Leaving Your Job What Smart Jobseekers Need to Know -Part 3 of 5 Part Series - Sterling Career Concepts

Leaving Your Job What Smart Jobseekers Need to Know -Part 3 of 5 Part Series Leaving Your Job? What Smart Jobseekers Need to Know -Part 3 of 5 Part Series Gracefully leaving one job to begin another takes some diplomacy and tact. When it comes to telling your current boss you are leaving the company, there is rarely an “easy” way to do it. This is especially true if you have been with the company a significant amount of time, or if you have a strong relationship with your supervisor. If you’ve had discussions with your supervisor in previous performance evaluations about your desire to move up, but these opportunities don’t exist within the company, your departure may not be a surprise. If your company was recently sold or acquired â€" or if your department has had a lot of recent turnover â€" that fact that you are leaving may not be unexpected. But if you are a key player, your resignation may be surprising, and may even cause big problems for the company. The simplest guideline is to let your current supervisor know as soon as you have secured your new position (including getting the particulars of the new position in writing, if possible). Writing Your Resignation Letter Is a letter of resignation necessary? Many job seekers simply tell their boss verbally that they are leaving, but there are at least three advantages to actually writing a resignation letter: You can use it as a prop to help start the potentially nerve-wracking conversation about you leaving the company. You can simply hand it to your boss and say, “I’ve prepared this letter of resignation to let you know I’ve accepted another job.” A resignation letter can provide you with an outline to discuss the issues related to your departure from the company (timing, unused vacation or sick leave, etc.) It can help you leave the job on the right foot â€" without burning bridges, and leaving the door open for future opportunities, should they arise. Structure of a Letter of Resignation Letters of resignation should be positive in tone. This is not the appropriate time to air your grievances. Your resignation letter will likely become a part of your permanent file, so choose your words carefully. If at all possible, hand-deliver (don’t email) your letter of resignation In the future, the person verifying your employment with the company might not be someone you worked with previously. They may review your file, and what you write in your letter of resignation might be important. A strong recommendation can be important â€" and it’s appropriate to reiterate your contributions in the resignation letter so that information is in your file. Just don’t go overboard; this is about you leaving the company, not angling for a raise or a promotion. In your letter, be sure to thank your employer for the opportunities you had. You can also reiterate valued personal relationships in your resignation letter â€" acknowledging your work with your coworkers and supervisors. Be sure to also include: The date you are leaving (whenever possible, it’s professional to give at least two week’s notice). Include a forwarding address for mail and correspondence. Also include an email address where you can be reached. While a formal letter of resignation brings closure to you and to your boss in the current working relationship, if you’ve developed a strong, positive relationship while working together, he or she may be a great person to continue to network with in the future and keep as a resource for further career development. *** Making a positive job transition is essential to career success.   Check back for part four in this series that addresses these key strategies for job seekers.