Leaving your place of work doesn’t have to be negative. Resigning often is connotated with budget cuts, silent quitting, and forced resignation. Fat checks waved in front of your face so the employer doesn’t have to bear the legal technicalities that come with firing someone.
Resigning can be positive. It can be a personal choice. Maybe you’re changing careers, or your side hustle has bloomed into a full-time operation, or maybe you’ve saved up enough throughout your working life to ditch the suit and sail around the world. It could also be due to a lack of a proper growth strategy set in place.
This article will walk you through the ways you can resign on a positive note, without any dramatic exits.
The Difference Between Resigning and Quitting
Yes, both terms refer to the precocious breaking of a professional working contract, but there is a difference between the two. We all have heard about dramatic quitting, the throwing down of the apron, and standing up for oneself while gloriously striding out of the place of work (true story!) but have you heard about the courteous act of writing a letter and notifying your employers about your intention to leave?
Let’s break it down.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to resign is to deliberately and formally give up a right or position you hold.
In a workplace scenario, it’s discussing with your employers your choice to leave, letting them know your intentions so they can aptly prepare.
Want to leave your job on a good note?
Want your colleagues jealous of your graciousness and confidence?
Want to cushion the blow so maybe you’ll have a job to come back to if the boat sinks?
Keep on reading to learn six factors in the art of resigning.
1. Make your plan – how long before you intend to leave
What is your plan? If you decide to resign from your job then you evidently have something else lined up, be it for personal or professional reasons – or both. Some contracts might require you to give two weeks’ notice, or more, but you can decide to leave even earlier.
There’s nothing wrong with giving as much notice as you can. If you’re leaving on good terms then there won’t be any awkwardness in the office or Slack channels.
Talking about the team, what will be the impact on them and ongoing projects? Consider the workload and take the steps to secure a smooth transition. Dive deep into ongoing projects and list out everything you were doing and what needs to be done so the work will continue without any major hiccups.
If you suddenly leave you could leave your colleagues in the lurch. Unfinished projects, unmet deadlines – oh, you’ll be remembered alright. Be the nice guy and work with the teams, not against them, in preparation for your resignation.
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2. Write a letter of resignation
Just like you wrote a cover letter to get your job, in a similar fashion, write a resignation one to notify your boss and HR. Although you can find templates for the former in every corner of the internet, it can be difficult to find a solid guide to writing a resignation letter for resigning the right way.
Having this letter on file will help disperse any confusion down the road in regard to your finishing date and the reasons you’re leaving. Even though you’re resigning you still don’t want to be in breach of your contract.
Letter writing is always a holistic occupation. Express your gratitude while seeking closure. Take the time to reflect on the good times with your former company, highlighting positive experiences and opportunities you had.
Express your appreciation for the chance to work with them and the support you received as you grew professionally. Also, take this time to acknowledge your superiors and any colleagues who really went the extra mile.
3. Set up a meeting with HR
Rather than email your resignation, set up a meeting with HR and present it to them directly. Be proactive. They’ll go over company policies with you but can also serve as guidance on your next steps.
They will be best to advise if your employers have time to meet you too. Depending on the size of the company and your relationship with higher management, it mightn’t be feasible to get a direct audience with the big bosses to notify them of your imminent departure.
Your HR department is an excellent resource to figure out how much you’re owed if you can claim monetary compensation, cash in on unused vacation days, and just tick all the boxes of your current contract obligations.
In some cases, if you’re leaving for a better position in another company HR may be able to pull some strings to keep you. Of course, if you’d prefer to stay with them.
4. Prepare a list of your daily tasks and goals
Have you ever created a standard operating procedure (SOP)? These can be laborious and time-consuming, but a highly dependable file for when someone new takes your position. A predetermined end-of-contract could be a great opportunity for someone in a junior position to rise up to the challenge and take over your job. As they’re not coming in from a directly similar role, SOPs will help hold their hands the first few weeks.
Include detailed instructions, tips, and insights that’ll help them get through the working day, week, month, quarter, and year. Be an on-paper mentor, if must. Being meticulous demonstrates professionalism and a genuine desire to support your team’s success even after your departure. Your efforts shall be remembered and appreciated by your colleagues, current and new.
5. Propose to train in your replacement
Leave in style knowing that the person who’s taking your job is up to date on all the processes (and office gossip!). Offering to train your replacement is a weight off your employer’s shoulders. They trust and value you already with your elegant exit, who else would be better?
It’s not only a selfless act, but one that demonstrates your sense of professionalism and dedication to your former company. Take the initiative to host training sessions and shadowing opportunities. Give your successor hands-on experience while learning directly from your valuable insights.
If anything, you’re contributing once again to the long-term success of the team while fostering a positive work environment.
6. Request a reference
It is perfectly within your right to ask for a reference letter upon leaving your job. You have put in many years, possibly, and that one letter of reference can serve as the deciding factor between you and another candidate for any new position you apply for.
Often HR will tell you that it’s OK to note their contact information on your candidature but there are some negative points to that:
- If there is a long gap between jobs (while sailing the world) a true account of your time with the prior company may not be possible.
- Your direct supervisor may no longer be working in the company.
- The company might go bankrupt, liquidate, merge, or be taken over by a larger corporation.
- No one might remember you, even if you did an excellent job.
Better to have a hard copy on hand to present to future potential employers. This is all part and parcel of positive resignation. Your supervisor should have no problems with providing you a letter. Of course, a reference letter won’t be sufficient if your role needs constant training. Consider it a character reference.
Make your resignation an art piece and embrace new beginnings!
7. Organize a leaving party
Leave with a big bang – organize your own party! It might be a simple cake affair, drinks organized at the local bar, an intimate dinner with your closest colleagues, or a corporate all-out hoopla – because you deserve it.
Just because you’re leaving doesn’t mean you have to forget about the relationships you built. Some colleagues become good friends, others family, and the majority are friendly and caring colleagues who you may never see again but always remember.
Use your farewell as an opportunity to show everyone your appreciation to them. Bid them a heartfelt goodbye. You can offer to get their contacts to stay in touch, but word of advice, don’t take any details unless you actually intend to follow up.
Call it a celebration of growth, gratitude, and professionalism. You’ve got this!
Treat Your Resignation as a New Beginning, That’s the Trick
If you come billowing into the office a beacon of positivity and confidence with your letter of resignation in hand, your colleagues and superiors will be very impressed. As said already, it’s your choice to resign. There is nothing to hide or be ashamed about.
If we go back to the Latin source, “to resign” is basically to go back on the signature (re: back, sign: sign). You’re putting an end to a contract but in an elegant, professional, and memorable way. Leave in style, and no, not by trashing the place.
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