Gracefully Resigning

As you grow you’ll have opportunities to seek out your next job or opportunity. This exciting new step comes with a potential growth in position, responsibility, and hopefully, more money. While your excitement may beam when you accept the next job offer, you may have questions about how to leave the current position you’re in right now. Colonel Candid suggests you solidly think about your next step before positing a “I QUIT” sign on your cube and just take off. Take time to think about who will replace you, your actions and the impact on your reputation, and contemplation on what to say during an exit interview.


Replacement. Remind yourself as you walk into your next job that you once arrived with new eyes and had those moments where you didn’t know who to go to for toner cartridges, help with travel, or where accounting was in the building. Better yet, don’t you recall when you needed some antacids or even where the shortest line for the best coffee in the neighborhood? When leaving one job, even before putting in your resignation letter, think about how you can make the place better for your replacement. Luckily, in the military each of us creates a continuity book when we depart a position. Because of the frequency of moves, there are times when the position doesn’t have an overlap or is vacant for a period. Coming into a job with a good checklist, up-to-date contacts, and helpful suggestions makes a world of difference. Continuity books are also great if someone is absent or out on an emergency for a long period of time. These books contain lists of responsibilities, references, important phone lists and points of contact, maps, schedules, frequent meetings and requirements due at each. Do yourself and your replacement a solid, work on this before you pull your punch card out. 


Reputation. Even though you may want to blast the song, “Take This Job and Shove It,” as you depart think before you act. It’s always better to leave with grace. Karma can really pay you back so please, don’t be a jerk. If you are leaving on good terms then share special moments with co-workers. If there’s a way for you to bring in something special or even spring for lunch for the office, do so. You’ve spent so many precious hours with your colleagues that you should celebrate your contributions. If you leave with a good reputation, who knows how this may help you in the future. Work to always pay it forward and maybe the company will recognize their loss and work hard to try and get you back into their rosters.


Exit Interview. Bosses, worth their salt, will hold an exit interview with you. Through this meeting you can demonstrate true integrity, thoughtfulness, and insight for your previous organization to grow. Go into the meeting with a thoughtful list of things you’d want to do to make your work environment or job better. It always comes across as helpful when you take the Oreo cookie approach. Bring a positive, then a negative with a constructive solution, followed by a positive. The positives are the hard cookies, they are quantifiable points, the negative/constructive criticism is the cream center. You need both for a good cookie and it goes the same for a good departure. Keep your professionalism about you and this will reinforce the previous point about a positive reputation.


Leaving a job for another can be difficult. Much like ending a relationship, you’ve formed bonds with the people you were around. Ensure that you somehow maintain connection through LinkedIn or, if you’re close, another social media platform. You’ll never regret leaving with grace because mopping up after a “hot mess” departure is never fun. Even in times of change, work hard to find your greatness.