#careertransition – #5 of 8 | I recently went through a process of career exploration and made a significant career switch. This series of 8 posts is a synthesis of the lessons I’ve learnt.
We spend a lot of time trying to get beginnings right. It makes a ton of sense to figure out how to get the ending right too.
Imagine you’ve made the decision to leave. That’s a big decision. An important decision. It’s important to time it well if you can.
This matters more the longer you’ve been somewhere. You want to leave on a high because it should feel like you’re running towards something, which is hopefully what you’re doing, rather than running away from something.
You don’t always have the chance to do this. Sometimes circumstances play the roles that they do. But if you have the chance, do your best to set things up such that you leave well. People remember peaks and ends. You want to make sure the end they remember is a good one.
When you have a manager you trust, you have an opportunity to give three kinds of notice. The first is when you’ve decided to look outside. The second is when things get serious. And the third is before you sign an offer.
Which of these is most relevant depends on the relationship, the company, and where you are in your career. I know somebody whose manager really appreciated the heads up before he signed. In my case, I was lucky to be close enough that I could give the heads up the moment I first decided to explore. So I was able to give months of notice.
If you have a team you’re responsible for, it helps to time it right – after a win, when there’s planned work ahead, where there’s a successor ready or a clear plan for one, and with well planned communications so it is all done professionally. All of this helps set the transition up in an orderly fashion.
Make the effort to get the timing right. Then sweat the details of the transition to ensure every detail is taken care of.
It matters.
A Learning a Day 