By: Sabrina C. Spitznagle, Principal & Founder at Loop Legal Search
Chicago Legal Recruiters – Your Recruiting Connection
Even when you are completely ready and absolutely know it is the right thing to do, leaving your job is never easy. It is both emotionally and logistically difficult. Saying goodbye to all your colleagues, cleaning out your office, and simply changing your email address can be overwhelming and exhausting. To make this process as smooth as possible and to leave with as much grace as you can, keep these tips in mind when making your exit:
1. Tell The Person With Whom You Work Most Closely First.
After you have the made the decision to leave your job and you are ready to give your notice (which you should never do by the way until you actually have another offer that you have accepted – unless your plan is to stop working), the first person you should tell is the partner with whom you work most closely. While you may be tempted to tell your friends first, you don’t want your boss to be blindsided and hear the news from someone else. If possible, give your notice in person. If the person you need to tell first is never in the office, at least make every effort to tell them over the phone. Email should be a last result for the people in your immediate work circle. Practice what you are going to say first, and be sure to keep your narrative brief and positive. Express your gratitude – this is not the time to vent or for an emotional tell-all conversation.
2. Offer At Least Two Weeks Notice.
A two-week notice is absolutely the standard. Offering at least that amount of time is the most professional thing to do. Offering less than two weeks’ notice is likely to rub your current employer the wrong way, and that is not how you want to be remembered. But – be prepared to leave right away, as some employers will not want you to stick around for long after you have given your notice. Thus, before giving your notice, make sure your office, your files, and your computer are organized and you have removed/deleted everything that is personal.
3. Clean Up Your Computer And Leave Your Files Organized.
While you should give a two-week notice, your employer may decide that you should leave much sooner than that. Thus, before giving your notice, make sure to delete all your personal files and email messages on your computer. If you don’t already have one, as soon as you even start thinking about leaving, open a personal email account, and start using that for everything personal. Make sure you have all your contacts there as well. Organize all your files and matters so that you can pass them off to someone else and they will be able to run with them.
4. Stay Positive and Be Gracious.
Even if you despise everyone at your current job, you never want to burn any bridges when leaving (the legal world is very small). Thus, focus on the positive – you are leaving, and there is no point in being negative at on your way out. Be sure to thank everyone with whom you worked, and make the rounds to as many people as possible to say goodbye in person. When you are asked why you are leaving, keep it positive – you don’t need to get it into everything you dislike about your current employer. Don’t insult your current employer either by saying something that could be taken as a negative about them (such as you are leaving to work on more sophisticated matters).
If you send a mass email, make sure to keep it very short and sweet, and include your new contact information. It is important to maintain your connections and keep all doors open – you never know when you might want to return to a job, need a reference, or be able to help a former colleague. After you leave, check in with former colleagues every few months, connect with them on LinkedIn, and go to reunions or other events where former colleagues will be.
5. Be Prepared For A Counter Offer.
Before you give your notice, prepare what you will say in the event that your employer makes you a counter offer or tries to convince you to stay. While this of course is flattering, remind yourself of the reasons you wanted to leave in the first place. Because even if they say all the right things and offer you the moon, it is unlikely that the issues that caused you to want to leave will truly change. Moreover, you likely will be perceived as disloyal and as having one foot out the door. It will be an awkward environment in the future. So, stay strong, politely decline, and focus on your exciting new opportunity.