How to Gracefully Resign from your Job
Resignation is a skill which needs proper planning and you need to think through the whole process before you start. Resignation from a job will not only impact you but your immediate family. It might impact your career ahead if it needs to be planned properly. As a leading recruitment agency in India, we speak with hundreds of jobseekers daily and scores of hiring manager. We know what goes well and what is not appreciated. Read this article if you are planning to resign anytime soon.
9 Tips to Gracefully Resign from Your Current Job
1. Have a Job in hand
When you are leaving a job, the most important thing is Why? Are you leaving for another opportunity, higher studies? Start a business? When you know your why, speak to your family about it. Resignation is an important step, so until you are one hundred percent sure about your decision, don’t resign from the job. If you plan to take another job, first find the opportunity and then resign. It’s never a wise decision, to resign before having any offer letter in hand. As a recruitment consultant, we come across so many jobseekers, who are between job. Who are finding it difficult to find another job post-resignation. As the gap increases, the pressure increases too. Which is not at all helpful during interviews. Plus, employers do get sceptical about people who are not in job, also if they don’t have a strong reason to justify the gap.
2. Don’t Resign with any negative emotion
If you are resigning from a toxic work culture, it understood you will have lot of resentment. But always allow yourself to cool down before you take the extreme step. Resigning in a heat of moment, might turn out disastrous for your career ahead. Read your company policies, understand your notice period and if there is any obligation to be taken care of before leaving the job. I have so many instances where an unprofessional behaviour while leaving a job, makes the jobseeker pay heavily in the future. As a professional, maintaining a decent work ethics, professionalism and decorum always shows you in a good light.
3. Resign in Person or formally with an email or resignation letter
Resign in person, and let your manager know before informing anyone else. Be thankful for the things you have learnt a lot from the job. Even if the company environment was toxic, you still learnt from the negative, what not to do on the job. Of course, you don't need to specify that to your manager but learning happened and it was a fact. Maybe you can take the help of ChatGPT to draft a resignation letter but ensure to make it personalised.
4. Speak to your manager or boss before you inform the HR
When you have decided to resign, the first person to know about it should always be your manager. Not the other way around, that your manager knows from HR team or your co-workers that you are planning to resign.
Once you have spoken to your manager, get a clarity how to proceed. If the manager would process your resignation to HR team, or you need to do it on your own.
5. Serve your notice period
When you resign from the job, don’t just send a message and switch off your phone. Nothing can be more unprofessional than this way of resignation. In your resignation email, be thoughtful of your existing responsibilities, and mention a considerable amount of notice period. Even if you want early release, but never leave a job without completing your responsibilities in hand. Wrap up the things well, tie all the open chords and leave on cordial terms. Jobseekers resigning from the job, without serving notice period, makes you susceptible to some judgement from your next employer too. No employer who has notice period for their existing employees, would plan to hire a person without serving notice period. Leave the job on good terms, complete all the formalities and then join your next job.
6. Get clarity about payments and arrears if any
When you are leaving a job, make a list of things which might need your attention. You will have to clear your Provident fund, and any pending salary. You might have some paid leaves, and bonuses. Speak about it with the human resources team, get the things in writing and know a timeline for the same.
7. You might be useful in preparing for your successor
When you leave a job, company might need somebody who will replace you. You can offer your help in recruiting that person. Your manager might need your inputs in hiring your successor. Make sure you transfer knowledge and train your successor well.
8. Informing your coworkers
Always check your manager before informing your coworkers. You should not be the reason to spread gossip or rumours when you change the job. Be consistent when you share your reason for changing the job. Be thoughtful not to hurt anyone while you inform your co-workers. Might be your employer don’t want you to inform others about your job switch at that particular time. So have this conversation before you inform.
9. Don’t burn the bridges
You might be moving out of your job, as you got another great job. Or you might be moving out because of some other issue. But it’s never a good idea to burn bridges when you switch jobs. You never know, you might need them in future or you meet them again in some other professional setting. It’s always a good idea to wrap things on positive note, so that, if need be, you can pick up the phone and call them.
Resignation is an important part of your career advancement, and being little thoughtful gives you brownie points. It helps you transition gracefully. Also, it gives you the confidence to handle an important situation well. Savanna HR is a leading recruitment agency; we guide our jobseekers and clients well while matching them with each other. Savanna HR knows the recruitment process well, and you can always vouch on our recruitment practices and expertise.
Read more:
How to conduct yourself during your notice period
5 Best Tips for Salary Negotiation
7 Tips to Maintain a Good Work-Life Balance
