Even when you’re exciting by your new job opportunity or career path, leaving your old construction job is never easy. There is a lot of emotion on both ends. You probably have friends you’re reluctant to leave behind and you might be leaving your manager in a bind. Meanwhile, coworkers will likely make you feel guilty for leaving, even if they don’t mean to. The key is stay confident, professional, and considerate. Ultimately, you have to make tough decisions if you want to advance your construction career. Here are some resignation tips to help make it as painless as possible.
Write the Resignation
If you give your resignation orally (in person), the manager will likely pepper you with questions. They’ll want to know why you are leaving and what you are planning on doing after you leave. This puts you in position where you might feel pressured to say more than you want to. You don’t want your words to be used against you. Writing the resignation on paper gives you the advantage of a clear head. You can say exactly what you want and nothing more, and you can keep emotion out of it. You can never really predict how a manager will react to a resignation. They might be happy for your success, or they may feel betrayed. You want to be able to control the situation, so a written resignation is almost always preferable.
Keep It Simple
In the letter, you want to state the position you are resigning from, along with the date. You want to thank your boss and co-workers—the current job likely gave you the skills and experiences you needed to advance in your career. Showing your appreciative will help you to be able to leave on good terms. There’s no need to explain in detail why you left. In most cases, you would have described your reasons in person, and in some cases the reasons might be private. You don’t want them to know you’re leaving for a competitor, for example. If you are a valued employee, they will likely say whatever they can to make you say, which will only lead to doubts.
Help with the Transition
In most cases, you don’t know you’re leaving until shortly before you make the final decision. Your boss won’t have much time to find a replacement. As soon as your manager hears you’re resigning, they likely have countless thoughts and concerns going on at once. Offering to help with the transition will lessen some of the anxiety and confusion that your manager and coworkers likely have. You may end up needing to use the company as a reference in the future, so you want your exit to be amicable.
Before you leave, it is a good idea to talk to your team members. Part of this is professional courtesy, but you also don’t want to leave with people resenting you if at all possible. It is best to leave on positive note. Make sure you give at least two-weeks notice, if you can. The more time the company has to adjust, the easier it will be to say goodbye.
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