Leaving a Job Checklist

The moment you decide to leave

Before you hand in your resignation, take stock of where things stand. What are you in the middle of? Who depends on you? What would break if you disappeared tomorrow?

This isn’t about staying longer than you want to — it’s about being honest with yourself so you can plan a proper handover. The people who leave well are the ones who thought about this before their last day, not on it.

First week of notice: get it on paper

The single most important thing you can do in your first week of notice is start your handover document. Not finish it — start it. The act of writing forces you to think through what you actually do, and you’ll keep adding to it as things come up.

• List every active project and its current status
• Write down every recurring meeting you attend or run
• List the five people who would be most affected by your absence
• Start noting things that only you know

Middle of notice: brief people

Once your handover document is drafted, use it as a briefing tool. Walk your manager through it. Sit down with whoever is taking over your responsibilities. Send transition emails to external contacts.

The briefing conversations are as important as the document. They give people a chance to ask questions while you can still answer them.

This is also the time to tidy up anything you’ve been meaning to finish. Complete what you can. For everything else, make sure the next person knows exactly where things stand.

Final week: close the loop

Your final week should be about closure — for you and for the people you’re leaving behind. Deliver the final version of your handover document. Return equipment. Confirm your final paycheck.

Write personal messages to the colleagues you’ve worked closely with. Not a group email — individual messages to the people who mattered. Most people don’t do this, which is exactly why it’s memorable when you do.

On your last day, log out of everything. Confirm what happens to your email. Leave.

The reputation question

Here’s what most people don’t think about: how you leave is how you’ll be remembered. People who worked with you for three years might barely remember the project you delivered in year two. They’ll definitely remember whether you left well or badly.

References are obvious. But it’s more than that. Industries are small. Former colleagues become future clients, employers, partners. The professional world is more circular than it looks from inside a single job.