How to Leave a Job on Good Terms

Very few people stay in one job their entire career and so at some point you will move on to a new position. How you leave and on what terms you depart can have an impact on your future professional life. Of course, we don’t always leave a position by choice but, even then, we can implement some of these practices to make the separation more manageable. 

Give sufficient notice. A good way to burn bridges at a job is to leave abruptly, making it difficult for your former employer to transition to a new employee smoothly. Strive to provide your employer with at least a two week notice before you move on, and up to four weeks or more if your work is complex and requires a unique skill-set.

Train your replacement. Even if your company is unable to hire someone while you’re still there, it is likely they’ll have someone take over on an interim basis. Offer to train that person and do a good job, ensuring that your work will continue unimpeded and your company will not miss a beat.

Get documentation in order. You can also make life easier for your replacement, and for your former employer, by making sure that all documentation and written instructions related to your position are up-to-date, clearly written, and stored in a location that will be easy to locate.

Provide contact info. The questions about your job or project might not end once you leave the company. Offer to leave your personal contact information in case a question comes up and no one else seems to have the answer. Instead of looking at this as a bother, recognize that you have gained some important expertise that will be useful as you more ahead in your career.

Be grateful. Take some time before you leave to say thanks to colleagues and supervisors for the opportunities, experience, and knowledge you received from them while on the job. Let then know you are grateful for the time they took to add value to your job and professional life. When appropriate ask a co-worker or manager to serve as a reference for you in the future.

Apply these basic practices the next time you leave a job and you’ll likely have a former employer that could return to one day, if desired, or at least obtain a good reference from.