How much notice should I give when quitting a job?

Two weeks is the U.S. standard for most roles. Give more if your contract requires it or if you're senior and mid-project — but check your employment agreement first, and never give notice before you have the new offer in writing.

What should a handover include when leaving a job?

A written doc covering: your recurring tasks and their cadence, where key files and credentials live, open items with status and next steps, key contacts, and anything only you know. Agree the scope with your manager in your first resignation conversation so your last two weeks have a finish line.

Should I accept a counteroffer from my current employer?

Usually no. The reasons you decided to leave — fit, growth, the work itself — don't change with a raise, and statistics cited by recruiters consistently show most counteroffer accepters leave within a year anyway. Decide before you resign, not during the emotional conversation.

Career moves

How to Quit Your Job Professionally

People remember exits. A clean, generous departure buys you references, a network, and a door that stays open — a sloppy one follows you to jobs you haven't applied for yet. Here's how to leave like a professional.

Before you say a word

Have the new offer in writing. Signed, with the negotiated terms in it. Verbal offers get withdrawn; resignations can't be.
Check your paperwork. Your employment agreement may specify a notice period, non-compete terms, or bonus/equity dates that make a week or two of timing worth real money.
Decide on the counteroffer question now. If a raise would genuinely keep you, that's a negotiation to have before resigning — not during. If it wouldn't, settle that in advance so the emotional meeting doesn't move you.

The resignation conversation

Tell your manager first, in person or on a call — never let them hear it from anyone else. Keep it short, warm, and final:

"I wanted you to hear this from me first: I've accepted another role, and my last day will be the 20th. This wasn't an easy decision — I've learned a huge amount here, especially [one specific thing]. I want to make the transition as smooth as I can, so let's agree on what the handover should cover."

Note the last sentence. Proposing the handover scope in this first conversation does two things: it proves good faith, and it gives your final weeks a defined finish line instead of an ever-expanding list.

Follow up the same day with a brief written resignation (email is fine): the fact, your last day, one line of thanks. No grievances, no essay. This letter lives in your file forever; make it boring.

The handover: agree the scope, then document it

A good handover doc covers:

Recurring tasks — what you do weekly/monthly, when, and how.
Where things live — key files, dashboards, credentials (transferred through proper channels).
Open items — status, next step, and who owns them now, for everything in flight.
Key contacts — inside and outside the company, with context on each relationship.
The "only you know" list — quirks, workarounds, history. This section is where your professionalism really shows.

Get your manager to confirm the scope in writing ("this list covers it"). If new requests keep arriving in week two, that confirmation is what lets you say yes to the important ones and park the rest, gracefully.

Your last two weeks

Work them properly. Finish what's finishable, document the rest, train whoever's taking over with actual patience. Tell clients and collaborators yourself, briefly and positively, and introduce your successor. The temptation to coast is understandable — resist it. These two weeks are the freshest reference your manager will ever give.

Staying in touch (without doing unpaid work)

After you leave, a short check-in a month or two later — congratulations on a launch, a relevant article, a simple "hope the team's well" — keeps the relationship warm. But keep a clean line between greeting and working: answering "one quick question" about the old systems is fine once; becoming the free on-call backup for your old job is not. If the questions keep coming, the professional answer is a friendly pointer to your handover doc — that's what it's for.

Leaving for the right reason

Most people quit when the fit has been wrong for a long time — the daily work simply doesn't match what they're good at or enjoy. If you're at that point, knowing your interest profile helps you pick the next job better than the last one. Our free Holland Code test takes about 4 minutes.

Take the free career test →

FAQ

How much notice should I give?

Two weeks is the U.S. standard for most roles. Give more if your contract requires it or you're senior and mid-project — but check your agreement first, and never resign before the new offer is in writing.

What should a handover include?

Recurring tasks and their cadence, where key files and credentials live, open items with status and next steps, key contacts, and the things only you know. Agree the scope with your manager in the first conversation.

Should I accept a counteroffer?

Usually no. The reasons you decided to leave don't change with a raise — and most counteroffer accepters end up leaving within a year anyway. Decide before you resign, not during the emotional conversation.