Getting ready to quit your job can be surprisingly nerve-wracking. Not only might you be anxious about leaving the familiar for the unknown, but actually telling your boss you’re resigning can rattle the nerves of even the most poised. If you’re getting ready to quit your job soon, here’s everything you need to know about doing so with grace:
1. Do it in person. This isn’t a message to send by email or by leaving a letter on your manager’s desk. (Of course, if you don’t work in the same location as your boss, or if you or your boss is traveling, a phone call is fine.) Ask for a meeting, and tell your boss that you’re moving on face to face. Say something like this: “I’ve really enjoyed my time here. But after a lot of thought, I’ve made the difficult decision to move on, and my last day will be _____.”
2. Be prepared for your manager to ask you why you’re resigning. If your manager has a track record of taking feedback gracefully and generally makes it safe to be honest, you might consider sharing the factors that led you to look for another job, such as long hours, low pay or limited prospects for advancement. But if you suspect your manager won’t respond well to candor, it’s perfectly acceptable to simply explain that an opportunity fell in your lap, and you were made an offer you couldn’t pass up; or you wanted a shorter commute; or whatever safely bland answer is likely to better preserve the relationship.
3. Resignation letters are documentation — not message delivery. Never resign by letter. Your employer might ask you to provide a written resignation letter to document your decision, but that’s strictly for documentation purposes; it should never be the way you announce the news to your manager. That also means that the letter should be short and sweet; this isn’t the time to get into grievances. Two simple sentences are fine: “After four years at XYZ Company, I’ve decided to move on, and Nov. 1 will be my last day. I wish the organization every success and will work to make my transition as smooth as possible.”
4. Give at least two weeks’ notice if at all possible. Except in very unusual circumstances, you should give at least two weeks’ notice, because it’s so much the professional convention that giving less risks burning bridges and harming your reputation. However, in the rare case where your circumstances don’t allow that (like a health issue), explain the situation to your boss and be sincerely apologetic.
5. Try to find out ahead of time how your employer typically handles resignations. Some employers have people leave the same day they give their resignation (often because of concerns about access to client data). You want to know ahead of time if this is the case, so that you aren’t caught off guard by it and so that you have time to clean out your office ahead of time at your own pace, rather than with someone standing over you with a box.
6. Know how you’ll handle a counteroffer. If your employer offers you more money to try to convince you to stay, will you accept it? Is there anything they could offer you that would reverse your decision? It can be useful to figure this out ahead of time so that you’re not caught off guard if it happens. That said, in most cases, it’s not a good idea to accept a counteroffer. There were reasons you started looking in the first place, and you want to work somewhere where you can get a raise without threatening to leave.
7. If your boss is known to handle resignations badly, be prepared for that. Most managers understand that employee resignations are a normal part of doing business. But some managers take it personally and become angry or even outright abusive. If your boss has a track record of that, be prepared for it. You should still offer two weeks’ notice, because that’s the professional thing to do. However, if you’re yelled at or otherwise mistreated, you might calmly say something like: “I wanted to offer two weeks to help transition my work, but I’m not willing to be yelled at. It’s clear that you’re upset with me. Does it still make sense for me to be in the office for the next two weeks, or would it better if I were to leave now?” But assuming that doesn’t happen …
8. Offer to do whatever you can to make the transition go smoothly. For example, write up thorough documentation of key processes, contacts and passwords; make sure your files are well organized; and leave behind a write-up of where key projects stand. Offering to be available for a phone call or two with your replacement after you leave is purely optional but can generate a lot of good will if you’re willing to do it.
Alison Green writes the popular Ask a Manager blog, where she dispenses advice on career, job search and management issues. She’s the author of “How to Get a Job: Secrets of a Hiring Manager,” co-author of “Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Manager’s Guide to Getting Results” and the former chief of staff of a successful nonprofit organization, where she oversaw day-to-day staff management.
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Everything You Need to Know About Resigning originally appeared on usnews.com