Suggestions on How to Resign

Telling Your Boss Goodbye
Suggestions on How to Resign

Contributed by Direct Recruiters, Inc.
June 2006

You have decided to accept a new position with another company. Now it’s time to tell your boss about your decision. If this is the moment you have been dreading, you are not alone. How to resign isn’t something that is taught in high school, college or even graduate school. That’s why Direct Recruiters, Inc. offers candidates advice on how to resign from a company in a way that makes leaving less stressful. Here are several pointers:

 Do not delay once you have made your decision to leave. Give your notice of resignation immediately after you have signed and returned your offer letter or confirmed your new position with a firm mutual verbal agreement. Delay only if a significant commission check or similar payout remains outstanding.

 Keep it professional. We all develop some personal attachments to our workplace and to certain co-workers but this isn’t the time to dwell on them. Stay focused on moving forward and on your new business opportunity.

 Write your resignation. Hand in a well-written resignation letter to your boss before announcing to co-workers, peers or even subordinates that you are leaving the company. We suggest keeping the letter brief and simply stating the obvious – that you are leaving. Do not offer a long explanation or provide too much detail.

 Keep it confidential. Your current employer does not need to know where you are employed next. In fact, the who, what, where, and why should be kept confidential. Giving too much information can backfire. It opens the door for your boss to actually sabotage your new situation.

 Don’t listen to counteroffers. Counteroffers rarely work for the employee or the employer. You have made your decision to leave so why go backwards unless your intent is not really to change jobs but rather elicit a counteroffer and a raise. If this is the case, you have not done your research on why counteroffers amount to career suicide.

 Wrap it up. Make the transition a smooth one for everyone involved. Transfer responsibilities to those indicated by your boss. Document your work so that it can be easily understood once you are gone.

Giving notice should be a simple but well-thought out event. Careful planning will reduce the stress you feel and allow you to focus on a smooth transition as well as the exciting opportunity that lies ahead.

Direct Recruiters, Inc., Human Capital Resource Specialists since 1983, focuses on Supply Chain, AIDC, RFID, Mobile Enterprise, Identification Labels, Packaging, and Material Handling. Top industry companies rely on DRI to help build solid teams in Sales, Sales Management, Marketing and Technical Support. For more information, contact Shel Myeroff, CPC (216) 464-5570 x103 / fax (216) 464-7567/ e-mail shel@directrecruiters.com / www.directrecruiters.com.