For many job-hopping careerists, smuggling a resignation letter in their bag like a guilty secret, there are few workplace rituals so hard as saying so long.
“People dread it,” says “Surviving Dreaded Conversations” author Donna Flagg, who views such apprehension as a self-centered sentiment.
“People come and go, companies move on,” she says. “It’s not as devastating as the person resigning makes it in their head.”
Don’t let that guilt lead you to pen an overly tender resignation when you tender your resignation. Flower your two-week notice with paeans to your corporate overlings, and the document could wind up decorating a courtroom counter-evidence table should you ever need to sue the company for wages or salary discrimination.
“Write a letter with one line,” suggests “How Can I Change Careers?” author Nick Corcodilos. “I hereby resign my position with X-Y-Z. That’s it. Be friendly, respectful, professional, upbeat, but do it orally.”
Yet don’t allow your post-resignation talks to turn into negotiations. Despite what an overbearing boss may plea, two weeks is a sufficient heads-up — “It’s the bare minimum,” Flagg estimates, “but I don’t think there’s any need to do four or six.”
More treacherous is the is the boss who tries to raise your resignation with a counteroffer — a proposition Corcodilos warns to never entertain.
“If your company tries to buy you out like that, the money has to come from somewhere,” he explains.
“Typically, it comes from your next raise review.”
