Congratulations on landing the job offer you wanted! Now, what do you do about leaving your current position?
Timing
You will want to extend the professional courtesy of giving your employer a minimum of two weeks advance notice. There may be other issues to consider. For example, if you are working in a sales position, most often your current employer will ask you to leave immediately. The same may be the case if you’re working with highly confidential proprietary information. In these situations, the corporate policy regarding termination will reflect the intent to protect their assets by minimizing the amount of information you can provide to a competitor.
Will They Try to Keep You?
Do you think you may be persuaded to stay if your current employer makes a counter offer? Hopefully, your primary reason for accepting a job offer will not have been just to elicit a counter offer from your employer. However, sometimes it happens that they may be able to convince you to stay. If so, this will occur during that two-week window while they still have your attention. It is a possibility one should consider much earlier in a job search. What could they offer that would make you change your mind?
Don’t Burn Any Bridges
The primary thing to remember is that you don’t want to burn any bridges, no matter what has happened during your employment. There is no reason to say anything negative. I have often emphasized that when you are interviewing you should not give a negative reason for leaving a company where you’ve previously worked, that you should focus on the positive reason for taking the subsequent position. Similarly, your resignation is not a time to rail against all the ills of your employer.
The Less Said the Better
You need not give any details about where you’ll be going. In fact, I encourage you not to include this in your resignation. Wait to a later time to share this information with your colleagues if you wish.
Tweet or Text?
You should give your resignation to your immediate manager in person. Not on the phone, not in an email, and definitely not in a text or tweet! Make an appointment to speak with her privately. Tell her verbally and provide a written copy in traditional letter format. Don’t tell any of your coworkers before you speak to your manager. In addition to being proper professional etiquette, this is especially important should you accept a counter offer to stay. Otherwise, it could be awkward.
What Should You Say?
Make it simple and compliment your employer. Tell her that you are leaving the company on such-and-such date, that you’ve accepted a position at another company. Express that you appreciate all that you’ve learned or how much your career has developed while working at this organization, and how much you enjoyed being able to contribute to the success of the organization. Even if you have a poor opinion about your boss, tell her that you appreciate her contribution to your experience there. If appropriate, reassure her that you will work to make the transition of your responsibilities to someone else as seamless as possible.
"I need to let you know that I have been offered a new position at another company and am resigning effective March 25. I have really enjoyed working here, and appreciate your guidance as well as the opportunity for me to contribute to the success of our program. I realize that transferring my responsibilities to someone else will be difficult, and I will do everything I can to make it easier.”
Be prepared to discuss this with your manager. She will most assuredly ask you why. Remember to focus on the positive.
Mauri Schwartz is President of Career Insiders, a career management and talent acquisition consulting firm, and is a leading figure in the San Francisco Bay Area career management community. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, job fairs, and career panels and consults with career centers at universities such as UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Tulane University, Mills College, and others, and is a regular contributor to TheLadders RecruitBlog.
I’ve been promoted! Now what?
Earlier today, cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church elected Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina as the 266th pope. Whether you’re a new pontiff to an organization of more than 1.2 billion followers, or a business professional for a mid-sized company, taking on a new leadership role within your group is no easy task.
Even though you may be working in the same place, your role, responsibilities, and professional relationships are bound to change. Here are 5 tips to help you succeed in your new leadership role.
Set expectations...for yourself and others
Request a meeting with your new manager to learn what is expected of you over the first 30, 60 and 90 days on the job. If you’re successful during these time periods, what will you have learned or accomplished? Use this information to set goals for yourself over the same time period. Run similar meetings with your new direct reports to set your expectations of them.
Consider the runners-up
There may be one or more people in your group who were vying for the same role. Look for opportunities where you allow this person to leverage their strengths and areas of expertise. The worst thing you can do is undervalue what your colleague can bring to the table. If a colleague is resentful, their behavior will usually catch up with them. Be friendly and professional, but don't forget to watch your back.
Break bread with your team
A leader is only as good as the team behind him or her. Take your direct reports out for lunch and schedule one-on-one meetings to get to know each individual’s strengths, weaknesses, skill set and personality. The better you understand each individual, the easier it will be for you to form a strong, high-performing team.
Make friends with peers
Similar to a job search, it’s important to conduct informational interviews with your new colleagues. These conversations will help you understand the unwritten rules of your new role and get up to speed with current projects, and teach you the best ways to work with your new boss.
Become a sponge
Spend time at the beginning of your tenure absorbing everything you can. Join as many meetings as possible to learn the lay of the land, and be prepared to ask a lot of questions. If you plan on making big changes, you must first earn the team’s trust. Win them over by taking the time in the beginning to learn how things are done and why, so that when it's time to make changes, you can build a strong argument that your colleagues will support.
Taking on a new role is bound to have some challenges. Utilize these tips to transition into your new management position as smoothly as possible. Click on the following link to learn more about onboarding to a new role.
Amanda Augustine is the Job Search Expert for TheLadders. She provides job search and career guidance for professionals looking to make their next career move. Have a question for Amanda? Submit your question here for a chance to have it answered in her weekly column, and be sure to follow @JobSearchAmanda on Twitter and “Like” her on Facebook for up-to-the-minute job-search advice.
I landed a new job! Now what do I do?
Today marked the 57th Presidential Inauguration. During the day’s festivities, we saw the President get sworn in and we listened as he addressed the nation and spoke about his plans for the future. Obama is (re-)starting his job as president.
When you think about it, a president’s new term is not much different than an executive beginning a new gig. It’s your first day all over again. After you’ve spent a few weeks meeting with different colleagues and learning the ‘state of the union,’ so to speak, you’ll share your vision for the future. And people will be watching and judging your every move.
We all know how challenging and stressful the job search can be, especially in this job market. You worked hard, aced the interview, and finally (!) landed a job that makes you happy. No more worries, right?
Wrong.
I hate to break it to you, but landing the job is only half the battle. Now it’s time to think about what you need to do to set yourself up for success in the long-run. Think of your first 90 days on the job as an extension of the interview process. The company is still feeling you out to make sure you’re the right person for the job, and you’re still making sure this is the right place for you. It’s no coincidence that most third-party recruiters don’t get paid out for placing a professional until after they’ve crossed the 90-day mark in their new job.
Below I’ve listed out six tips to use, from the moment you give notice to your current employer through your first few months with your new employer, to ensure a successful onboarding.
Before Your First Day
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Don’t burn bridges. Whether your job has been a slice of heaven or a personal hell, act the part of the model employee during your final days in the office. Keep all communication (including your resignation letter) professional and thoughtful. Do what you can to ease the transition for the colleagues you’re leaving behind. It’s a small world, and you never know when your paths may cross in the future.
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Learn more. Before your job begins, continue learning as much as you can about the organization and its industry. Ask for access to information related to your new role, including organizational charts. If possible, set up time to meet with new associates before your start date to get those introductory meetings out of the way.
During Your First Week
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Make friends. There’s more to know about a company than what you’ll find in the employee handbook. Have ongoing conversations with your manager and colleagues to learn the unofficial rules, company politics and corporate culture. Befriend a co-worker who can help translate the organization’s own terminology and inside jokes so you can quickly get up to speed.
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Set expectations. Request a meeting with your new manager to learn what is expected of you over the first 30, 60 and 90 days on the job. If you’re successful during these time periods, what will you have learned or accomplished? Use this information to set future goals for yourself.
Your First Month
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Demonstrate and document. You discussed your strengths during the interview process – now it’s time to put those skills to work! Take charge of a project you know you can deliver on, and then make sure that you do. Record your job successes as soon as you start your new role. It will make preparing for your annual review and updating your resume that much easier in the future.
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Find a mentor. Connect with a senior colleague at your organization who you admire. A mentor who’s been with the company for a while will be able to teach you the ins and outs of the place, help you navigate corporate politics, and introduce you to the right people and resources to move your career along.
Starting any new job is going to have its highs and lows. Be prepared to feel a little stupid in those first weeks and get ready to ask a lot of questions. Approach the first 90 days of your new job as an extension of your job search, and utilize these tips to transition into your new role as smoothly and successfully as possible.
Click on the following link to learn more about onboarding.
Amanda Augustine is the Job Search Expert for TheLadders, the online job-matching service for career-driven professionals. She is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) who provides job search and career guidance for professionals looking to make their next career move. Have a question for Amanda? Submit your question here for a chance to have it answered in her weekly column, and be sure to follow @JobSearchAmanda on Twitter and "Like” her on Facebook for up-to-the-minute job-search advice.