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How to Professionally Resign From Your Job

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The time has come; you have accepted another job opportunity, and you think you are ready to move on. Congratulations! This is an exciting moment in your career path. Although no job search is an easy feat, now comes the hard part: putting in your resignation. So, if you are ready to quit your job, what are the best steps you should take to do so gracefully? Here’s how to professionally resign from your job.

Make sure this is the right decision

Before you put in your notice, it’s crucial that you really think about this decision. Create a pros and cons list of leaving your current position and make sure this is the right decision before you resign from your job. It’s also essential to have a conversation with your family, friends, mentor, or anyone else you trust to help you make this decision. Although this is your career, this decision can affect those around you, and your inner circle can help provide some valuable insight into this critical decision. Once you have determined that quitting is the right move, it’s time to write your resignation letter.

Write a resignation letter

Before telling your boss that you are quitting, draft your resignation letter. Your letter should be short, sweet, and professional. Address the letter to your supervisor, reiterate when your last day is, show your gratitude, and address your willingness to help during this transition. You can state your reasons for leaving but keep them brief. Your resignation letter is to officially notify your HR department in writing. You can share any feedback or grievances during an exit interview. Never bash your employer or manager in your letter.

Here is a helpful guide for drafting the perfect resignation letter.

Prepare for a possible counteroffer

So, you have decided to move on to another opportunity. Your resignation letter is ready to submit, and you are prepared to tell your boss. Stop! Before you hand in your letter, you must consider one more thing. If your current employer counteroffers, will you accept it? This is a tricky situation. If you are leaving your job to chase a more lucrative offer, it may be appealing to accept a counteroffer. However, if there are other underlying reasons why you are leaving, it may be best to decline the counter. Think about this long and hard before you broach this topic with your supervisor. Employers may counteroffer to keep you right where you’re at. Today’s market is competitive, and employers are more likely to counter than ever before. But when in doubt, go with your gut.

Tell your supervisor face-to-face (if possible)

Here’s the challenging part. Once you have all the above items ironed out, it’s time to put in your notice. If you are working on-site with your boss, tell them in person. If you are working remotely, schedule a video call to let them know you are leaving. Quitting your job is a huge challenge for many job seekers, but letting your supervisor know face-to-face is the appropriate way to go about it.

Make your last few days count

After you officially resign from your job, make the last few days count. Whether you are doing a traditional two-week notice or it’s just a couple of days, make the most out of them. This time is likely challenging for your team and current employer, so do what you can to streamline this transition. After all, your final days with the company are how they will remember you. Be as helpful as possible, and you can ensure you won’t burn any bridges with your current coworkers.

How to Quit Your Job in 2019

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quit your job

With more job openings than people unemployed, there has never been a better time to be a passive job candidate. Hiring managers and recruiters are trying to fill roles and are reaching out to individuals who may already be employed. Congruently, companies have seen a rise in employee ghosting – where a person gives no notice and stops coming to work. People are searching for any alternative to having an actual conversation. (Some even resorting to paying a company to quit on their behalf!)

However, quitting is as much a part of your job as the process you went through to get hired. And it’s easier than you’d think. Exiting the correct way will make life easier for your (soon-to-be) former employer as well as yourself.

Don’t get ahead of yourself

Often, this process will begin with a recruiter reaching out via email, LinkedIn, or with a phone call. It’s tempting to share this information with your office buddy; however, it’s in your best interest to keep it to yourself. With these being the beginning stages with nothing written in stone, you could be setting yourself up for failure – especially if you’re just in the interviewing stage. This includes asking the recruiter or hiring manager to wait on contacting your current employer, giving you a chance to prepare for the upcoming conversations around a departure.

Putting in your notice

Once you receive a job offer and decide to accept it, the next step is having that tough conversation. It’s time to tell your boss or manager that you’re quitting your job. This conversation needs to take place in person, as it communicates respect. While this conversation may cause some anxiety, departing with an email or voicemail will likely have a longer-lasting, negative effect. Give them at least two weeks’ notice so they have time to begin finding a replacement. Moreover, if they promote from within, your boss may ask you to help train your replacement.

Whatever they ask of you in your remaining time during this transitional period, do it and do it well. Knowing you are moving on sometimes brings out the slacker in people. Typical consequences for falling behind or being under-motivated may hurt as well as your career in the future.

Express gratitude

Whether you and your employer agree to two last weeks or two last months, document the agreement in writing following the conversation. Now is the time to send an email restating your agreement, just to ensure there is no miscommunication down the road. If you have a specific mentor or coworkers you appreciated working with, let them now! Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to work there and with whom you did is a great last step to a productive exit. Whether this is in person or with a thank you note, a formal goodbye is better for your career and peace-of-mind.