How to leave a company on good terms

When its time to move on, there is a good way to do it and there is a bad way to do it. This article offers a quick guide on how to resign – and then how to act, both during your notice period and after, so you leave your boss(es) and colleagues with a great final impression. You never know when you will come across them again, or when you might need their help for a reference. Here at Chase Zander we hear countless stories about how people don’t get jobs because they didn’t reference well, whether that be formally, or more often than not, informally.

1. Don’t just think about leaving a good impression on your colleagues and boss when it comes to resigning. Making a good impression should be something you do throughout your employment however the exit process will be left freshest in the mind so whatever your situation make sure you do this professionally.

2. Write a formal resignation letter to your boss and ask for a one to one meeting with him or her. At the meeting be polite, friendly and take the time to explain your reasons for moving on focusing more on the pull factors towards the new role than on listing why you hate your current role or working for them!

3. Explain your timescales and aim to agree a mutually acceptable leaving date as soon as possible.

4. Tell your boss that you intend to do a full and detailed handover leaving your work as up to date as possible and in good order. Ask them if there is anything specific they would like you to do to facilitate a good handover.

5. Agree with your boss how your departure will be announced. They may want to tell the team themselves or leave it to you. If you can help it don’t tell colleagues before you tell your boss as these things have a habit of coming out sooner than you plan and this can be very negatively received.

6. Don’t change your working habits once you have resigned and put your feet up or start distracting your colleagues boasting about your massive new salary or slating your current firm. This will only antagonise so give your colleagues a similar respectful message that you gave your boss.

7. Continue to work professionally right up to the end of your last day and leave everyone with a good memory of you. Imagine that they could all be future employers or referees for the role you really want further down the line.

8. Add your colleagues and boss to your Linkedin network so that you are mutually easily contactable in the future and be sure to keep in contact with them moving forward even if it is only every 6 months.

If you have found this article valuable then you may be interested to read some of our other job seeker help guides and we are also one of the first UK recruitment consultancies to add video guides to our site.