Career Centre

However tempted you may be, avoid resigning on bad terms! There are right and wrong ways to resign, as with everything else in life, and getting it wrong can impact your career. Following these guidelines will help ensure that things go as smoothly as possible:

• Rule 1: Don’t hand in your notice when you are angry or upset.
• Rule 2: Don’t feel obliged to provide specific reasons for your resignation.
• Rule 3: Do write a simple letter stating the date from which your notice period will begin.
• Rule 4: Don’t tell everyone else before you tell your boss.
• Rule 5: Inform your boss face-to-face and don’t labour on negative points about the company or the job.
• Rule 6: Don’t feel obliged to tell your boss where you are going. It is your choice whether you disclose this information.
• Rule 7: Do be cooperative if you are required to help with a hand-over period.
• Rule 8: Do try to make sure your work is up to date and organised before you leave.
• Rule 9: Do think about what you will say if your boss makes you a counter offer.
• Rule 10: Do try to leave on good terms. A good reference is vital.

How to Handle a Counter Offer

If you resign and your employer decides to offer you a more attractive salary or overall job package in order to persuade you to stay, you have been “counter offered”.

Counter offers are more common than you might think. Recruiting quality people can be an expensive and time-consuming process for employers and you might unexpectedly find yourself in a bargaining position.

If your employer tries to persuade you to stay by offering you a pay rise equal to, or above your new job offer you might first want to ask yourself why it took the threat of leaving to bring it about.

Most of us are easily flattered and the offer of more money coupled with colleagues telling you “the place won’t be the same without you” can easily make you forget the reasons you wanted to leave in the first place.

Don’t feel guilty and always take the time to think the situation through carefully before responding to a counter offer.

It is usually a good idea to discuss it with your friends and family who may offer a more objective viewpoint.

Once you have made a decision, stick to it and handle the situation in a professional and courteous way for the benefit of all parties concerned.  

To make the best possible start in your new job, it pays to follow these guidelines:

• Don’t think because you are new, you can sit back and take it easy for a while and let everyone else show you what to do. Show initiative and enthusiasm.
• Don’t try and re-invent the wheel from day one. Learn the job and the processes that are in place before you start trying to change them.
• Don’t be drawn into discussions about other members of staff. You don’t know whom you can trust and whom you can’t at this stage. Stay away from office politics.
• Don’t use your work phone to make personal calls without asking and even then, keep them to a minimum.
• Don’t leave on the dot, come back late from your lunch breaks or start booking holidays straight away.
• Don’t sit in silence and wait for people to talk to you. Think of questions to ask people and start conversations yourself.

• Demonstrate that you have researched the company & products wherever possible.
• Have a note book and pen ready and write everything down.
• Ask questions when you don’t understand (you are not expected to understand everything).
• Make sure you are well presented and that your body language indicates enthusiasm and willingness to work.
• Smile.
• Try to remember people’s names. It makes your life easier.

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