How to Resign From Your Job

Are you ready to leave your current job?  If the answer is yes, you should try to leave on good terms whether you like your current job or dislike it.   You want to make your transition professional and courteous as possible. Be very careful not to burn down any bridges as you may need to get back to obtain help from your previous employer.  Here are steps that demonstrate how you should properly resign from your job.

Step 1
ARE YOU SURE?
First and foremost, you will need to weigh your pros and cons about leaving your current job.  What are your plans after you leaveyour job?  Did you accept another job offer?  If yes, are you sure it would be a better job opportunity than your current job? Before you officially resign from your job make sure that this is what you really want to do.

Step 2
GIVE AMPLE NOTICE
If you are sure about resigning from your job, you should give your current employer ample notice about your decision to leave the company. You should ask for a face-to-face private meeting with your manager to discuss your plan to resign from your job and the time frame in which you plan to leave.  If your manager makes you a counter-offer, make sure that it’s better than your newjob offer (if you have one) before you accept it.

Step 3

COMPOSE A RESIGNATION LETTER
Next, you will need to write a letter of resignation to submit to your manager at least two weeks prior to your departure.  Putting your plan in writing will make it official. Keep your letter brief and professional and get directly to point.  Make sure you submit your letter directly to your manager and you should also forward a copy to your human resources department.  See my article on “How to Write a Good Resignation Letter”, link posted at end of article.

Step 4

EXIT INTERVIEW
And last, your company may have you do an exit interview on your last scheduled work day. Usually, exit interviews are done by human resource personnel.  Be prepared to explain why you decided to resign and how you liked or disliked working for the company.  Be careful, you don’t want to say anything negative about your manager or even your co-workers because you might need to use them as references.  At this point you will also need to return your company ID, company keys, or any property that belongs to the company, if you have not done so already.

TIPS:
*ask your current employer for a reference beforehand
*don’t blab to your co-workers about your desire to leave until you discuss it with your manager first.
*Always try to leave on good terms