How to quit
The art of resigning

In todays society, an employment rarely lasts a lifetime, and the art of resigning is something that you will appreciate having mastered when the time comes. A resignation should be within a certain etiquette, if you want to ensure a harmless transition. Below are some questions that may help you getting through such saturation the best way possible.

En positiv opsigelse betaler sig. Sig ordentligt farvel til din chef og dine kollegaer, så du undgår at smække døren helt i. Du ved aldrig, om du møder din gamle chef eller kollega på en ny arbejdsplads i fremtiden eller får brug for vedkommendes reference. Men hvad er den bedste måde at sige op på? Og hvad skal der stå i en opsigelse af job?

Carefully gather your thoughts before making your final choice. You know what you have right now, but you might not be sure what you will get. For that reason, it is extremely important that you are 100% sure that you want to resign from your current position. Your boss or colleagues might interpret you as not being loyal to them, or simply going for the money and make you insecure about your choice. So before you make your final decision, you should consider below points:

• What are the pros and cons of your current and new job?
• Have you exhausted all career opportunities at your current employer?
• Would you still change jobs if you were offered a higher salary or a promotion?
• What does your gut say? What about your head? Always listen to your head.
• Think back to the reason why you originally wanted to get a new job. What are you not happy with? Is it even realistic that these circumstances will change?
• Don’t let yourself get affected by comments from friends and family, i.e. “but you seem so happy there” and “think about the intense traffic in the centrum” or other less important factors.
• Don’t change your mind by imagining what your current colleagues and boss are going to say – “It won’t be the same without you” or “you were almost about to be promoted”.

Be positive! Don’t underestimate yourself. If you have a clear goal and ambitions, make sure to go for them! Keep in mind that the average person spends eight hours at work every single day. That’s 40 hours in a week, and this is without even counting your overtime. Time is one of the only things money can’t buy, so make sure to spend yours on something you desire.

In the perfect world is it both simple and emotionally easy to resign from your job. Your boss is understanding and support your needs, and there are no bad vibes. However, in the real world, things are rarely that easy.

The way you handle your resignation, is very likely to affect your career. If you stick to the etiquette, you can gain a high degree of confidence in your future career. However, if you approach your resignation the wrong way, it may harm your nearest future. In the end good references are not only valuable, but they are very needed to exceed in your career.

When you have decided to resign, your most important task will be to inform your boss. A written resignation is the formal way to do this and will also work as a legal document that states the specific date of your resignation.

How you write the resignation letter depends on the circumstances of your departure. Usually, a resignation should contain recipient’s name, how long you have been employed, when you wish to resign and your signature.

If you leave your job on good terms, or if you are sad to leave your colleagues and friends, you could show your appreciation to your boss for the great time. That way the letter will help you move further into your career while staying on good terms with your former boss.

If your resignation on the other hand is due to poor working conditions, or worse, a bad experience with your boss or a colleague, going into details might harm you. Simply document that you wish to resign from your position. Remember – The soul purpose of this document is to inform your boss about what date you wish to leave your position. Keep it simple, accurate and avoid documenting your displeasure.

You have made your choice and written your resignation, the legal document that informs your employer about your action. How are you feeling about that?

It is not unusual to have mixed feelings. The first feeling often happens to be guilt, because you feel like letting down your boss and colleagues. You might imagine the time where you are telling your boss that you are leaving the company and try to imagine their reaction. How will the resignation period be? How will they treat you? What if they try to convince you to stay? What if they don’t react at all? A natural part of the resignation is having a bad feeling about leaving your friends at the company.

Remind yourself that you are looking forward to the new job. Remember that you still must let your boss know!

Think about it – most people, including your boss, have been through the same situation. Even though you might have been an important part of the team, chances are that the company will not go bankrupt without you. You are not the first to resign, and not the last either – so stop being so hard on yourself!

There is no “ideal” time to resign, so trust yourself and be logical:

• Keep it confidential – your boss will appreciate that you decide who should know it and when.
• Chose the right time to tell your boss – Like mentioned above, there’s no “ideal” time to resign from your position. However, logically if your boss seems excessively stressed, you might want to wait a bit.
• Be clear about why you wish to leave the position – if you feel like its needed, proactive this beforehand.
• If you do not wish to tell what company you are moving to, you are in your own right not to say anything about it.
• Be prepared that you might receive a negative reaction and anger – take it easy and simply repeat what you want to tell your boss. Remember that only you are resigning – The negative reaction will soon retract.
• If you wish to pass your position or responsibilities onto a colleague, make sure to inform your boss that you will be of assistance – be positive about it.
• Remember why you are leaving the position and stick to it!

If you would like to have more career advice, visit Hays Social, or give us a call and we will be happy to help you.

Good luck!