How to Submit Your Resignation
Submitting Notice Time Frames
The standard practice is to give your employer two weeks’ notice before your last intended day of work. However, some situations, such as during a transition in leadership, overlapping vacation schedules, or major projects may make it beneficial to your employer to give more than two weeks’ notice. Your boss may want you to leave sooner—even the day you give notice. But by providing notice that meets or exceeds business standards, you have shown yourself to be a person of integrity.
Timing
Announcing your departure on the eve of a big deadline, for example, is not likely to leave a favorable impression. If you can time your departure notice to coincide with the conclusion of a major project, the process may go much more smoothly. It’s recommended to give notice on a Friday afternoon so that you can feel relaxed over the weekend and your boss has a couple of days to digest the news before taking action.
Prepare Your Words
It is best to give notice to your boss in person and it is also helpful to write out a brief letter of resignation which allows you to focus your thoughts so that it will be easier to speak the words during that awkward and potentially rushed meeting with your boss. Handing in a letter along with your resignation speech also gives your boss something to refer back to, because it will include key information such as your last anticipated day on the job.
In both the written statement and your conversation, keep your thoughts positive. Thank your employer for the opportunities you’ve been given. Convey gratitude for the support you’ve received and knowledge you’ve gained. Above all, refrain from saying anything negative about the employer, your co-workers, your clients, or anything associated with the job. You’ll have an opportunity to share your feedback in an exit interview, and this is a much more appropriate venue for these types of comments.
Make Your Presentation
With your timing set and your letter ready, set up an appointment to talk to your supervisor. If a meeting in-person is not feasible, try for a video meeting. Do not say anything to co-workers or clients before informing your direct supervisor. The worst possible situation is for your boss to learn about your departure from someone else.
Ask your employer if it is permissible for you to mention it to clients and teammates or whether they would prefer to handle the matter directly. If you are allowed to inform clients, it leaves a good impression all around if you make contact and let them know when you’re leaving. You might be able to take some great connections with you to your next venture. However, before reaching out to clients after you’ve left, make sure you understand the types of contact that are permissible under any non-competition agreements you signed.
