Colman Collins is the author of HOW TO SUCCEED IN YOUR FIRST JOB. Colman wrote this book to help recently qualified graduates to navigate their way successfully from the world of college to the world of work. The book is based on his forty years experience, initially as a HR Director with two blue chip multinationals including Nortel Networks here in Galway and more recently as the owner and CEO of Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group, which also has an offi ce in Galway.
This book is available in Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Kenny’s Bookshop, University College Galway Bookshop and online through buythebook.ie and amazon. This is the last in a series of eight articles based on Colman’s book.
This week’s topic is: Leave on good terms
If you do decide to leave your employer take my advice and be sure to leave on good terms. In my book I have highlighted some of the advantages in staying with an employer for several years. However, in many cases people often arrive at a point where they eventually decide to move on from their initial employer for a wide variety of reasons. If you have reached that point where you have decided to leave and you have secured another position it is extremely important that you leave your employer on good terms. Unfortunately, some employees do not do this and in my opinion this is a serious mistake and one that could cast a shadow over their previously good record with their employer. It is understandable if you get a new and exciting job offer with an attractive remuneration package that you may feel like starting with your new employer as soon as possible. However, it is very important that you honour your existing contract and work out your full notice period with your employer unless they agree you can finish before the end of your notice period. It is unacceptable and unprofessional to leave an employer before the end of your notice period.
Do not be pressurised into starting your new job within your notice period.
While it is understandable that your new employer will want you to start with them as soon as possible it is a poor reflection on them if they encourage you to leave your employer within the agree notice period. You should consider what it tells you about their culture and their values if they choose to pressurise you in this manner. Equally so, you should not give in to pressure to leave early from a recruitment agency acting on behalf of your new employer.
Be as flexible as possible during your notice period.
If your employer wants you to train in your designated replacement put in the effort to impart as much information as possible to that person during your notice period. In addition, try to tidy up any loose ends so that your employer is not left in the lurch in relation to any aspect of your role after you have gone.
Work conscientiously during your notice period.
Although your thoughts may understandably drift towards your new job, it is important that you work diligently during your notice period. Some employees make the mistake of reducing their commitment during this time. I would caution against this as it disrespectful to your employer and to your work colleagues. It is also disrespectful to yourself and reflects poorly on your work ethic.
Remember you may need a reference from your employer at a future date.
Many employees forget that at some stage in the future a prospective employer may wish to check references with your previous employers. In that scenario, how you left a company may be remembered many, many years later and this may influence the quality of the reference that is provided. As a previous HR Manager, I saw this happen in a number of situations. Also in my time running the Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services Group I often took references that were less positive than they might have been had a person work more diligently throughout their notice period.
Show some loyalty to your employer.
Your employer gave you your first job which meant a lot to you at the time and hopefully over the bulk of the time you worked for that company. They also trained you and paid you well and honoured their side of the contract of employment. You should do the same.
Note: As pointed out above this is the final article in the series of eight extracts from my book. I hope you got some useful pointers from these articles that you can apply in your first job and in your subsequent career. If you do derive some benefit from these articles I will consider it well worth my while to have written them.
Colman Collins
