Career Exploration, Workplace Issues

How To Resign Professionally, Generate References & Not Burn Bridges

Written by mrafeeq · 3 min read >
Resigning professionally
Resigning professionally

Photo by Jackson Simmer on Unsplash

If you’re unhappy in your job, you may have fantasised for months about the moment you handed in your notice. In your resignation daydreams, you march into your manager’s office, tell them where they can stick their job and strut out to the cheers of your colleagues as your boss begs you to come back. It would be something out of a Hollywood film, and you’d go down in history as an office legend!

Back in the real world, you have to be aware of the unspoken etiquette of resigning. Why? Because that one moment of sweet satisfaction may come back to haunt you. If you misbehave when leaving your job, you can wave goodbye to suitable references and possibly even your good reputation.

Here are five things to remember that will help you resign like a professional.

Be confident in your decision.

Never resign on a whim. If you’ve had a few bad days at work, would quitting fix the problem? Or is there a more significant issue that could follow you to the next job? Make sure you’ve weighed the pros and cons of leaving your current position and be confident in your decision. If you need a pay raise or additional training, be prepared to have that discussion with your boss.

Check your contract

Different companies have different requirements when it comes to resigning. Do you know how long your notice period is? Are you obliged to provide a written letter of notice? What would happen to any unused holidays or time you have left? Make sure you’ve read your employment contract so you can make the necessary arrangements before you schedule a meeting with your boss.

Remember that your boss has feelings too.

If you didn’t get on with your boss, don’t see handing in your resignation as some revenge. It won’t do you any favours and may harm your prospects. On the other hand, if you get on well with your boss, they may be shocked by your decision to leave. Either way, remember that handing in your notice is the start of a new chapter for you, but for your boss, it means the inconvenience of losing a staff member and having to find a replacement.

Be considerate to your colleagues.

If you’ve decided to resign, don’t tell the whole office before you’ve spoken with your boss. That’s just bad form. Instead, once you’ve handed in your notice, you can tell the colleagues affected by your leaving. But a word of warning — they may be supportive of you, but that does not equal an invitation to start a smear campaign against your current employers. If you start bad-mouthing the company before your co-workers, you’ll create a bad atmosphere, and they won’t thank you. This also applies to boasting about your new career prospects; don’t do it!

Use your notice period wisely.

If you genuinely were sick of your job, doing as little work as possible during your notice period can be tempting. But leaving on bad terms could result in a poor reference or a reputation for being unprofessional, which could affect your future career prospects. If you’re handing over to another colleague or have to train your replacement, try to put yourself in their shoes. How would you like to be treated if you were in their situation? Remember that the work environment is just as important as how much money you make and whether or not you enjoy what you do. The sooner you quit a bad job, the better off both yourself and your company will be in the long run. Make sure to devise an exit strategy before handing in your notice!

Creating a Good Goodbye Letter or Email?

A well-written goodbye letter can do wonders for your future. It can help you with your next job search, improve your relations with the people you have worked with, or help you to move on. The whole purpose of a good goodbye letter is to avoid any potential misunderstandings that might come up when there are no words left to say.

Goodbye letters are not easy to write. Fear of being misunderstood, insecurity about what will happen next, and so many other things can make it hard to put our thoughts into written words. But it is good practice to draft farewell emails or letters for any future situations that do not go wrong.

The most important thing to do in this correspondence is to be polite. You should also mention how much you enjoyed working at the company and why you are leaving one last time. The employer and your colleagues will appreciate a good goodbye letter or email. The steps after resignation:

– Reflect on why this didn’t work out

– Update LinkedIn profile

– Update résumé

Follow these simple steps to resign like a professional; you can walk out on your last day of work with your head high. Then, we can help you find your dream job. Have you fantasised about quitting? Set job alerts, and we’ll find the perfect position for you!

5/5 - (5 votes)

Leave a Reply