Resignation

Once a formal job offer has been made and you have accepted it, it is time to tell your current employers that you are moving on to pastures new. This can be a very stressful experience, particularly if you are fond of your colleagues and especially on the morning of the actual event. One thing to remember is that it is never as bad as you think it will be and for the most part people will only want to wish you well. There are several things you should consider when resigning from your current employers.

• Have a short and polite resignation letter ready with you on the morning you resign.
• Your current employer is going to want to know why you are leaving. Under no circumstances should you focus on or mention anything negative about your current job. The best thing is to explain the reasons why your next job is so attractive to you. Your enthusiasm should prove this.
• Offer to assist your current employer in finding a replacement for you, they will appreciate it and it will also demonstrate you don't want to burn your bridges.

Once you have resigned here are some strategies that can be used by employers.

• Offering more money to stay- This is a classic 'buy back' scenario. What you must consider that most people don't work for money alone. Think carefully of the reasons why you were looking to leave your current role in the first place, have these reasons changed because you're being offered more money? Will these reasons have changed in a few months time?
• Offering a promotion to stay- What kind of a promotion would it actually be if you had to resign in order to get it? Again you must consider your reasons for leaving your employer in the first place and also what it will take to get further promotions in the future
• Mocking your choice of employer- This is really a last chance saloon from your current employer and the mockery is as a result of their personal insecurities with your choice rather than anything that could be particularly wrong with your future employers. An employer at this stage may also try some form of emotional blackmail by saying that they won't be able to cope without you or you'll be letting the team down.
• Instant Dismissal- You are entitled to pay in lieu of your notice period and more than likely any holidays owed to you, if your employer does ask you to leave that day you should tell them you are willing to work your notice. You will still officially be employed by them until the end of your notice period. This is often called 'garden leave'