What’s in Your Tool-kit: The Job-changer’s Checklist
A job-change brings with it a flurry of activity: the flood of details to wrap up at your old position, the excitement of preparing for a new role, and sometimes even a relocation. Make sure nothing slips through the cracks and navigate the transition with grace by using Hyatt-Fennell’s checklist:
Make a blueprint for your successor.
Current projects
Key contacts
Upcoming deadlines
Location of resources (Note: If login credentials currently use your email address and password, arrange to have those updated before you leave: never give out your own passwords.)
Send thank-you notes. Take the time to thank those who have been a part of your success with a hand-written note or letter.
Update your résumé. It is far less work—and yields a better result—to make incremental changes to your résumé in real time than to do a complete overhaul.
Update LinkedIn. Carry over the information you noted in your résumé-refresh to LinkedIn. Updating your profile with your new employer will make the most of networking opportunities and will also let your connections see that you’re beginning something new.
Research your new role. Fill in any gaps in your knowledge before beginning your new position.
Set goals. Spend some time reflecting on what you’ve accomplished at your last job and how you’d like to grow in your new position.
Get to know your colleagues. Take advantage of lunch-breaks to get to know your new coworkers. Forming connections and working as a team is integral to your success.
Listen. You will have a lot to learn as you start a new job. Learn from those around you and understand the culture and dynamics before initiating change.
Allow extra downtime. Change, even when it’s a good change, is tiring. Build some extra margin into your schedule for several months.
