You have accepted a job offer with a firm you are excited about advancing your career with. What comes next? Even though you may have formally accepted the position, that does not mean that the process is completed. There are still several important steps you need to take.
Step One: Check your handbook and notify your employer.
If you have been working while job hunting, you have probably already checked out your employee handbook and looked up the steps you must take when resigning from your position. Most fields request an average of two weeks’ notice before you move on. Others will need more notice, especially if you work in an upper-level management position or are in the middle of a big project.
Make sure you are familiar with your company’s resignation protocol and that you go about it properly: you do not want to burn any bridges!
Step Two: Get in contact with other businesses that have been considering you as a candidate.
Once you have accepted a job offer with one company, you are basically deciding against the other companies that might offer you a position in the near future. If you have been moving through the interview process with other companies, let them know that you have accepted another job and you are no longer on the job market. Make sure you thank them for their time and consideration. This can help you retain good relations with the company’s employees as well as help them on their hiring journey.
Step Three: Figure out what you need to get done before you leave your current position.
You know that you are leaving your current position, hopefully for a better opportunity. That does not mean, however, that you can spend the next couple of weeks slacking off. Instead, leave on good terms with your current company. This may include completing several tasks that will help both yourself and the coworkers you are leaving behind.
Get contact information for the people you want to stay in touch with. Remember, the people you have worked with in this position are part of your professional network. You may need to connect with them again in the future, whether you’re looking for a new job or seeking advice. Collect email addresses and phone numbers of the people you might want to use as a reference or that you want to be able to contact in the future.
Prepare a list of your job responsibilities. Someone will have to take over all of the tasks you take on each day. Make sure you prepare a list that is comprehensive and easy to understand.
Train your replacement, if asked. In some companies, you may be asked to help select and train your replacement. While that person cannot immediately replicate all the knowledge you have been collecting throughout your employment with this company, you can transfer as much of that information as possible to help smooth the transition.
Follow company procedures for any intellectual property. In some cases, you may be able to take some of your files or information with you. In other cases, you may need to hand that information over to the company. Make sure you know the company’s policy about intellectual property and follow it carefully as you clean out the files that belong to you.
Finish up the projects you can. Ideally, you do not want to leave work half-finished for someone else to complete. Instead, try to find a stopping point in as many projects as you can. These last few weeks of work are not the best time to start a new project, but if your employer asks you to do so, try to leave a clear blueprint behind so that your successor will not have any problems following in your footsteps.
Starting a new job can be incredibly exciting. It brings with it a number of new responsibilities – but your responsibility to your former employer is not over yet. By following this checklist, you can ensure a better transition to your new job.