Crucial Tips for Resigning Professionally

Congratulations, you have been offered a new job and have accepted the position!

Now comes the tricky part… resigning from your current employer. You probably don’t hate your current place of work, in fact, you are probably very thankful for all the training, development and of course salary, over your tenure! Having recently joined people2people in 2016, I have experienced first hand what it is like to resign from an employer you have enjoyed working for, to undertake a new opportunity with better career prospects. I found it helpful to remain professional about the resignation process, I wasn’t leaving because I hated my job, I left because I had a better opportunity.

The night before your resignation, ensure you reread your current employment contract, so that you know how much notice you are required to give and the rest of your obligations. It is also a good time to take a moment to reflect on the application and selection process you have just been through, such as; what can your new employer offer you that your current employer doesn’t and what excites you the most about starting your new job.

I would also recommend writing your resignation letter before you verbalise your intention to resign to your Manager, to ensure your letter is professional and brief. You do not need to go in to too much detail! If you are asked for feedback or to participate in an exit interview, I would highly recommend you agree. You do not need to state any grievances when you resign and sometimes having a platform to do this can be useful for all parties.

If you are asked questions about your new job and where you are going to be working, be as honest and as open as you are comfortable with, you don’t need to go in to detail if you don’t want to! Thanking your current employer for the opportunity they have given you can go a long way, if it wasn’t for them you might not have this great new role! Don’t forget, you may have to rely on a reference from them in the future.

Flexibility regarding your notice period can be helpful if you are in a position to offer this. If you have accepted a new position and it’s to commence on a certain date, it is best to stick to this where possible. Another important thing to think about is what you would do if your current employer entices you to stay, or counter offer you? This can be really flattering and also very confusing. If you are in a position to receive a counter offer from your current employer, you don’t have to accept it straight away (or at all).

You may have been through a lengthy process to secure your new role and future opportunities may not present themselves readily. I would recommend contacting your recruiter to discuss what has been offered and how you feel about this. Of course if you do need help resigning call us! We are on hand to help as much as possible. And finally… good luck in your new role!