According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average young American has more than seven different employers before the age of 26; the typical 20-something changes jobs every 16 months. Alexandra Levit is the author of They Don’t Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Something’s Guide to the Business World, 10th Anniversary Edition (Career Press, 2014). Millennials are eager to succeed. But in order to move on — and UP — they need to make sure they leave the right way.
Here are her 10 Tips:
1. Tell your supervisor first. You want your boss to hear the news from you, not from someone else in the department.
2. Give two weeks notice. Stay for the entire two weeks, unless the company requests that you leave sooner.
3. Be modest. Don’t alienate your colleagues by bragging or chattering incessantly about your awesome new gig.
4. Don’t insult anyone or anything. Whether it’s true or not, show that you regret leaving such wonderful people behind.
5. Stay on top of your responsibilities. Remember that you’re accountable for you work until 5 pm on your last day.
6. Continue to adhere to office protocol. You worked hard for that professional persona, so leave them with the right impression.
7. Review the employee handbook. Understand what you’re entitled to in regard to benefits and compensation for unused sick or vacation days.
8. Organize your files. Make it easy for your colleagues to find materials, so that they can transition your workload seamlessly and won’t need to call you at your new job.
9. Do a great job training your replacement. Your current organization has paid your salary for a year or more. You owe it to them to leave your job in good hands.
10. Don’t take anything that doesn’t belong to you. This includes office supplies and work product that was not developed by you personally.
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Alexandra Levit’s goal is to help people succeed in meaningful jobs, and to build relationships between organizations and top talent. A former nationally syndicated columnist for the Wall Street Journal and a current writer for the New York Times, Alexandra has authored several books, including the bestselling They Don’t Teach Corporate in College, How’d You Score That Gig?, Success for Hire, #MILLENNIALtweet, New Job, New You, and Blind Spots.