Accepted a Job Offer? How to Tell Your Employer and Leave on Good Terms

Leaving an employer can be messy and awkward, but it doesn’t have to be! Here’s how to end on a high note .

First of all, congratulations! Landing a job offer isn’t always an easy feat. And in some cases, it’s not any easier to break the news to your manager.

Telling your manager the wrong way could make the rest of your working period with them extremely uncomfortable – for you and them. You could also destroy a relationship that could have benefited both of you if you’d maintained it after ending your employment with them. For example, you could have hung onto a valuable mentor, or your manager could have benefited from keeping you in their network.

It’s not just about maintaining a great relationship with your manager. Keeping a positive connection with your colleagues can also payoff down the track. Imagine you apply for a new job and one of your previous colleagues happen to be working in the same place? Hiring managers will stalk your LinkedIn profile and if they see mutual connections, they may very well reach out to those connections and ask them about you.

Chances aside, for all jobs you apply for, hiring managers will conduct reference checks and you’ll need references that can rely on and provide to the hiring manager. The last thing you want is for your references speak negatively about you.

“I once completed a reference check for a promising candidate who I was sure would get the job. Unfortunately for them, they ended things on bad terms with their previous manager and didn’t pass the reference check”- Aaron White, Insurance & Wealth Management Team Leader QLD

The last thing you want to do is burn bridges. It doesn’t matter how much you dislike your employer or the others you work with. Burning bridges will be detrimental to your career down the track. No matter how well you perform in interviews, negative word of mouth or ‘bad publicity’ could cost you the job.

To make things less awkward and end things on a positive note, follow our tips below.

Delivering the news that you’re leaving

Work out what you’re going to say. If you’ve carefully considered your reasons for leaving, this part will be easy.

Where possible, tell them in person and tell them before you hand in your letter of resignation.

Be open and honest about your response but don’t go blasting your manager with all the reasons you don’t like working there. If you’re going to provide any criticism, make it constructive.

Finally, thank your employer for the opportunity they’ve provided for you to work there.

Writing your letter of resignation

A letter of resignation is a formal letter that notifies your employer of your resignation.

Follow these simple steps to write one:

• Include your name, address, phone number and email address at the top of the letter and address it to your employer.
• Clearly state that you are resigning and include the date of your resignation. In the previous conversation with your manager, you would have agreed on a final date.
• Thank your employer for the opportunity and experience they’ve provided you.
• Offer to assist with any handovers or to tie up any loose ends. This includes conducting any training or completing any unfinished projects.
• End the letter with your name and kind regards.

Check out our ultimate guide to job hunting in 2023 for a downloadable letter of resignation template.

Working through the last few weeks after you’ve resigned

When resigning from a job, it is considerate to give at least two weeks’ notice before your last day. In fact, most jobs have this written into your contract. This ensures your employer has enough time and warning to find a replacement for you and allows you enough time to provide any training and handovers.

Your last two weeks influence everyone’s lasting impressions of you. You might not care about what other people think but maintaining great relationships will help you down the track when future employers ask for references. Leave a great impression by following our tips below.

Stay positive

You might be feeling excited about your new job or for whatever is next.

It’s great to be excited and to express your eagerness. However, it can be easy to get carried away if you don’t like your current role. Be careful not to talk down your workplace or the culture you’re still working in. Doing so will put you in a negative mindset.

Not only will it diminish your motivation, it will also end up turning into a mental block and leave a terrible impression on your colleagues.

Do your part

After resigning, you may feel as though you’ve already left, but you still have your notice period. You might feel the urge to float through your remaining time and pass each day with little effort. Not only will this reflect poorly on you, but it will also let the rest of your team down. Remember, leaving a good impression will help you when you need references down the track.

Put your head down and finish up any project you’ve been working on, continue with your day-to-day tasks, work on your handover, and focus on training your colleagues or replacement.

Create a handover guide

Take note of all the tasks and duties you look after and write a comprehensive guide that your replacement can easily follow. This will help your old team pick up your workload faster and be more productive.

This guide should include everything you’re responsible for that others might not know how to do. It can be easy to forget about mundane tasks that have become second nature to you but remember, the new person likely has no prior exposure to this or follows different processes in their previous role. So include everything – even if you think it is common sense or incredibly easy!

Discuss your role and resignation

After notifying your manager of your resignation, let the rest of your team know. Have a conversation about this transition and how it will impact their work. This will ensure everyone is on the same page and give them plenty of time to undergo any training necessary to fill any skills gaps you leave behind.

Our ultimate guide to job hunting in 2023 contains a downloadable resignation letter template! Access the full guide here .