own. You choose one of the many out there depending on what you like best. I decided to combine the best of several online samples to make my own. You choose one of the many out there depending on what you like best.
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| Photo by Andrea Piacquadio |
It helps to have the lists I mentioned before submitting this. By being ready beforehand, I was able to reply when asked about plans for work turnover. Because I had made those lists, it was easy to assist the office with the transition. There would be no reason to delay my separation from the office because I was able to turn over everything on time.
In the Philippines, you need to give 30 days’ notice before your last day at work. Because of this, I made sure to file my resignation one month before my plan to leave.
#3: Discuss a Transition Plan with Your Supervisor/HR
You need to discuss a transition plan with HR upon filing your resignation. this discussion will center around duties and responsibilities. This is why the lists from #1 are important.
In my case, this ran smoother because I prepared beforehand. That was a rough plan of transition that we improved on during a discussion with HR.
#4: Complete Pending Work
I could not complete all the pending work I had before my last day for various reasons. Still, I did do my best to complete as much of them as I could during the 30 days after filing my resignation. Any work that I could not complete I had to give to other people. I made sure to prepare the necessary documents that would help them to finish what I would leave behind.
#5: Work Turnover
With the transition plan complete, I made a schedule to turn over work. This is for the people who would be taking my work until they found my replacement. This meant preparing documents to be able to orient them on the status of tasks and how to go about doing them. This also meant providing whatever training I could for them to do their new assignments.
#6: Clean Up Your Workspace/ Return Office Property
On my last week at work, it was time for me to clean up my workspace. I started packing up my personal items, which I had a lot of. This was the only time I realized that I had brought a lot to work through the years! I started taking those items home so that I wouldn’t have anything heavy to carry on my last day.
Apart from cleaning up my desk and office, I took the time to check my PC. I had to make sure that I did not have any personal files in it. I also removed my access to all work accounts during the last day. This also meant turning over my accounts to our officer-in-charge of records.
It was also during my last week that I made sure to return all office property assigned to me. I left them all at my assigned desk for our supply officers to check and verify.
#7: Inform Work Contacts
If your job keeps you in contact with people from other companies, you have to inform them on your last day of work. You have to inform them that you are no longer connected with the company. Try to prepare a standard message for all contacts. You can send them an email or SMS informing them of your departure from the office. Be sure to thank them for your good working experience with them. It is also important to leave your list of contacts and their contact info with the office for their future use.
These contacts were part of the list that I prepared, so it was easy for me to hand over contact details. I later informed those contacts of my resignation on my last day of work.
#8: Finalize Benefits and Other Financial Concerns
This was an important step for me. I needed to discuss the benefits that I would be receiving and how I would receive them. I was not going to have another job until I took my next steps and I needed to know when I would get my benefits. I also had to be aware of and understand how much I would be getting and what I had to do to process any requirements for it.
Another concern to discuss is your other financial obligations. To be specific, these are taxes and contributions to government institutions. Be sure to get certifications of personnel contributions made in your name. You will need that in the future.
#9: Say Goodbye
The hardest thing for me was taking the time to say goodbye to the people I had been working with. I have been with so many of them for years. As happy as I was to be moving on to the next stage of my work life, I was also sad to leave so many wonderful people behind. Sharing of contact information, tears, and hugs were part of my last day at the office.
I am aware that not all people who leave their jobs are leaving for reasons such as mine. Some may not have good working relationships with their co-workers. Some may have been in negative or toxic working situations. As tough as it can be, it is still proper to say goodbye to people at work on your last day. It could be awkward and formal, but it is still the professional thing to do.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to be professional when resigning. Take time to prepare for your resignation and the transition that follows. It leaves a positive image with your co-workers and the company you worked for.
Remember not to burn any bridges. The jobs you apply for may investigate previous employment for reference. It is a professional reputation that you can carry with you no matter where you end up in the future.
I was happy that I was able to prepare and plan my next steps before giving notice of resignation. It helped me to make the transition as smooth as possible.
People don’t always talk about how to leave your job, so I hope that this experience can help. I hope it can guide you into making your resignation and transition as easy as it can be.
Resigning does not have to be a bad thing. I hope that these steps will make things easier and give you a more professional image as you leave your job.
Are any of you planning to leave your job? Have any of you left your job like me? If my experience has helped you in any way, share it in the comments section and spread the word about this post!
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