Resignation Advice

Once you have received written confirmation of your new job offer, the next step is to resign.

This is often a daunting time, even when you’ve hated the job you’re currently in, and to make sure that it is as stress free and seamless as possible, the following advice may help:

Resignation Meeting

• Always resign face to face – never on the telephone.
• Don’t make any negative comments about your current role and organisation.
• Focus on the positives about your new role.
• Re-assure your manager that you are fully aware of keeping up with your current workload and remaining committed to working hard during your notice period.
• Explain that you have documented all of the information in a formal letter.

Resignation letter

• Ideally have this ready for the resignation meeting.
• Re-state the reasons for your departure.
• Give an intended leaving date.
• Keep the letter short and make it clear that your decision is final.
• Remember that the letter will go in your personnel file and that you will be requesting a reference in the future…

Be careful of counter offers

Typically over 25-30% of candidates receive a counter offer from their current employer when they resign.

There are many reasons for rejecting a counter offer to stay which include:

• You should not have to threaten to leave to receive a salary increase or promotion.
• If you stay, your loyalty will always be questioned.
• Increased pay is forgotten about after one pay day – but your original reasons for leaving are never forgotten.
• The organisation is likely to be making you an offer in order to buy time whilst they begin the search for your replacement and is often a knee-jerk reaction.
• Your relationship with your boss and co-workers is unlikely to recover and you are likely to be seen as an outsider.
• Your employer will remember your resignation when they are looking to promote or indeed make redundancies.