If you’ve decided to quit your job and are preparing to give your notice in, you may be feeling a wide range of emotions. From guilt to excitement, or even feeling sad that you’re leaving some great team members behind. Handing your notice in can be an incredibly nerve wracking experience, but don’t worry, the experts at IDEX Consulting are here to guide you through the process.
Clear your mind and breathe
Before you hand your notice in, take a deep breath and clear your mind. This way you’ll be going into the meeting with an unclogged mind and you can focus on the task at hand. You should also take five minutes once you’ve quit your job, so that you can gather your thoughts.
Remember your reasons for leaving
When you resign from your job, HR or your manager will have questions. They’ll want to know your reasons for quitting and your next steps. If your reasons for leaving are negative, try to reframe them and be as positive as possible - after all, pointing fingers and placing blame isn’t professional or productive.
Instead of saying, “I hate my manager and the workplace is really toxic,” you should go for, “I’m looking for my next opportunity and am ready for a new challenge.”
Don't burn any bridges
You never know when you might cross paths with your former employees - whether it’s at a network event or working together in the future, you should do everything in your power to maintain working relationships. You should work your notice period and remain professional - you don’t want to sour any relationships by quitting without notice.
No matter how much you want to tell a colleague to stick it, or yell at your old manager, you should remain positive. After all, you may still need a reference later on down the line.
Where possible, you should also try and stay in touch with your colleagues - especially the ones you’re close to. Schedule a coffee meet up and use social media channels such as LinkedIn to keep in touch.
Avoid accepting counteroffers
f you’re leaving because you have a new position at a different company, your current employer might also ask questions about your new role.
They may ask you about your new salary bracket or responsibilities, but you don’t have to answer.
Letting your employer know about your new salary will give your employer ammunition to give you a counter offer. Accepting a counteroffer can burn bridges with your prospective employer as they will have to restart the hiring process, and may also prohibit further career growth later on down the line. Plus accepting a counteroffer rarely solves the initial reason you wanted to leave.
If you’re not comfortable with divulging your salary, stick to, “I’ve been offered a new position I’d like to pursue.” If this doesn’t work, you can avoid answering this question by saying the salary and benefits are confidential.
Keep your resignation letter short and sweet
When you quit in person or over the phone, you may be expected to give a formal resignation letter. This letter should be short and to the point - there’s no need to embellish.
Quitting your job without somewhere else to go
If you’re leaving your job without another role lined up, try to remain calm. There’s nothing wrong with quitting without a job lined up, as long as you’re both emotionally and financially prepared.
If you’re looking for your next role, speak to the recruitment specialists at IDEX. We provide independent recruitment in the Insurance, Financial Services and Legal sectors.
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