Help me leave this job, completely
July 22, 2019 12:11 PM Subscribe
This week I am leaving my job, after nearly 8 years. I'm taking a few months off to finish education to be able to change careers. I am very happy to leave after working towards it for years and to now have time to focus on my new career. On the other hand I'm afraid I've detached so much already that I may forget important (practical or social) things that I would want to pay mind to in order to leave in a good manner and to not burn any bridges. At the moment I have some other things to deal with, that demand a lot of time and attention, so I can't think well but I should! I'd preferably process this step in my work life well, because it took me a lot of years to feel free and able to execute this change in fields. What actions (practical, social, emotional, economical) have you taken in the past, or would you do differently in the future, when leaving a job?
The end of July I'm leaving officially (F, early forties), the organization is in health care so a lot of personal attention to goodbyes is appreciated (or should I say required). My role was a senior one, in a small parttime employment. I was moved around so much and circumstances were so bad years ago (it was a difficult time with a lot of cutting funding and downsizing in my country), it's way better now. But I started to plan my exit then, and do have to admit I hold grudges for really terrible situations my colleagues (at the time, most have left) or I were in. So I feel happy, and relieved to be able to leave, and the last bits have me tired emotionally. But, I've worked so long towards doing this, that I want to stay fresh and do it right. I'll take a holiday after!
My new career has not yet materialized in that I have some months off but not a job waiting for me (first time it's ever been that way for me). If at one point in the future I don't have work in my new field and may have to return to my old profession I might possibly have to consider this (large) organisation again. So I want to leave on a positive note, and I've been emitting that mostly, I think. But it's hard. Ex-colleagues from longer ago have thought I was crazy to stick around. But the current department hardly has any memory of what happened in their own and other related departments years ago.
I haven't wanted to drag that all up, but leaving brings it up for me. I feel old, in a way! Looking back, I realize that after two months of working there, things occurred that really should have made me leave. I complained a lot, or shared my dismay, but outside of work mostly. I apparently needed (much) more time to develop ideas about the work itself and a crystallize my desire to change fields altogether, and how to get to practically get (or dare to go) to that point. What I want to take away from this experience and new after-the-fact clarity is that I would like to act sooner, if not immediately, on things that can be changed for the better instead of staying stuck (and complaining helplessly). My current/old career has taken 8 years of education after a masters, so I had a lot to lose, so to speak.
Given this situation and my mindset, I wonder about the following, and about what I may be missing here of overdoing? Also, things I'm forgetting that would be good for myself this new endeavor?
- Emails and documents: so my work-account will be closed off by then. I have 7 years of emails that I never put in folders, as that wasn't really necessary for the work itself (I just used the search bar, and sorting of sender etc.). But now I'm a bit overwhelmed with the amount of emails. Nothing seems important as I could always find contacts some other way, like via LinkedIn or via the organisation, and I feel disinterested looking through these years of emails (lots of people don't work there anymore, worksubjects I never liked, and sooo many farewell emails of people.
- Saying goodbye to people: due to and absurd amount of changes in the organization I worked in different departments, with lots of colleagues. Many of the people I've worked with have left, or were let go, or assigned other departments just like me. I'm compiling a list of people I want to say goodbye to in person, which day (this week, have been doing this last weeks also), chocolates and a card for their daily support to secretarial and reception desk, the concierge (who have been lifesavers). I think about bringing some sweets for the last weekly (smaller)teammeetings coming Thursday. Two colleagues from managementsupport (again, lifesavers) whom I'll say goodbye to in person. Two managers I'm sending an email to (we hardly saw each other).
Who should I not forget?
- There's been a lunch with the department/bigger team, I was spoken to, held a speech myself, etc. I'm sending a last email on the day I leave to the whole department. And one to my team.
- there doesn't seem to be an exit-interview (nothing new, I think, there's no real policy to do this).
- I'm using up all the leftover free days, and will receive my last paycheck over the month of July (in August).
Thanks everyone, any and all suggestions are welcome!
The end of July I'm leaving officially (F, early forties), the organization is in health care so a lot of personal attention to goodbyes is appreciated (or should I say required). My role was a senior one, in a small parttime employment. I was moved around so much and circumstances were so bad years ago (it was a difficult time with a lot of cutting funding and downsizing in my country), it's way better now. But I started to plan my exit then, and do have to admit I hold grudges for really terrible situations my colleagues (at the time, most have left) or I were in. So I feel happy, and relieved to be able to leave, and the last bits have me tired emotionally. But, I've worked so long towards doing this, that I want to stay fresh and do it right. I'll take a holiday after!
My new career has not yet materialized in that I have some months off but not a job waiting for me (first time it's ever been that way for me). If at one point in the future I don't have work in my new field and may have to return to my old profession I might possibly have to consider this (large) organisation again. So I want to leave on a positive note, and I've been emitting that mostly, I think. But it's hard. Ex-colleagues from longer ago have thought I was crazy to stick around. But the current department hardly has any memory of what happened in their own and other related departments years ago.
I haven't wanted to drag that all up, but leaving brings it up for me. I feel old, in a way! Looking back, I realize that after two months of working there, things occurred that really should have made me leave. I complained a lot, or shared my dismay, but outside of work mostly. I apparently needed (much) more time to develop ideas about the work itself and a crystallize my desire to change fields altogether, and how to get to practically get (or dare to go) to that point. What I want to take away from this experience and new after-the-fact clarity is that I would like to act sooner, if not immediately, on things that can be changed for the better instead of staying stuck (and complaining helplessly). My current/old career has taken 8 years of education after a masters, so I had a lot to lose, so to speak.
Given this situation and my mindset, I wonder about the following, and about what I may be missing here of overdoing? Also, things I'm forgetting that would be good for myself this new endeavor?
- Emails and documents: so my work-account will be closed off by then. I have 7 years of emails that I never put in folders, as that wasn't really necessary for the work itself (I just used the search bar, and sorting of sender etc.). But now I'm a bit overwhelmed with the amount of emails. Nothing seems important as I could always find contacts some other way, like via LinkedIn or via the organisation, and I feel disinterested looking through these years of emails (lots of people don't work there anymore, worksubjects I never liked, and sooo many farewell emails of people.
- Saying goodbye to people: due to and absurd amount of changes in the organization I worked in different departments, with lots of colleagues. Many of the people I've worked with have left, or were let go, or assigned other departments just like me. I'm compiling a list of people I want to say goodbye to in person, which day (this week, have been doing this last weeks also), chocolates and a card for their daily support to secretarial and reception desk, the concierge (who have been lifesavers). I think about bringing some sweets for the last weekly (smaller)teammeetings coming Thursday. Two colleagues from managementsupport (again, lifesavers) whom I'll say goodbye to in person. Two managers I'm sending an email to (we hardly saw each other).
Who should I not forget?
- There's been a lunch with the department/bigger team, I was spoken to, held a speech myself, etc. I'm sending a last email on the day I leave to the whole department. And one to my team.
- there doesn't seem to be an exit-interview (nothing new, I think, there's no real policy to do this).
- I'm using up all the leftover free days, and will receive my last paycheck over the month of July (in August).
Thanks everyone, any and all suggestions are welcome!
If you can access various job descriptions or pay scales while you still have access to the system it would be good to download those and save them on a personal flash drive
posted by raccoon409 at 12:37 PM on July 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by raccoon409 at 12:37 PM on July 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
Here are some suggestions that are the very antithesis of burning bridges:
-Because you've been there through quite a bit of turnover, you are something of a repository of "institutional knowledge". Whatever you can do to categorize and organize useful information will help the coworkers you leave behind, and will leave a positive impression.
-A gracious note to your boss(es), in an email or even handwritten, will make you memorable.
-Anything you want to take as work samples (either for future interviews or to give you a head-start when you do something similar in the future) should be taken as copies.
-Pester the powers that be, if necessary, to designate who is taking over your responsibilities so you can pass along relevant information to him/her/them. If there isn't a successor for one or more responsibilities, write down everything you think could prove helpful.
-Eliminate as much "chaff" as you can - documents, emails, etc. that you know will be of no help to anyone.
-Offer to be available for quick phone calls if, in the transition, questions arise. Don't go overboard with this, but offering a few weeks of consultations to smooth your exit from the company would be very gracious. Chances are, no one will actually call but it's a nice gesture that says you care about the organization and your coworkers.
posted by DrGail at 1:55 PM on July 22, 2019
-Because you've been there through quite a bit of turnover, you are something of a repository of "institutional knowledge". Whatever you can do to categorize and organize useful information will help the coworkers you leave behind, and will leave a positive impression.
-A gracious note to your boss(es), in an email or even handwritten, will make you memorable.
-Anything you want to take as work samples (either for future interviews or to give you a head-start when you do something similar in the future) should be taken as copies.
-Pester the powers that be, if necessary, to designate who is taking over your responsibilities so you can pass along relevant information to him/her/them. If there isn't a successor for one or more responsibilities, write down everything you think could prove helpful.
-Eliminate as much "chaff" as you can - documents, emails, etc. that you know will be of no help to anyone.
-Offer to be available for quick phone calls if, in the transition, questions arise. Don't go overboard with this, but offering a few weeks of consultations to smooth your exit from the company would be very gracious. Chances are, no one will actually call but it's a nice gesture that says you care about the organization and your coworkers.
posted by DrGail at 1:55 PM on July 22, 2019
If you want to leave people in a really good position, write up a Transition Plan and go over it with everyone who needs to do things on it before you go.
posted by Miko at 4:53 PM on July 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Miko at 4:53 PM on July 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by metahawk at 12:22 PM on July 22, 2019 [1 favorite]