Changing jobs, willingly or unwillingly, is always an interesting. The best part for me is the huge amount of advice I received on how to make the transition; particularly everyone’s view on what not to do. Here is a few of the best of them including a few of my own:
1. Its ok to leave angry, but not to leave in anger…
I have personally never been a fan of the “Rage Quit”, but for one reason or the other I have contemplated it as we all do from time to time. The question you always have to ask yourself is: “Who are you really hurting?” 9 out of 10 even if the financial repercussions are not a factor you are still hurting your reputation. In IT community that is all you really have when searching for employment. All of the certification, degrees, and experience means nothing if your work reputation is poor. A good reputation can take a long time to build, but a moment to destroy.
2. Give notice
This is a common sense standard practice that holds weight in almost any industry and goes hand in hand with Tip #1. If you are ready for a new job or angry at your current position the two week notice can be the cool down period you need patch the bridge (your current position) before leaving. If you are not interested in patching the bridge, at least you can fake it. Its better to appear less angry while making the transition in the short term, because that anger will be the last thing managers or HR remember you by, which is usually not a good thing. Not giving notice to spit an employer is like shooting yourself in the foot to get back at your shoe; the sock always pays the price.
3. If possible allow 10 days between jobs.
Now this gem was new to me, but the idea is you give yourself plenty of time to finish any “hanging chads” from the previous job and time to prep and spin up for the new position. 10 days may be to much for you, but allowing at least a weekend or a full business week between transitions should give you time to reset and re-energize. Personally I have never been in a situation where I could take that large of a break, but it must be nice…
4. Observe Everything…
The worst thing you can do is not open your eyes to everything when you start a new position. Observing your co- workers and management with the blinders off will allow you to get a full perspective on the corporate culture objectively. Typically you will find some of the critical preconceptions you may have had about the position and the environment. Additionally your observations of any gaps in process, procedure, or just common sense from an outsider’s perspective can be refreshing for management.
The most important part about any employment transition is to enjoy the ride.
