Blog: Career Management

Don’t say hello to your new job until you say a warm good bye to your old one.

There’s a lot to think about when you change jobs whether it’s because of a promotion, or a department change, or a move to a new organization. It’s an exciting time, but what can you do to make the transition go smoothly for you, and easier on the people you leave behind?

What should you do before you leave? Here’ are nine practical actions for your ‘to do’ list:

1. Bring your projects up to date.You can’t always complete every project before making a transition, but if you finish as much as you can, this will make life easier on the person who takes your place.
2. Prepare a report for your replacement. Detail what this person needs to know: future projects, who your clients are (and their contact information), tasks you recently completed, and how you did them and anything else that’s important.
3. Share ‘inside’ information. Think about what you know now that you didn’t know when you started this position. For example, if you’re in charge of ordering supplies, it might have taken you months, or years, to figure out which vendors give the best deals. Or there may be an administrative procedure that saves you time.
4. Take a copy with you. When you move departments, take with you to the new job an electronic copy of all the documents you prepare for the old job, containing details of where the files are, and the status of ongoing projects, etc. If your successor hasn’t started by the time you leave, or if the new person loses the background material you left behind, you’ll be able to help quickly, with a minimum of annoyance to you, when they track you down to ask about files and project status.
5. Help train your replacement. If you have the opportunity, this will ease the stress on both your boss and the person taking over from you. If your replacement hasn’t yet been chosen, consider briefing another team member who may temporarily take your place.
6. Contact key business associates. Let clients, vendors, and other key people know when your last day is, and whom they should contact after you’ve gone. Then they won’t be confused or frustrated if they try to reach you, and weren’t told of the personnel change.
7. Don’t brag. Don’t boast about your new position, say how happy you are to ‘get out of here,’ or talk about your higher salary. This is likely to leave a bad impression with your co-workers. Remember, they’re the ones staying behind. Be considerate.
8. Don’t make enemies on your way out. Keep your negative impressions about your boss, co-workers and peers to yourself. Also don’t bad mouth the company – it’s policies or programs. Leave with a good impression.
9. Say ‘thank you’ . If there are people who helped you at work, thank them. Be specific. For example,  you couldn’t have completed a project without someone’s expertise.

Career Success Tip:

Job transitions can be stressful. However, by taking the time to prepare for closure, you can reduce the impact on both you and your team. Leave a good impression and don’t make any enemies on your way out. Remember, you never know when you might work with your former team members  or boss or peers again. So don’t burn bridges that may come back to haunt you.