How to leave a job gracefully

We’ve all been in jobs that made us want to give people a piece of our minds on our way out the door. Resist that temptation. No matter what, how you leave a job says something about your character. You could slack off and leave a mess in your wake, or you can exit gracefully—treating your colleagues and your place of employment with respect. Either way, people notice. And it matters because:

• Your reputation, for better or worse, travels with you wherever you go. You may end up working with some of your former colleagues at another company in the future. You don’t want them to share horror stories about how you left your former job.
• One day, your former colleagues may be on the hiring team for a company where you apply for work
• If you leave your job on a positive note, you can ask for a recommendation from your boss or reach out to your colleagues for networking purposes in the future

There’s no getting around it. Telling your boss that you’re leaving your job is awkward. It can almost feel—to you, your boss, and your coworkers—like you’re rejecting them. In some ways, it’s not unlike initiating a breakup. Don’t let your discomfort make you avoid having an open and honest conversation with your boss.

Remember that bosses are used to having people resign. They know it’s not always a reflection on them. If you’re good at your job, they’ll be disappointed you’re leaving, but it’s par for the course for them.

Giving two weeks’ notice is recommended in most circumstances, but check your contract to see if your contract has other language you need to abide by. If there is something untenable about your job situation, such as safety or harassment issues, you might want to bypass the usual recommendations.

When you know you’re leaving a position, request a meeting with your immediate boss to notify them of your plans. From there, your boss can guide you on how the company prefers resignations to proceed. This may include submitting a formal resignation letter, organizing your digital files, and how and when to inform the rest of the company.

Your boss and human resources will have some ideas about how they want you to transition out of your role. Different companies have different procedures, but a lot depends on your role and your team.

Jenna, a senior university talent acquisition leader with Fidelity, says, “Something we always like to do is go over work you still have pending, and what you foresee coming up, and then make kind of a game plan and timeline, so that you can fully off-board and feel good about leaving the job.”

Remember, how you conduct yourself with this transition affects other people. You can make your exit hard on your colleagues or relatively easy, depending on the choices you make.

Managers and other team members will appreciate your efforts to minimize disruption in their work lives. Jenna says, “Not tying up loose ends and leaving some things in shambles could be difficult.” Do the right thing, and you’ll leave with people wishing you well on your new path.

Social media has made it easier than ever to stay in contact with former colleagues. If you’re not already connected with your colleagues on LinkedIn, do so before you leave. During your last couple of weeks, mention to your colleagues that you’d like to connect there so you don’t lose touch with them. You can do this at a staff meeting, via a company-wide email blast, or one-on-one.

Remember the golden rule about networking: offer help before you ask for it. Let people know they can reach out to you if they have a need you can fill. If you’re knowledgeable about data, for example, or have great team-building skills, let them know you can be a resource. Most people will respond in kind, offering to be a resource to you in the future.

Jenna has this to say about continually building your professional network: “That’s why it’s always good to leave on good terms because you never know when you may need to tap into your network next.”

People often leave a job to pursue another opportunity. If this is the case for you, you may wonder about asking your current boss for a reference. On one hand, you don’t want to let your current employer know you’re looking elsewhere for work. On the other, you may need your boss as a reference when you interview for another position. It’s a delicate balance.

If you have a very supportive boss, you may feel comfortable letting your boss in on your plans early. Jenna says, “I have a pretty open communication with my team, so if they’re interviewing, they usually let me know.” You may want to wait until you think you have a good shot at the new role. In that case, Jenna advises, “Once you’re in that final interview stage, talk to the recruiter. Talk to the manager. If you think it’s going to move forward to an offer, that final-round interview would be a good time to ask for references.”

Resign from your job gracefully, do what you can to tie up loose ends, and stay on good terms with your colleagues as you exit your role.