Handing in your notice

You’ve got yourself a new job, well done!

However, there is one more nerve wracking step to take and that is handing in your notice! This can be a difficult situation to handle and it is common for people to be nervous. Below are a few things to consider when handing in your notice which will hopefully ease the nerves.

Don't leave till it's certain

Make sure you receive your offer letter from the new employer before handing in your notice. You want to make sure your new role is 100% before doing anything!

Notice letter

You will need to pen a letter to your manager letting them know you have been offered a new role and are giving them notice. Keep the letter short and to the point. If you have the relevant details, include any outstanding entitlements that you have (this could be commissions, holiday, bonuses etc.).

Plan what to say

Picture the meeting you have with your manager when handing in your notice. Go through what you think they will say and, more importantly, what you are going to say. Your old boss is likely to ask why you are leaving, where you are going and so on. Having the answers to these questions in mind will take the stress out of the meeting.

The meeting

Request a time to meet your line manager as soon as possible so you can hand in your notice. You do not need to tell them why you want to meet them, just request the meeting.

Once you get to the point of meeting with your manager, you are likely to receive a bit of a question session from them. It’s likely they had no idea you were about to hand in your notice and so they will probably be shocked. They will also start panicking about workload, how they will replace you and so on, so again, you may face more questions.

Stay strong

The trick is to go to the meeting with your mind made up and make sure it remains amicable and professional. If you are clear from the start that you are leaving you will have an easier time during the meeting and you are less likely to face pressure from your manager in regards to staying.

If you've applied through an agency your recruitment consultant should be able to offer you good advice for these situations, so if you are concerned just ask.