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Job
Seeker Resources
Need some professional
advice? Here are 20 fact-filled articles to help you compete in today's
fierce employment market:
Resumes
Ten Keys to a Dynamite Resume
Resume Design Tips and Template
A
Stronger Resume To Increase Your Odds
Choosing
a Resume Format: Summary vs. Chronological
Beefing
Up an Anemic Resume
The
Dangers of Resume Overkill
Interviewing
The
Secret to Interview Success
Don't
Talk Yourself Out of a Job
How
to Answer Interview Questions
What
to Ask the Interviewer
Four
Classic
Interview
Questions—and
How to Prepare for Them
Discussing
the Subject of Money
Career
Decisions
How
to Evaluate a Job Offer
What
Does the New Job Really Pay?
Salary
Negotiation Techniques
Intelligent
Job-Changing
Strategy
Career
Strategy: It Pays to Diversify
Transition
The
Proper Way to Resign
How
to Leave a Job Gracefully
Resignation
or Retaliation?
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The
Proper Way to
Resign
By Bill Radin
Once a
new job has been accepted, you need to consider is the timing of your
resignation. Since two weeks’ notice is considered the norm, make sure your
resignation properly coincides with your start date at the new company.
Try to avoid an extended start date. Even if your new job begins in 10 weeks,
don’t give 10 weeks’ notice; wait eight weeks and then give two weeks’
notice. This way, you’ll protect yourself from disaster, in the unlikely event
your new company announces a hiring freeze a month before you come on board. By staying at your old job for only two weeks after you’ve announced your
resignation, you won’t be subjected to the envy, scorn, or feelings of
professional impotence that may result from your new role as a lame-duck
employee.
Some
companies will make your exit plans for you. I know a candidate whose employer
had the security guard escort him out of the building the moment he announced
his intention to go to work for a direct competitor. Fortunately, he was still
given two weeks’ pay.
Your
resignation should be handled in person, preferably on a Friday afternoon. Ask
your direct supervisor if you can speak with him privately in his office. When
you announce your intention to resign, you should also hand your supervisor a
letter which states your last date of employment with the company. Let him know
that you’ve enjoyed working with him, but that an opportunity came along that
you couldn’t pass up, and that your decision to leave was made carefully, and
doesn’t reflect any negative feelings you have toward the company or the
staff.
You
should also add that your decision is final, and that you would prefer not to be
made a counteroffer, since you wouldn’t want your refusal to accept more money
to appear as a personal affront.
Let your supervisor know that you appreciate all the company’s done for you;
and that you’ll do everything in your power to make your departure as smooth
and painless as possible.
Finally,
ask if there’s anything you can do during the transition period over the next
two weeks, such as help train your successor, tie up loose ends, or delegate
tasks.
Keep
your resignation letter short, simple, and to the point. There’s no need to go
into detail about your new job, or what led to your decision to leave. If these
issues are important to your old employer, he’ll schedule an exit interview
for you, at which time you can hash out your differences ad infinitum.
Be sure to provide a
carbon copy or photocopy of your resignation letter for your company’s
personnel file. This way, the circumstances surrounding your resignation will be
well documented for future reference.
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