Resigning Your Current Position
One of the most difficult (and stressful) steps in the job searching process is resigning from your current position. Since a large part of career management is building and maintaining a network of professional and personal contacts, it is important to make the move to a new job a positive one.
Once you have accepted your new position (and have passed the pre-employment physical!), it is time to write a letter of resignation to your current employer. These letters should be short. In addition to announcing your final date of employment, a resignation letter should also contain a positive statement about your experience at the company. It is generally acceptable to give your current employer a notice of two weeks before your final departure date, however in some cases, companies will require longer periods of notice in order transfer your responsibilities to other employees. The letter of resignation should be presented in person to your supervisor.
There are several possible responses to a letter of resignation. The first is that the resignation is accepted and recognized as a positive career move. In this case, schedule a meeting with your supervisor to discuss the tasks that need to be completed before your departure. During the time that you remain with your employer after your resignation, it is important not discuss your new position and salary as well as to refrain from making negative comments about your current employer.
The second possible reaction to your resignation is that your employer may attempt to keep you by presenting a counter offer. While this offer may be appealing, it is usually not a good idea to accept counters. The most obvious problem is that the company can look at your resignation as an act of disloyalty which permits them to plan your departure when it is convenient for them. In addition, your status within the community can be impacted by refusing to honor your commitment to a new employer by accepting a counter offer from your current employer.
The third outcome, which is being used with increasing frequency, is that the employer will ask you to vacate your office immediately. If this occurs, the company is legally bound (unless otherwise stated in the employee policy manual) to pay you for your unused vacation and the length of time of your notice. While this policy sounds harsh, it is generally enforced in order to protect proprietary information. This is the primary reason that the written offer and acceptance must be in place before you tender your resignation.
There is also a variation on the third outcome. The cultures at several corporations have turned increasingly ugly. We have experienced searches where candidates have been asked to resign when their current supervisor learned that they were "looking around." We have also had candidates who have been fired via e-mail.
One additional point to consider before you resign your current position. If you have received a signing bonus, relocation assistance, or a housing allowance, the company may demand that these be refunded if you stay less than the time of the commitment you signed when you joined the company.
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