You’ve completed the interview, negotiated your salary, and just signed the contract to accept your new job. Now, there’s just one small thing standing in the way of your new job: your old one.
When job hunting, it’s easy to harbour negative emotions about your old job/team. These could be sadness or annoyance or anger. So, as hard as it may be, try to detach yourself emotionally to make the transition to your new job as smooth as possible. Here are some steps you could take so there’s no bumps/hiccups.
Give Ample Notice
Once you know you’re leaving, set a meeting with your boss to put in your official notice. Although two weeks is standard (unless your contract says otherwise), it’s a good gesture to give as much time as possible if you know the date you’ll be leaving. Most of the time, your boss will appreciate that you’re leaving plenty of time to finish any tasks.
Play it Cool
Unless you’ve won the lottery, there’s a high probability that you’re going to have a long work life ahead of you. Which means that, at some point, your path will cross again with many of the people you work with.
So, no matter how happy you are about the new job, you can’t show it. First of all, boasting won’t achieve anything. Also, you may need to use your current company as a reference in the future. You probably don’t want your boss to remember you celebrating leaving your old job when they are writing your reference.
Connect with your Co-Workers
Once you’ve let your boss know, announce your departure to all co-workers to let them prepare for the transition, as well as to stay in touch after you leave. It’s worth sending a mass farewell email—one specific to clients and one for co-workers—letting them know where you’ll be moving on to and your contact information. A personal email address or LinkedIn profile where you can be reached is a great way to show that even though you’re leaving, you’re not severing ties.
