Giving Notice When You're Relocating
by Jennifer Sedna
NelsonJobs Contributing Writer
When Resigning
Resigning from a position when you’re relocating puts you in a unique position. You have the upper hand since not
only do you choose when to give notice, but a counteroffer can’t keep you. It also means that your supervisor probably
won’t take your resignation personally. But is this the time to be brutally honest about shortcomings and mistakes that
were made by the company, a supervisor, or coworkers?
When to give notice
A common question is how early do you give notice and still retain job security? Most employers would prefer a two-week
notice at the very minimum. However, if you know months in advance that you are moving out of the area,
you should consider how much time it would take to find and train your replacement. The rule of thumb is 60 months for senior/executive positions and 30 days for mid- to lower-level positions. A month is a fair amount of time,
unless your position is highly specialized.
There are rare instances when you are not able to provide adequate notice (e.g. relocating to care for a sick family member).
You should tell your supervisor the reason that you’re unable to give ample notice. Your supervisor will be more sympathetic to
your situation. You might not foresee moving back, but your foresight may be clouded by emotions; giving candid reasons for your
lack of notice may leave your employer open to hiring you again if you return.
Give notice in person
Before telling a colleague, even if he or she is a trusted friend, you should tell your boss you’re leaving. It is respectful and polite to have your supervisor find out from you rather than through office gossip. Your resignation will be one of the last impressions you leave on your employer and, for reasons discussed below, you want it to be a good one.
Be formal and friendly
When giving notice to your supervisor, do it in person with a written resignation letter stating your last date of employment. Keep it brief and professional. Even if you would like to tell the company how they need to make improvements, the resignation letter isn’t the platform to do it. Good supervisors will often solicit feedback on their own. The proper time to give constructive criticism is during your exit interview, or a similar meeting with a Human Resources representative.
Leave on a good note
Even if you are certain you’ll never return to the company, it is still advisable to leave on friendly terms. There are many uncertainties with relocation. If you burn your bridges when you leave, you may later find yourself wishing you hadn’t. Additionally, when you leave on good terms you can use your former supervisors and colleagues as references or in networking situations.
Stay in contact with your network
Business relationships you established with clients and coworkers are important to maintain. Even if you’re moving into a different field, contacts of any sort improve your ability to find a job again or to help a friend find one.
The business networking site, Linkedin.com is an excellent way to keep updated about your colleagues’ changes, and it’s where they can stay abreast of yours. Make sure you also email your new contact information to clients and coworkers that you want to keep in touch with. Since more jobs are acquired through networking than job ads, it’s important to stay connected.