4 mistakes to avoid when you're planning to resign

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Here's how to avoid making your exit a little awkward.

We have all been at the stage in our career where one must face the daunting task of resigning from their job. If you have not been there yet, at some point in your career you will. You might be resigning because you absolutely hate where you work, you might have received an opportunity elsewhere that you cannot resist, or you might be emigrating. Whatever the reason is that made you decide to leave your employment a resignation is always a tricky subject. Some might say that there is an art to the resignation process but that equivalent to saying that there is an art to a breakup. You will never know exactly how the resignation will go but there are four things that you must avoid doing to make your exit a little bit easier.

1 Being indecisive

One of the main reasons people resign is because they do not feel valued at their place of employment. This then causes people to use a resignation to force an employer’s hand to give them a higher package or more benefits to try keep the employee. If this a tactic you are thinking to use, I would highly recommend not doing this. When you resign your mind should be made up and it should be because are ready for that next step in your life. If you choose to use a resignation as a scare tactic not only is there a chance that it might backfire on you but if an employer does decide to give you that counteroffer they could easily see it as a grudge purchase and a few months down the line you are in a position where you are earning more money but even more miserable than you were before.

2 Telling your co-workers first

Taking the next step in your career can be exciting and it’s hard to keep the good news to yourself especially when you have developed good friendships with colleagues, but it is always best to speak to your managers about your resignation first.

By telling your managers about your resignation first it allows them the opportunity to decide how they are planning to tell the rest of your colleagues as well as what will be done regarding the handover.

3 Giving short notice

Once you have decided to make the move to the new company as hard as it is to contain your excitement and not get in your car and go to the new job immediately after your resign, but your know what they say patience is a virtue. In South Africa the average notice period is either 1 calendar month or 4 weeks. Use this time to help train up who ever is taking over your account and ensure that there is a smooth handover process. This will also help gain the respect of your employer.

4 Bragging about your new employment

Colleagues might ask about the new job, whether it is out of politeness or nosiness the question will come up. Make sure you don’t brag about the new position for 2 main reasons. One you don’t want to demotivate your colleagues about their current workspace and two if might sound like you are criticising your current employer which is not what you want.

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