Moving more than an hour or so from your current home often means leaving your job and finding a new one. Unless you're lucky enough to work for an especially large company with multiple locations or have a job where you can telecommute 100 percent of the time, you'll likely need to seek out new employment options - or you already have.
Leaving your current job on good terms is important for building your professional network, getting good references in the future and making your reputation as positive as possible. Let's look at how to say goodbye gracefully to your current job before you move.
Two businesspeople shaking hands. A positive exit from your current job can help you as you continue to grow your career.
Who to talk to first
The Harvard Business Review said your immediate manager should be the first person you tell about your decision to move on. This is important for practical reasons, of course. While you'll likely have to work with human resources staff to handle technical issues related to your departure, your boss will probably need to start making adjustments very soon so that the company can effectively manage your departure. It's also simply good form to tell your boss early on. In most cases, you'll have a close professional relationship with your manager, so giving them some notice will help end that bond in a constructive way.
When to give your notice
Two weeks is the accepted norm for many positions and industries across the modern economy when it comes to providing notice. This amount of time strikes a balance between giving your employer time to transition to a plan for diverting your core duties and starting the hiring or promotion process and avoiding wearing out your welcome - or, more accurately in this case, farewell. U.S. News & World Report pointed out that people with more unique and valuable skill sets should consider providing more notice. If you know it will be difficult for the company to adapt in the short term, providing more advance warning may be strongly appreciated.
How to say goodbye
While you won't have the daily interactions or close collaboration with your colleagues and managers once you move on, those relationships are still valuable going forward. Saying goodbye in a polite, professional way helps you maintain your professional network, which can be very valuable for everything from staying up to date on your industry to future employment opportunities and references. Consider exchanging email addresses and adding colleagues on LinkedIn so you can stay in touch.
You should nurture these contacts - along with maintaining any more personal friendships, if you've built those during this job - occasionally, reaching out to check in or share some exciting news related to your shared industry or their profession. An occasional review of your contacts can go a long way toward brightening your professional future.
Who to turn to for your move
With your departure from your current job taken care of, you'll want to make sure you can capably handle your long-distance move. Turn to your local Atlas agent to find dependable, professional movers and packers to help you reach your new home!