Resigning from your job can be an emotional and stressful decision, but it’s usually the right one. People choose to leave their jobs for a number of reasons, but one fact remains constant: it’s common, and even encouraged, to move from one position to another throughout one’s career.
In fact, the average person changes jobs 10-15 times throughout his or her career, spending 4.2 years at each position. And as long as you can demonstrate steady personal growth with each move, there’s no reason you shouldn’t consider a change to improve your career’s outlook.
As soon as you start considering a new position, you’re likely ready to make the jump. But, there may be things you haven’t considered. Below, we list three things to think about when you’ve decided it’s time to resign.
DON’T RESIGN UNTIL YOU HAVE ANOTHER POSITION
Even if you’re fed up with the state of your current job, it’s always easier to find a new job while you still have a job. And, especially if you have a family to help support, you’ll want to have a backup plan in case your new offer falls through.
Additionally, it’s always better to resign when you can confidently say that you already have a new position. Why? Your boss or supervisor may use a variety of tactics to convince you to stay. For example, empty promises:
“We were going to promote you—it wasn’t supposed to happen until next month, but we can put it into effect as soon as possible if you stay.”
“We are looking at reorganizing in the next six months, which will mean great changes for you.”
These types of ploys rarely play out for the person resigning, and having a new job makes it easier to say, “no thank you.”
BE PREPARED FOR A COUNTER OFFER
In addition to empty promises, your boss could take your decision to resign as an invitation to present you with a counter offer. If you receive a counter offer, proceed with caution. Counter offers can make any candidate start to feel “buyer’s remorse” about their new job, but ask yourself the following questions before you engage in further discussion with your employer:
- Will this counter offer provide me the new environment and opportunities to enhance my career that I wanted?
- If I do decide to stay after all, will my loyalty be suspect and affect my chance for advancement in the future?
- If my loyalty is questioned, is there the possibility that I will be an early layoff or termination if business slows down?
- Is the raise they’re offering me to stay really just my annual raise a few months early?
- The raise I was offered is above the compensation guidelines for my job. Does this mean they are “buying time” until a replacement can be found within the acceptable guidelines for my job?
- I got the counter offer because I resigned. Will I always have to threaten to quit each time I want to advance?
LEAD WITH LOGIC
In the end, you’ll need to leave your emotions out of your decision to resign—especially when your employer tries to convince you to stay. Your career is invaluable, and you must approach opportunities objectively and with a clear mind.
When you’ve finally resigned, be as professional about leaving as you were when you accepted the position in the first place. Write a letter thanking your employer for the experience and move on knowing you made the best decision possible.
IS IT TIME FOR YOU TO RESIGN?
Are you ready to explore new opportunities? From the interview to the negotiations, the experts at Ciresi & Morek can provide the guidance you need to find your perfect new job.
When it’s time to look for your next job, view our active searches to see if one of our many openings could be the right fit for you.