The secret to quitting your job with a great reference in hand

The secret to quitting your job with a great reference in handThe secret to quitting your job with a great reference in handI was so nervous the first time Iquit a job. I wasnt sure what to say orhow to handle the career transition.Luckily, I turned to my parents and Google. I prepared accordingly, told my manager, handed in my resignation letter, did all of the other necessary steps, and left knowing Id have a good reference if I needed one in the future. I even got an ice cream cake at my going away festivittI was able to quit my job gracefully and keep the professional and personal relationships I built at the organization. Want to know how I did it? Here are a few things you need to know about quitting your job- with your reputation and a reference in hand.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more1. Dont accept just yetDont accept your new job until you talk to your manager. Saythank you for the job offer, but tell them youd like a day or two to let them know your final decision.There is a chance your current job will make a counter-offer because they want you to stay with the company. Of course, youll have to consider why you were looking in the first place and the pros and cons of both jobs, but its easier to do that when you havent already verbally or contractually committed to another offer.2. Tell your manager firstYour manager should be the first person to know that you are resigning from your position. You can tell Human Resources and your work friends afterward. Its better for the news to come from you.Email your manager to tischset up a time to speak. You dont have to tell them that you are setting up a meeting so you can resign. (Thats the work equivalent of a breakup text or breakup email.) You can be vague and say that youd like to speak with them and ask to put time on your managers calendar.Start the meeting by telling your manager that youve rece ived a job offer. If you are interested in staying at your current position, wait to see how they react because they may immediately discuss a counter-offer. If you know that you definitely want to leave, or if they dont bring up a counter offer, let them know that you are meeting to announce your resignation.Remember to stay positive even if you didnt enjoy your job, and are so excited to be handing in your notice. Tell your manager that you had a great experience, learned a lot, and that this move is what is best for your career trajectory. Staying positive is one of the keys to leaving on a good note.3.Give two weeks notice (at least)Two Weeks Noticeisnt just a great romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. Most jobs expect you to give at least that amount of timewhen you quit your job, meaning that you work for two weeks after formally resigning. Your manager may ask for you to give more than two weeks, or you may want to offer to stay longer to wrap up projects.F ind out if your future employer is flexible with your abflug date. Youre more likely to be in good standing with your current company if you make the transition as seamless as possible- even if it means staying a week or two longer. This is especially important if you have a senior position or if youre working on client work that will be finished within a reasonable amount of time.4. Write a resignation letterAfter meeting with your manager,write a formal resignation letterfor Human Resources to keep on file. Be brief, straightforward, and positive. Date it, sign it, and notify them of your last date with the company.5. Help with the transitionDo as much as possible to help with the transition as you exit your role at the company. At one job, I made a detailed guidebook answering any possible question the new hire might have. I also stayed to help her transition into the role. My manager was impressed and I felt more comfortable with my departure.Write down details like important de adlines, notes about clients, and other pertinent information. Additionally, organize all papers and electronic files so that they can be found easily (and no one calls your cell phone with questions).6.Finish as much work as possibleFinish as many projects as you can before you leave. You understand the work best, so there is a higher likelihood that the work will get done correctly and efficiently if youre the one doing it.Finish as many projects as you can before you leave. You understand the work best, so there is a higher likelihood that the work will get done correctly and efficiently if youre the one doing it.If you cant finish in time, or if its an ongoing project- add details, action items, and descriptions to your transition document.7. Tell your colleaguesLet your coworkers knowthat youre leaving. Make sure to tell a consistent and positive story- even if youre leaving because your boss makes Miranda Priestly look like a piece of cake. Dont start the rumor mill because yo ur reputation may suffer as a result.Let them know what youre doing next, connect on LinkedIn, and ask people you worked with closely for aLinkedIn recommendation.8. Write thank you notesWrite thank-you notesto your manager, mentors, people you managed, and people you worked with closely. In your letters mention what you learned from them, your appreciation for their work, how much you enjoyed working with them, and let them know how they can stay in touch in the future. Some companies will even allow you to write a company, office, or team-wide email.9. Be diplomatic in your next bewerberinterviewMany Human Resource departments will ask you tocomplete an exit interview. The purpose of the exit interview is to solicit your feedback about your role and time at the company and to make note of your reason for leaving.Dont use this as a time to vent, because the details will be recorded. Simply answer diplomatically, positively, and explain that youre leaving because youve found a new o pportunity that will be good for your career path and accomplishing your professional goals.Mention that you enjoyed your time at the company, learned a lot, and are excited about the next step.10. Stay positive when you leaveIt is a very small world and you dont know how people are connected or what could get back to your potential employer.Stay positive about the work environmentin-person and on social media when you leave. Oh, and dont raid the supply closet for notepads and ballpoint pens when you leaveOne of my life mottos is to never burn bridges. Who knows- you might want to work for the company or your former colleagues again. Youre also likely to need references as your career progresses.Follow these tips when you do quit to help you leave your job gracefully while maintaining the important relationships that will help you continue to grow your career.This article originally appeared on Career Contessa.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make yo u happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

1 in 3 teenagers do this unhealthy thing in the middle of the night

1 in 3 teenagers do this unhealthy thing in the middle of the night1 in 3 teenagers do this unhealthy thing in the middle of the nightOne in three teenagers (36%) report waking up at least once per night and checking their phones, according to a new survey of 1,000 parents and their kids concerning from Common Sense Media.The survey was about parents, teens, screens, and sleep. And if you think taking your phone to bed with you is crazy, youre obviously not a teenager (or a Millennial).Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraTeenage dreamsA majority (68%) of teenagers take their devices to bed with them, meaning they keep it within reach. A third of those actually sleep with the phones in the bed.While a third of teens are waking up once a night to check their phone, a quarter of their parents do the same thing. And 62% of parents sleep with their phones in reach.What are they doing in the nighttime hours when they wake up and check their phones? Both parents and teenagers reported mostly social-media or responding to a notification (turn those off). Some simply couldnt sleep.More than half of parents (52%) say they spent too much time on their phones. Thats up 23 percentage points since 2016, when Common Sense conducted a similar survey.However, teenagers arent worried. More of them think they spend just the right amount of time of their phone (47%, as compared with 29% in 2016).However, this chart is revealing.Still, everyone in the household reported feeling distracted. The majority of parents (54%) and kids (58%) say they are distracted by their mobile devices once a day or more. Parents feel that their kids are distracted (69%), and kids feel that their parents are distracted (44%).However, the majority of family members dont think their constant cell use is hurting their relationships. Parents (55%) and kids (72%) says that the use of their mobile devices ha s had no impact on their family relationships. Still, that leaves a third of parents who do think their childs cell-phone use has hurt their relationship (only 9% of kids think their relationship with a parent has been hurt because of mobile device use).Maybe families could start by banning phones at dinner and in bed?You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Think Twice About Extending a Salary Counteroffer

Think Twice About Extending a Salary CounterofferThink Twice About Extending a Salary CounterofferIn todays job market, skilled finance and accounting professionals are hard to come by. So its very likely youll find some of your employees being wooed by the competition. If they are particularly valued staff members, you might consider making a salary counteroffer to convince them to stay. Sensible reaction, yes?No, but that doesnt mean it isnt happening. In fact, new research from Robert Half shows 58 percent of senior managers - across a variety of professional fields, including finance and accounting, technology, legal, marketing and advertising, and human resources - extend counteroffers to keep employees from leaving for anotzu sich job.Of the respondents who are financial leaders, only 39 percent said they dont extend counteroffers to keep employees from leaving, which is a drastic change from the 78 percent of CFOs who said, No, in a similar survey in 2015.Although it may see m like a solution to retain employees when the accountant unemployment rate remains low, statistics show the counteroffer rarely ends favorably for managers.Here are five reasons making a counteroffer is counterproductive1. A salary counteroffer isnt a long-term remedyMaking a counteroffer is like taking aspirin for an impacted wisdom tooth It might make the pain go away for a bit, but its not a long-term solution. The survey shows staff members who accept counteroffers typically end up leaving the company in less than two years.Counteroffers are typically a knee-jerk reaction or in desperation to keep a star performer, said Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half. They are most often a tool to help the employer and not designed to help professionals advance their career. When employees accept a counteroffer, they are likely to quit soon anyway.2. It can have a negative ripple effectIf the word around the water cooler is that you made Jen a counteroffer, Simon may s tart to wonder why his salary isnt increasing. Then, if Simon really wants to drive a hard bargain, he may start his own job search so he can use job offers as leverage for salary negotiation.We specialize in providing businesses with skilled finance and accounting professionals on a full-time basis.WORK WITH US3. A counteroffer can cause a soe in moraleWhen the news of Jens salary increase gets around - and it will get around - your team may start to point the finger of favoritism. By tendering a counteroffer, you also send the message that threats of leaving are a means of climbing the ladder, rather than outstanding performance and dedication. And what about Jen? She might find her coworkers giving her the cold shoulder, which probably wont make her want to stick around in the long run. The result? The overall mood in the arbeitszimmer will suffer.4. It could cause a rift in trustSay you do make Jen a counteroffer. At first you might be happy and relieved shes still a member of the team. After all, she makes your life easier getting through tax season. But once your relief starts to wane, you may start to feel less positive. Now not only do Jens peers not trust her, you dont either. Questioning an employees loyalty is hard to bounce back from, and though you may still emanate professionalism, Jen probably feels the bad vibes.5. Counteroffers dont improve employee performanceYou may think that Jen owes you one, considering you just bumped her salary or gave her a few extra vacation days. On the flip side, she may feel like you cant live without her, and the notion of being indispensable doesnt give her much motivation to boost her performance. In either case, the counteroffer is making waves beyond your original intention.While you should avoid making counteroffers, you dont want to lose your best talent to the competition, either. What alternatives are there to counteroffers?Ro bert Half offers this advice to employersConsult resources such as industry reports and the Robert Half Salary Guide for Accounting and Finance Professionals.Conduct regular salary reviews to ensure your firms compensation is competitive, and continue to offer attractive compensation so employees dont look for greener pastures.Offer employee recognition on a regular basis. Give people reasons to stay.Focus on professional development, mentorships, and defining career paths for up and comers.Make sure you have someone you can promote should an employee resign.Perform exit interviews to get to the bottom of why employees leave - and then work to address those concerns.