How to Resign and Hand your notice in the right way!

06 Dec 2021

Resigning is a delicate and sometimes complicated thing to do. It can be an emotional and sometimes stressful task to undertake. With some careful planning though and a well thought-out approach, you can make a daunting task go smoothly and ensure that you leave a professional impression with your current company.

Especially in publishing being such a small world, it is so important to make sure we remain professional and well thought of!

Some are calling 2021 #GenerationResignation because of the sheer volume of resignations. There are three reasons for this; you have two years’ worth of natural attrition in the market as well as a huge amount of growth due to favourable market conditions. With two years’ worth of attrition, there are twice the amount of job openings hence the market being so busy! The situation will calm down of course, but whilst here, we thought spreading some of our top tips might be helpful if you are about to hand in your notice.

The trick is to make the meeting as straightforward as possible!

  1. Before you hand in your notice check what your notice period is and when you need to start your new role.
  2. Write a letter of resignation following this sample as provided by Acas: https://www.acas.org.uk/resignation-letter-templates/resignation-letter
  3. Write down the reasons you are leaving along with all the skills you have developed and accomplishments that you have achieved whilst being at the company and a list of what the next role you are moving on to will allow you to develop or achieve in your career – this gives clarity to your current employer who will look to understand your reasons for resigning.
  4. Once you have all of the above crystal clear, do not just email the above to your manager!!! You must be brave and reach out to your line manager and ask for a face to face meeting to discuss your career (if this cannot be in person, arrange a video call at a time that suits them).
  5. In the meeting you can then let them know that you have accepted a new role and then outline the reasons for leaving and make sure to thank them for everything that they have done.
  6. Ask if they would act as a reference for you and what the best way is for your new employer to get in touch.
  7. Ask them what the protocol is next and if there is anything they would like from you by way of handover.
  8. Agree an exit strategy and ask when they might announce your resignation to the team.
  9. Once they have accepted your resignation you should reach out with a positive statement to colleagues and invite them to join you for a leaving do – either virtually, one to one or a traditional team gathering.
  10. On your last day, a nice touch is to take in some treats to the office and remember to sign off wishing your colleagues lots of best wishes and luck! Always leave under a positive cloud!

 

N.B. Not all bosses are the same, some may not take it so well but as long as you follow this process, there is nothing to be worried or afraid of. If a boss does take it badly it will most likely be an initial reaction of disappointment because they value you and do not want to lose you, so don’t take it personally! They will come round! Hold you head up high and look forward to that fresh start in your exciting new job!