Once you have decided to quit the job and serve your notice, you are bound to feel a range of emotions - elation and relief to dangling by threads of doubt and guilt. You just cannot help but feel like you have accomplished a huge feat by resigning. There is an instant noticeable change in you and your attitude towards work.
No matter what you feel, work still needs to be get done and there are still some responsibilities expected to be fulfilled by you from your manager. We’ve been doing it wrong all along by not making the most of our notice period. It’s time we make ourselves and our work noticeable even during this phase.
Dropping a few truth bombs and tips to deal with it wisely.
It’s okay to be excluded
You may notice that you may be excluded from certain calls taking place around you, skipped from being marked on mails or in receiving meeting invites. There will be a constant feeling gnawing at you throughout this phase; FOMO (fear of being missing out) in millennial vocabulary. This has happened to all of us, so, it is wise to nip it in the bud. Have a word with your manager/reporting head about what can be conveyed and when to your team/colleagues, in order to avoid awkward conversations and not be bothered by the whole ‘secret meetings’ business.
Last impression is as important as your first
Leaving a good lasting impression is as important as the first one you make. Make sure you help out the team or your colleagues with a proper handover, provide inputs/suggestions in ongoing projects, offer to train them on new projects, and give clarity on unfinished projects (defining objectives, setting expectations etc).
A window to learn & relearn skill sets
Instead of mindlessly scrolling through our social media feeds or sharing memes, take this opportunity to brush up your skills and learn new things. You can enroll in a e-learning course, make time for a long overdue session of reading up/researching, revisiting your work and reflecting over it, and addressing areas of development.
Time is of the essence
Make sure all your ongoing projects are wrapped up and submitted as per the timelines (during your presence). Ensure that the handover process is recorded properly and clearly explained to the concerned individual or team.
Make your future intentions be subtly known
Downplay your excitement of quitting as the decided day nears. When asked about your future plans, answer them with subtlety and avoid exaggerating about how pleased you are to be leaving, how much more money you’ll be making, how long you’ve been searching for a job and so on. As much as you would like to rub all this exciting information on their face, avoid oversharing.