Safely Transition Into Your New Opportunity

By Curtis Valentine

Job, Jobs, Career

Hooray! Hope your new opportunity with, more money, new people, new location, and better benefits yes baby. Signing on to a new job can be stressful and exciting both at the same time. The word gets out to your current co-workers that you are leaving and the questions pile up. Your going to have to CYA (cover your ass) to successfully transition out of your current job without usage of friendly fire or enemy fire.

Giving the proper notice, when you accept your new offer-letter the new company usually once you to start within 2 weeks. If the new company wants you to start right away because of some training program you need to enroll into beware that your current job wants to download all the information in your head that is not already on paper. You know the projects that only you know the details. Could projects now be in jeopardy and if you leave early, your company sees this as you smacking them in the face (Ouch).

Write a resignation letter that explains in detail when your last day will be and how much you appreciate the learning experience you have encountered.

Emotions are everywhere! Your emotions, coworkers, vendors, security guards, even the janitor knows you by first name. Everyone fills you with feedback and asking tons of questions. Most of these feelings will be positive but some will be negative. Coworkers can be jealous, the old "Nothing Personal" but "I hate you for leaving before me, or can you take me with you, help."

Keep a level head because you do not want to burn any bridges just in case you current company opens up a position they should have had while you were there. Play the "Murphy's Law" game and expect the unexpected, again do not crap on your desk as you out-process. The environment that made you want to leave could turn for the better and the enticement to come back good is strong.

Prepare documents that will help your replacement. Clean out your desk with all your belongings with quickness, even if you have to stay late to do it. Too many things popup out of know where your last few days so get things done early. How many days will you need to take off before starting on your new job?

Turn in all items of value such as BlackBerry's, laptops, thump drives, and portable hard drives. Make sure to get a receipt. When you leave, you do not want any misconceptions that you may have taken something with you that needed to turn over to your replacement.

Your last check should not be a surprise to you. Did you receive any corporate training? Were you negative vacation and sick? If you received training, some companies prorate meaning you only owe based on the timeframe that has passed within one-year period. If you were negation vacation or sick, you had better believe it would affect your last check.

Thank-you-letter expresses your deepest appreciation for those who have helped you to become successful. You never know when a new opportunity might open up that makes you smile and you want to return to the same company you just left.

Exit interviews may not be mandatory, but whatever you do please do not trash your company, on the way out the door. Think about leaving on good terms. A good reference is worth it.

Will your manager counter offer to keep you around? Do you really have an option to return someday if your current situation just does not work out? Everyone has at least one nightmare transition story.