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Dos and don’ts of leaving your job

Inform the boss of your decision to leave in person and have a resignation letter ready.
He or she doesn’t want to hear the news through the grapevine.
Be mature and professional about leaving.
Don’t gloat about how much better your new job is going to be and how much it sucks working where you are at the moment.
Be prepared to answer questions the boss may have about your decision to leave.
Don’t give answers like ‘this job is killing me – I have to get out’.
Check your contract to find out how much notice you have to give.
Don’t leave it too late – you don’t want to have to delay the start of your new job because you didn’t resign in good time.
Clear up all entitlements and unused vacation time.
It is easier to organise this while you’re still in the office.
Continue working and behaving just as you had done before you announced you were leaving.
You haven’t actually left yet so don’t stop working. Don’t forget – you might want a reference from these people.
Be positive in your exit interview.
Don’t use the occasion to vent your frustrations. Be constructive with your comments.
Return all company property before you leave, such as passes, keys and laptops.
Not returning items could leave a bad impression and affect your future relationship. You don’t want to be remembered as the person who stole the stapler or the phone?
Take all personal possessions with you.
You don’t want to return just to pick up the pot plant you left behind or delete the pictures you left in your personal folder on the computer.
Say goodbye on your last day.
Don’t leave on your last day without a word to anyone and try to refrain from running out the door.
Think of the future.
Don’t burn your bridges – avoid final comments about what you really think of everyone or confessions about those two-hour lunches, stealing stationery or letting Todd take the blame for the failure of the team’s project.

Background image: © Merill Dyck | stockxpert
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