There are countless reasons a person might decide to leave their job.
A change of location, a significant life event, a new professional opportunity, or dissatisfaction with an existing job; these are just some of the most common reasons that people sign their resignation papers and enter a new stage in their professional and personal journeys.
The reason may be clear and simple, however, the build-up to actually making it happen is often anything but. It can be prefaced by hours of worry and second-guessing that results in lots of stress and anxiety and even stretches the decision phase out for months, if not years.
This is why it’s so important that once your mind is set, all that should be left in the past and your efforts be turned to focusing on what’s next. So, if you’ve already decided to leave your job, keep reading and find out what steps you should follow to lead you into a better future.
Develop an action plan
Once your mind is set and your papers have been delivered, it’s time to build out a solid action plan that will see you through the process. You may have already done this, but if you haven’t, you’ll want to think about things like:
Reviewing your goals. This is a time of change, and as such, it’s the perfect time to reassess exactly how you feel. This will help you choose a path that will lead you to a happier and more fulfilling career.
Updating your CV. You may have new professional goals, and it will be important to update your CV to reflect both these and the experience you’ve gained in your most recent role.
Reviewing and cleaning up your social media profiles. Going through your social media profiles and cleaning up permissions/content is a great idea every once in a while. Doing so will ensure recruiters don’t have access to any potentially embarrassing or damaging content.
Think about your finances. You may already have a role lined up, or a good idea of where your next professional opportunity might come from. Still, it’s important to have an understanding of how long this process will take and how your finances can support you throughout this period of time.
Build a dialogue with recruiters
Depending on how long you’ve been in your current position, you may have fallen behind the most recent developments in the recruitment process. You should make it a priority to contact some recruiters to get your CV out there and to also understand the new marketplace.
It’s better to get this information as soon as possible, so that you don’t encounter surprises when speaking with a hiring manager about the role you’re pinning all your hopes on.
Revise your skills
Work life can be so hectic and fast-moving that you don’t really have the time to revise your skills and take stock of your abilities. When you’re constantly working, it’s a luxury to be able to take a moment and think about how you can improve your performance.
In this transition phase, it’s a great idea to think about which skills and abilities you have improved in your time in your last role and which you may need to work on and sharpen up. It’s natural that different professional environments foster different abilities, so it’s important to think about how you may have changed and developed in that time.
Stay positive
Above all else, it’s important to have a lot of faith in yourself and your ability to make this time of transition a successful and fruitful one. It can be highly stressful at times, so be sure to go easy on yourself and understand that even when things seem terrible, in the end, they almost always turn out great.
