Resignation tips

Congratulations! You’ve had a firm offer for a job you want in line with your career aspirations. You have agreed a start date with your new employer, and all that’s left for you to do is resign from your current position and work your notice period so you’ll probably benefit from some resignation guidance to get you over the line!.

Yet this is easier said than done; it can be difficult to navigate through this time without showing your resentment for your old position, or alternatively, being persuaded to stay.

Here we look at some guidance on the best way to resign, allowing you to progress to the job you want without burning any bridges.

• Giving your notice

  It’s best to do this as soon as possible after official acceptance of your new job. The first person you tell should be your manager or a senior partner; telling anyone else first is unprofessional. It is a good idea to have your resignation letter ready to take with you to your face-to-face meeting – you may want to use our resignation letter templates here.

• Make the conversation about your work

  If you’ve been unhappy in your job, it’s bound to be tempting to tell your manager all of the reasons why. It’s not important anymore; it will soon be in the past. What is still to come is the management of your final weeks with the company, and it’s vital that you make your transition as smooth as possible for your employer. No short-term satisfaction is worth risking your good reference for.

• Ensure your manager also keeps the conversation about work

  Even if your departure is not a complete surprise, your manager will nevertheless be likely to try and persuade you to stay. There are a number of tactics that are covered below, but at this stage of the process it’s simply worth avoiding any of this by keeping the conversation focused solely on dealing with your final weeks in the post. This will also reflect well on you when it comes to that reference.

• Make sure you take anything personal or helpful with you

  Once your resignation is confirmed, you can begin to detach yourself emotionally from your workplace. Ensure you take your personal belongings home – you can start this early and spread it over several days if necessary. Any personal files on your computes should be removed, as should anything that you may want for your portfolio – namely customer testimonials or employee reviews. Though obviously you should only take what is rightfully yours!

If you’re on the look out for a new role why not browse our Healthcare jobs or contact one of our team by phone on 01423 813450 or email at [email protected]