How to Quit Your Job: A 10-Step Strategy to Leave on Great Terms

You know the feeling.

The thrill of a job offer that’s just right for you. You went through the interview process and now a new role and opportunity await you.

But first you need to tell your boss and team.

You want to leave on good terms, because after all…

• You could end up returning to that employer down the road.
• Your old manager could become a mentor who stays in touch with you.
• Your past colleagues could be referrals for future jobs.

So how do you leave without burning bridges?

In this post, we share 10 tried-and-true steps to help you choose the right timing to leave, navigate the necessary conversations, and depart on good terms. 

 

Step 1: Make Sure it’s the Right Time to Go

Before locking into your new job (and ideally, before you start interviewing), it’s important to make sure the timing is right.

Think about your motive for leaving.

That will help you figure out whether the solution is to leave your current company or simply make some changes.

For example, you could be anxious to move on because you’ve experienced some conflict on your team. In that case, consider asking your boss about switching teams. If you’re feeling bored, it’s probably time to get exposure to new things. In that case, you could talk with your boss about stepping into a new position at your company. If you’re looking for a raise, you could speak to your manager about an increase in salary.

They’ll likely be willing to make changes. After all, if they view you as a good employee, they’ll want you to be satisfied in your job.

But what if that doesn’t work?

Then it’s likely time to start looking for a new opportunity.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Do you have any personal life events that would be difficult to handle while starting a new job? A new job is time consuming. Looking ahead will help you know if there are any reasons to stay in your current role a little longer.
• Do you have an employment contract with your current company? These are rare, but if you’re in one you’ll want to make sure you look into the protocols of leaving the company.
• Do you have any bonuses coming up soon? If your company offers bonuses, you might want to take that into consideration when you think about the timing of when you leave.
• Do you have equity in your company? When a company gives you equity as part of your compensation package, they’re offering you partial ownership of the company. But you typically need to work for the company for a period of time before earning your shares. This process is called vesting.
• Does your company offer 401k matching? If so, look into the details of how your match works. Some companies require you to work for a certain amount of time before you get to keep your company’s match.

Getting the answers to these questions before you start interviewing will help you know the ideal time to start a new job.

 

Step 2: Get in the Right Mindset (Don’t Gossip or Backstab)

Once your mind is made up to leave your company, you might be tempted to “slam the door” on your way out (especially if you’ve been working in a toxic environment).

After all, in a very short amount of time, you’ll have a fresh start with a totally new team. But burning a bridge on the way out will be a poor reflection of who you are.

We spoke with Rebecca Moran, Sr Director of Product Management at Procurated, about how to leave well. Here’s what she shared:

“Even if you are leaving because of a bad experience, remember the importance of your professional network. The people you work with are going to be your future references. You don’t want to damage those relationships on your way out.”

Rebecca gave these three tips:

1. Don’t poison the well. Talking negatively about your experience with your coworkers just brings everyone else down.
2. Don’t bail on people who are counting on you. You owe it to your team to transition things appropriately.
3. Resist any temptation to air your grievances. This is not the time to gossip or call out that one person you secretly couldn’t stand!

Remember that your other team members are still going to be working there and you don’t want your negative experiences to influence them.

As you transition out, try to express gratitude for the positive aspects of your job. Take the time to remember what you learned, how you grew, and who you met.

 

Step 3: Gather the Documents You Need to Keep 

It’s simple, but crucial.

If there are any personal documents or resources on your work computer or phone, be sure to transfer them to yourself. This includes work samples that you might want to reference in the future or add to a technical portfolio.

As you do this, make sure you don’t take anything that doesn’t belong to you or that includes sensitive information.

Remember that you’ll also lose access to your computer after you leave. If you have any saved passwords for personal accounts, you’ll need to make sure you can access them on your own computer.

Pro Tip: If your workplace is hostile, or you expect that your boss won’t take the news well, it’s important to do this before speaking to your boss. In that kind of workplace, there’s a chance that you won’t have access to your computer after you submit your resignation.

 

Step 4: Talk to Your Boss

So you’ve prepared yourself for leaving your current job and you’ve lined up your next position. Now you need to communicate that you’re leaving.

Keep in mind, it’s important to tell your boss before sharing the news with any co-workers. Word spreads fast and your boss might hear the news through the grapevine before you get a chance to speak to them.

As soon as you tell your boss, you’re free to communicate openly that you’re leaving, which leaves less room for people to speculate.

It’s best to have this conversation over a video call or in-person, rather than via text or email. If your goal is to leave well, you should be as engaged and present as possible.

When should you talk to your boss?

The general rule of thumb is to provide a two weeks’ notice, but that can change depending on your scenario. Here are a few factors to consider:

• Are you in a leadership position? If you’re in charge of a large team or you need to close out some important projects, you’ll probably want to give a longer notice than the standard two weeks. That will allow the transition to go more smoothly for your team, especially if you want to train someone to replace you.
• Is the team culture toxic or healthy? If you have a good relationship with your boss, you might be able to give them closer to three or four weeks. If you think the work environment will become toxic after you put in your notice, then you should stick with the standard notice.
• When does your new employer want you to start? Most employers can wait a few weeks (or months) before bringing on a new employee. However, if they have an urgent need, you might have to speed up the timing of your departure. At the very least, a new employer shouldn’t ask you to start sooner than two weeks out.

Pro Tip: Don’t give your notice before you’ve signed an offer letter at your new job. You never know when a verbal offer might fall through at the last minute, leaving you in limbo without a job.

 

What do you tell your boss during this conversation?

The goal is to be honest, without speaking negatively about your job or the people you work with.

Here are some things to say during the conversation:

1. Thank them for the opportunity to work at the company and share highlights of what you learned.
2. Explain why you took another job offer (i.e. higher salary, opportunity to grow professionally, the chance to work remotely). Be careful when sharing any negative feedback about your job, if that’s why you’re leaving. It’s important to be honest, but you don’t want to burn bridges.
3. Offer to help transition your work to other team members or to train your replacement.

Pro Tip: Your boss might be disappointed (or even frustrated) when you share the news. If they react that way, consider it a compliment. After all, if they’re sad to see you go, that’s a reflection that you were a good employee. When approaching the conversation, you’ll want to be firm in your decision to go, but empathetic about the fact that you’re delivering bad news.

 

Step 5: Submit Your Written Resignation (+Template)

You’ll want to complete this step shortly after talking to your boss.

So far, your communication about leaving has been verbal. It’s valuable to have written documentation of your plans. Plus, it’ll be helpful for HR to reference as they manage the offboarding process.

You’ll want to send a copy to both your boss and to HR. You can submit a hard copy if you work in an office, or you can simply send an email.

Here’s what you’ll want to include:

• State your plans to leave and include your departure date
• Include a sentence or two of appreciation
• Offer to help with the transition process
• Ask what the offboarding process looks like

 

Step 6: Conduct an Exit Interview

As you close out, your company might offer to conduct an exit interview with you. This will be an opportunity to share and receive constructive feedback.

If no one asks you to do this, Rebecca Moran suggests that you initiate.

She explains, “This is an important learning opportunity for the company you are leaving. Chances are that they aren’t aware of some of the things that led you to consider a new opportunity.”

Frankie Nicoletti, Head of Engineering at Palolo, shares, “I have routinely been surprised by how willing people were to listen to my feedback when I was walking out the door. They may not do anything with it, but that’s not the point. The point is that you are being a good teammate to your colleagues by stating your piece as you leave.”

What to share (and not to share).

It’s important to be honest about why you’re leaving, whether it’s related to growth opportunities, career stability, compensation, or something else.

If there are negative reasons for leaving, you’ll want to communicate those tastefully. That kind of conversation can quickly turn sour if you start listing off bad things about the company or your team. Remember: your goal is to provide honest feedback so your company can make improvements. But you also want to maintain a positive relationship and leave on good terms.

Rebecca Moran elaborates, “I had a coworker who gave us a ton of insight into the interviewing process of the company he was joining. He had a great candidate experience and gave us some suggestions about how we could incorporate some of the same things into our process.”

Ask your boss for feedback.

This is also your chance to glean feedback about your performance.

Here are some questions you can ask:

• What areas tend to be my strengths?
• What areas should I grow in?
• Is there any skill that I need to improve or develop?
• What would make me a better team member (or leader)?

Their honest answers will provide invaluable feedback as you head into your new position.

 

Step 7: Pass Off the Baton to Your Replacement

As you approach your last day, you’ll want to transfer your responsibilities, projects, and knowledge to your team.

What does that look like?

Frankie Nicoletti advises, “Brain dump everything you can think of into a document and share it with your teammates. You may also have knowledge transfer sessions (I recommend recording them). Leave them with as much documentation as you can to set them up for success.”

Rebecca Moran recommends asking yourself, “What’s the impact of my departure on my teammates?” Take the time to “think about what you can do before you leave so you don’t leave those folks in a lurch. Maybe that means documenting something that only you know how to do, or training someone to take over certain responsibilities, or introducing two people that will need to start working together when you leave.”

Here are some steps you can take:

• Create a list of all your tasks and responsibilities. Focus on the tasks that nobody else does.
• Document the processes for your tasks. SOP’s and instruction manuals are a great way to capture this information. You could also create a video recording of your screen as you do a task.
• Schedule training sessions with relevant team members and walk them through the documentation.
• Save your documentation on a shared drive and communicate where it can be found.
• If part of your job includes communicating with clients or external business contacts, let them know that you are moving to a new company. Be sure to update your email and voicemail so they can reach the appropriate person.

Pro Tip: As you get closer to your departure date, it will become more difficult to stay focused. Don’t forget to keep doing your job well until the end – your coworkers and boss will think even more highly of you if you end strong!

 

Step 8: Confirm Your Benefits

The details about your benefits can feel overwhelming.

Below is an outline of some questions you’ll want to answer, so you don’t miss any important details.

• When will I receive my last paycheck? It could be on your normal pay day, the day you leave, or within a certain timeframe after you leave. It’s also worth finding out if you’ll receive any payout for unused PTO or sick days since some companies are required to compensate employees for this when they leave.
• What benefits will come with me? You may continue to have access to certain benefits – such as a health savings account – no matter where you go. Make sure you find out which benefits will follow you and how you can access them after leaving.
• When will my insurance coverage end? Ask the HR department at your soon-to-be former employer how long you’ll have insurance coverage (including health, disability, and life). If your health coverage ends before it starts up again with your new company, you may be eligible for a continuation of health coverage through COBRA.
• What should I do with my 401(k)? You’ll likely have several options, including leaving your money in your former employer’s plan, rolling it into your new employer’s 401(k), or rolling it into an IRA. To make the best choice, check out different 401(k) options.
• What happens to my equity? If equity was part of your former employer’s compensation package, you’ll need to find out how long you have access to it after leaving. You might have a limited timeframe to purchase your options (90 days is a common amount of time).

 

Step 9: Complete the Offboarding Process

You’ve had the exit interview with your manager, passed off your responsibilities, and gotten a handle of your benefits.

Now it’s time to complete any last administrative tasks. Your HR team will let you know what the process entails.

If you work in person, there are a few simple steps you can take (whether they ask you to do it or not!): clean out your workspace, wipe down your desk, and remove any trash or recycling.

On your last day, you’ll want to return your work equipment (including external drives, laptops, and phones). Don’t forget about any ID badges, parking permits, and company credit cards.

If you work remotely, your HR team will let you know how to safely return your laptop and equipment (Note: They should compensate you for the shipping expenses).

 

Step 10: Say “Thank You” on Your Way Out

Before you head out, Rebecca Moran suggests that you “take the time to personally thank the people who helped you along the way.”

This will be an important way to show appreciation and make sure the door is open for future communication. It’s also a helpful way to make sure your departure doesn’t come as a surprise.

Here are a few steps you can take:

• Send a farewell email to the entire team. This is a chance to say thank you and exchange personal contact information so you can stay in touch.
• Reach out individually to the team members (or managers) who you worked with closely. This personal touch will help them feel even more appreciated.
• Ask a few colleagues to write a recommendation on LinkedIn for you and request their personal contact information so you can get in touch down the road when you need a future reference. Note: Make sure this goes both ways… go ahead and write a LinkedIn recommendation for them and offer to be a future reference.

 

Now It’s Time to Start Your New Adventure! 

You’ve done the hard work of closing the door at your old job.

Now it’s time to let yourself move on.

If you built in some down-time between jobs, enjoy it! Go on vacation. Get some projects done at home. Spend extra time with your family and friends.

This downtime is an important way to regroup and reorient. When your start date arrives, you’ll be ready to dive in!