During the interview process you may give some thought to what you will say to your employer once you have been offered a better opportunity elsewhere. It can be an unexpectedly stressful thing to do in practice, so here are our tips on leaving your current job gracefully with a minimum of stress:
- Whatever the reasons for leaving, your approach should be the same: calm, non-critical and with a minimum of explanation.
- The conversation with your boss will definitely include the phrase, “I would like to leave”. You will then be asked why.
- This is the point where things can become emotionally charged, potentially leading you to a situation where it is difficult to leave. The less information you give the easier it will be for you to achieve your goal of leaving gracefully.
- You should include the following elements in your message: “I have enjoyed working here, it has given me X, Y, Z”, and “It’s time to move on”
- Give reasons such as, “I want to do X, Y, Z there“ rather than, “I can’t do X, Y, Z here”. This invites counter-offers and promises of a change in situation which, realistically, won’t happen.
- You must abide by the notice period stipulated in your contract. One month is the market average. Two weeks is the minimum legal requirement. Notice periods in excess of one month can be problematic, and you may need to negotiate.
- Even though you’ll make a verbal resignation, you should also prepare a written letter of resignation to accompany the discussion.