Marketing Me! The sudden resignation

A business bug out bag, resignation is better than termination, and leaving on your terms, not theirs.. Read more.

It can happen to any one at any time..

The human resource director walks in your office with another member of the staff and asks for a quick meeting. Thinking you are doing a great job and increasing the company revenue, you have no reason to be suspicious.

You follow the HR director to a nearby conference room where, upon seating, are informed your services are no longer needed at the company. Kicked in the gut, you struggle for breath and barely hear the terms of your serverance package explained to you.

Fifteen minutes later, you find yourself shoving personal possessions into an empty copy machine paper box and then being escorted to the front door.

Could this have been avoided? Sure. But get ready...

First, in today's business world, EVERY DAY COULD BE YOUR LAST DAY. Nobody is "safe" any longer. Layoffs, downsizing, cutbacks, all could happen at any time regardless of the health of the company or the market.

Stop thinking you are OK and the other guy is going to get it. Everyone is vulnerable.

Therefore, it is imperitive that you plan for this possibility constantly. In the "end of the world" survival community. members are encouraged to maintain a Bug Out Bag (BOB) at all times. In the business world, you should do the same.

Here are the contents of your BBOB - Business Bug Out Bag.

- Have backups of all correspondence, contracts and emails on a portable device. USB thumb drives are cheap and easy to use.
- Have a complete and current list of all customer and business contacts available. I recommend using a PDA type device such as a Blackberry or Palm Pilot. Update DAILY from your CRM license and you are assured of having the latest and greatest asset available at all times. Purchase the phone and PDA; do not use the company hardware.
- Your own laptop, if possible. Some companies allow employees to use their own computing hardware for work. Do this and save yourself a step or two.
- Copies of company literature of products or services you represented.
- Any intellectual property you created for the company or to drive revenue growth such as mailing lists, web sites, or press releases.

The final piece you should always have on hand is a resignation letter with the date left blank.

Why?

If the company is in trouble or you know the chopping block is looming, leave on your terms, not theirs. A resignation is far better than a termination any day.

The most successful people I know have never been laid off. They left before or during a stressful situation generally to another position they had already lined up and had in place. When the situation at work went south, they prepared their resignation letter and made their exit.

Typically, your resignation letter should be terse and to the point.

An example..

This letter is to inform [Company X] that Tuesday, October 30, 2007 will be my final day. Please make arrangements for my final paycheck and unused accrued holiday time to be paid on that day or an arranged date.

Upon my departure, all correspondence may be sent to my home address at xxxx...

Thank you,


Never put any personal or professional reasons for leaving a company. Your resignation letter will be placed on file and may be used at a future date. Leave no paper trail too large to cover!

Finally, be prepared to explain clearly why you resigned. Make this a 30 second speech (elevator speech) and practice reciting it. An example..

"Yes, I was with [Company X] for several years. However, there were some internal and external changes occuring with the company at the time which helped me in my decision to move on to other opportunities."

Never go into longer explanations about a former company. There is no reason to and to do so could possibly brand you as a complainer and malcontent.

Rather focus on the value you bring to your next company. And if you planned your BBOB correcttly, you will have the evidence and references to back it up.