Walk Out the Right Way

Gone are the days when a person would work for the same company all their lives. Today, neither the employers nor the employees expect people to spend all their lives working for the same company, and moving jobs is quite acceptable. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to quit your job and move to another company.

Further, people are much more connected to each other than they ever were thanks to the professional and social networks over the Internet. Hence, you never know what someone is saying to your new boss about you or who you end up working with again in your career. Therefore, it makes sense that you leave your job in good terms, even if you don't like most of the people you worked with at the company.

Here are three tips on how to walk out on good terms once your resign from your job:



Make a list of what you do and how you do it: Everyone knows that job descriptions just give an overview of what the person holding the job is expected to do and do not give an accurate and detailed picture of the day-to-day responsibilities of the role. More often than not, people end up doing a lot of bits and pieces of work that is not covered in their profile and which help fill the gaps across various positions. It is these responsibilities that help the department work smoothly.

Hence, it would really help your successor if you make a list of every little thing you do to keep the show going and how you do these things. Add to the list the names of people and files that can help get the job done and your successor would love you. Another advantage of such a list is that your boss will finally get to know how much you juggled to get the job done and will appreciate you all the more for it.

Train your replacement: Don't let the team or you boss suffer the consequences of your decision to move on. While most employers are happy with a two-week notice of your intent to leave, they will be happier if you can spend more time training your replacement. Make it your responsibility to teach the new you the tricks of the trade and make him and the team comfortable with the transition. This would free your boss of the responsibility, and you will earn his gratitude for it. This gratitude may just turn into an excellent professional reference for you. And if nothing else, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are leaving your team in well-trained hands. You could maybe even go a step further and find your own replacement instead of having your boss go through the entire hiring process.

Wish your colleagues well before you leave: Everyone appreciates a good work and some good wishes, and just because you are not going to work with them any longer doesn't mean you should not wish your co-workers well. After all, you must have shared some good moments with them. Further, doing so will help you maintain good contact with your colleagues and add to your professional network. This will also help if for some reason you end up working with some of them again. So, be the bigger person and wish even the people you hated well for their future.

These three simple things will ensure that your co-workers and your manager remember you for all the good reasons and that they always have a good word to say about you. If they know people at your new workplace, these simple steps would also ensure that you would have a good reputation at the new job even before you start it and that your new colleagues would be more welcoming.