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.