Things you need to do in your notice period

So you have decided to say goodbye to your current employer or are planning to do so in the near future. In either of the cases, you'll need to serve a notice period before you can head for the door. Here are a few things you can do during your notice period to end your professional journey with the current employer on a positive note:

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Your boss should know before others do

You may have had a tough time coping with your boss, but he should be the first person in the organisation to know about this decision. Don't forget, you'll need his recommendation letter, so messing with him or showing your lifetime of anger and frustration towards him at this point is not a good idea at all. Be polite and tell him your plans in a face-to-face discussion. This will give him some extra time to finish all the formalities (or throw a counter offer, if you deserve it) in a hassle-free manner.

Don't screw up at the last moment

Now that your last day at the organisation is confirmed, don't throw your reputation away for nothing. This is not the time to start behaving unprofessionally; instead, you should be building rapports with other colleagues. Remember, you're just leaving the organisation and not the industry, so you may need them in the future.

Focus on building your network rather than doing stupid things during the last few days.

Seek references

Although you're leaving this organisation, there's nothing wrong in seeking references from senior managers, HR heads, and other colleagues who may have good contacts in other companies. Even if you have a job in hand at some other organisation, these references can come handy in the long run. So, don't shy away from asking for references.

Plan your future

If (just in case) your organisation has asked you to leave immediately after 30 days of notice period, you should start worrying about your future. There's no point in trying to live up to everyone's expectations at this point. It didn't work earlier, and it won't work now. So, take references from your colleagues, HR manager, friends, relatives, or the guy living next door in your building, and appear for interviews.

Do what it takes to earn a new job as soon as possible, or struggles await you right outside the exit gate.

Prepare documentation

If you have no more than a couple of weeks before saying the final goodbye to your present employer, you should probably start preparing the documentation. Begin with obtaining a clearance certificate from the concerned stakeholders, and then ask for a no-dues certificate. Next, transfer all your contacts and personal data from the office computer (or desktop) to your personal device. Besides, discuss gratuity in case you have spent five or more years in the current organisation. Make necessary adjustments with HR for PF account transfer, applicable bonuses, pending salaries, encashment of leaves, reimbursement of bills, and anything else. It will keep you from all sorts of worries towards the end of your notice period.

Farewell email

If you have been working with the current organisation for some time, you must have built a long list of contacts. However, as it's not possible to call/text each one of them and say goodbye, you can draft a farewell email to thank everyone for their support and hit the send button the evening before your final day. Don't forget to update your new contact number and email address in the mail so that anyone who wants to personally talk to you in the future can easily do so.

Resigning from an organisation after working there for some time is an emotional decision for every employee. No matter how much you hate your company or your boss, there are a few people who may have gone the extra mile to help you in the past. Don't forget to hand over special (hand-written) cards, if not gifts, to them. These memories will go a long way, so make them count.

Have a happy notice period!