Saying “arrivederci” to a job can be a sorrowful transformation or the greatest day of your life.
However, no matter what your thoughts are on departing from your position, it’s important that you quit a job on a good note. Here are a few things you can do to ensure a tactful farewell:
Provide Proper Notice
Make sure that you give at least the average one month notice when you are resigning from your position. Quitting in a bad mood may feel like the right thing to do in the time, but it will come back to torment you in the future – there’s no need to burn any bridges or risk having a former resentful employer criticize you to a hiring manager. If you can give more than the standard notice, that’s great, and only leaves more time for the organization to take the necessary steps to ensure a steady change on their end.
Write Thank You Notes
It’s a likeable touch to write thank you notes to individuals such as your boss, peers you worked closely with, and others who made an impact on you at your position. These are the people you spent every day with, cooperating on assignments together and learning from. Thank them for what they guided you and for the time you spent together – they’ll really value the gesture and will be excited to see you succeed in the next stage of your career.
Tie Up Loose Ends
In your remaining time at a company, make sure to work consistent through your last date. While it may be tempting to loose off given the lack of immediate consequences, it shows that you don’t care and can tarnish your office reputation. Do what you can to finish up tasks, hand off remaining work to other people, and help set up the person who will be succeeding you. If you can, suggest to train your replacement.
Do something on your last day to mark your farewell to the business – and to the individuals with whom you spent so much time during your time there. Go out to lunch, bring in cupcakes, make a toast… do something to acknowledge that you appreciate the people around you and are quitting on good terms. That way, your farewell will feel more like a celebration of your time there, rather than like an unpleasant goodbye.
Some of us just despise goodbyes, but don’t let your distaste for them leave a bad taste in your company’s mouth. Follow the appropriate etiquette, be gracious, and have a little fun, and you’ll be sure to make a grand exit!
