LATERAL LINK

When you accept an offer to join a new employer, you must also resign from your current position.  For some, resigning can be one of the most stressful moments in the search process.  Here are several tips for making resignation as straight forward and risk free as possible.

1.        Resign to your direct report or department head -  just one person.  You don’t need to reach out to several people in management  - just your department head or practice group leader is almost always the right thing to do.

2.        Don't tip your resignation to others beforehand - you can irritate your boss if they hear about your resignation from someone else first.

3.        Give notice first thing in the morning - you're mind is clear, stress level is lower, and your boss is somewhat more likely to be around.  If you wait until the end of the day you may find your boss is distracted, in a meeting, or running for the airport or train.

4.        Resignations in person, face to face.  Don’t resign by e-mail, voice mail, or letter.  It's not fun but you have to do it face to face.  You must be able to summon up the courage to resign in person. 

5.        The dialogue when you resign is simple:  "Jim, I want to let you know that I will be leaving Alston and Jones to join Barnes and Smith.  This was a very difficult decision to make.  I've had a fabulous experience here but I believe this is the right decision for me at this point in my career.  I hope we can stay in touch."  Leave it at that.

6.        Be prepared for any reaction - your boss may be supportive and collegial, cool and dismissive, skeptical, angry, or disinterested.  Don't take it personally he or she has a lot on the desk in addition to your career plans. Also, they now have to reassign your matters and may perhaps have to hire someone to replace you.

7.        Don't be receptive to inquiries do discuss "Can't we persuade you to stay?" "Think this over for a few days" or "What could we have done better to get you to stay?" You have made your decision.  Most folks who display momentary weakness here and withdraw their resignation realize very quickly that they have made a mistake and also find that the firm they wished to join has moved on and hired someone else.  The person to whom you resign may be critical of your new firm or they may be collegial and supportive.  Be prepared for either.

8.        There is no upside in criticizing people or anything in your experience at your current firm - absolutely none.  Stay on the high ground and be complimentary - even if that's hard to do.

9.        Once you resign, leave promptly - don't give "2 weeks notice and stick around for 3 or 4. All of us are fungible.

10.      Don't gossip with your colleagues who stop by for the blow by blow or also want to know how to make their own move.  Tell them you’d be pleased to stay in touch after you leave but you really don’t think it’s prudent to discuss departure strategies until then.  Wind up and transition your matters and move on.

11.      Follow your current firm's rules on resignation and departure about everything from time sheets to keys to cards to computers to expense reports to transitioning matters.  Don't be cute about files, forms, hard drive contents or anything else - it's just not worth the risk.

12.      Smile and move on - you've made an important and difficult decision - like all things in life it has an element of risk and uncertainty but you've made the decision.

13.      Resist the temptation to send anything but a brief firm wide departure e-mail. If you do, it should be upbeat and brief.  “I’ve enjoyed my years with Smith & Jones and hope to remain in touch with the many friends I’ve made.  As of September 15, I’ll be joining Davis & Smith.  My contact information follows.”

14.      Take a break between the old job and the new position - you will be glad you did.

These tips are provided by Frank Kimball, a principal of The Kimball Partner Group, a Lateral Link Company. Frank has interviewed, hired, placed, or counseled more than 11,500 law students and attorneys, and is the only principal of a search and consulting firm to work as a former hiring partner at one of the nation’s twenty largest law firms.