Be Prepared For Your Exit Interview

By Author: Kent Jacobson a.k.a. Mr. Success
Total Articles: 113
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Deciding to change jobs was the easy part. Telling you boss and going through the exit interviews are difficult, and you need to be prepared. So you have decided to leave the company and turned in you paperwork to your manager after much thought and introspection. What you need to prepare for are the next three to four exit interview sessions. This process is similar to buying a new car and getting bounced from one person to the next; they try to counteroffer and talk you out of leaving all the while trying to wear you down. It is always fascinating to me how companies can come up with extra $$$ when you tell them you're leaving. Trust me on getting ready. You need to be prepared or you will wake up tomorrow and go back to your same position, in the same company, and will soon be just as miserable as you were when you decided to leave the first time. There are three areas of planning for the exit interview process that you need to prepare for.

Step 1. Prepare a notification letter that you will give to your manager. There are two subjects to cover in your letter: planned exit date and brief explanation ...
... on why you are leaving. The question on *why* you are leaving will be asked several times. It is better to put your thoughts in writing so you can refer to them later. In your explanation, be succinct and straightforward in a positive manner. Do not single out any person or event that could turn against you and be the sole focus of discussion that may eventually turn into an emotional confrontation. Be firm in you convictions and refer to your letter for guidance. Refer to professional growth, demonstrated company stability, communication, and work environment, you now the reasons. Put them in writing. After you complete the letter, have a trusted peer or family member read it back to you for critique and comment. Plan for staying the customary two weeks. This is the professional approach and allows time for management to try and back fill and cross train as appropriate.

Step 2. Realize when you turn in your letter the psychological game begins. Be prepared with a counter offer when asked. I say,

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About the Author:

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Kent Jacobson, a.k.a. "Mr. Success" is a trusted authority in the
success field and provides valuable success information for free
through his website at: http://www.Shortcut2Success.com . You can
also read Kent's Success Blog to find more success secrets at:
http://www.Shortcut2Success.com/blog