Exit Stage Left

It has come to my attention that exiting a job is just as much work as starting a new one. For  a new career opportunity you prepare, interview and negotiate. Why have I never thought about doing the same thing when I leave a company? Why does no one ever talk about this part of change?

I recently accepted a new job. When I put in my two weeks at my current company, I didn't try to negotiate, because I thought they had nothing to offer me. Boy, was I wrong! My current company does not pay for unused vacation days. I could have easily negotiated this before leaving. I could have said, if I work three or four weeks (instead of the industry standard of a 2 week notice) will you pay me for my unused vacation days? If they weren't willing to negotiate, then I could have used my vacation days during my last two weeks here (which, in my case, would have covered the entire 2 week duration!). Since I didn't try to negotiate though, I felt too guilty to use these vacation days. What a waste!

Additionally, before I put in my two weeks I spoke to an older gentleman at my current company. He has been a great mentor to me and my career since I started. He advised me to be prepared for them to ask me to leave right away. Not because I was leaving on a bad note, but because they may not want to give you the opportunity to take/save any of your work because it could benefit a competitor if you're going to a competitive company. So, before I spoke to my boss I was able to save lots of my work, erase my cookies/data and delete any personal emails.

I hope this email helps you have a smooth exit if, and when, you ever decide to leave a company. I definitely learned my lesson.