So You’re Leaving? How to Create a Transition Plan

You’ve searched the job boards, applied and interviewed for your dream job, and are now preparing for the jump to a new company or position. Whether your relationship with your current job is on excellent terms or you are fleeing a job that you hate, creating a transition plan to set your replacement up for success and leave you looking like a polished professional. It is a rarely required, infrequently requested way to leave your former team on good terms and set your former company up for moving on without you.

A good transition plan has two products. First, your transition plan should provide a working playbook and instruction manual to your daily job tasks and second, it should prepare you to leave with all the resources and information you need to make the transition fluently.

Create Your Transition Plan

A great transition plan covers all the bases to allow a successor to come in and pick up where you left off with as little learning curve as possible. Here are some items to include:

1) Your Job Responsibilities

Take some time to list every job duty and how often you do it. List the little things like running a daily backup or checking emails and the big things like preparing an annual report or planning the company holiday party. Go back and review your initial job description to make sure you haven’t left any things off the list.

2) Projects You’re Working On

Make a list of any projects you are currently working on, both ones you will wrap up before you leave and ones you may not finish. Create of list of suggested project owners as well as who you are currently coordinating with. Get detailed with the tasks, timelines, contacts, and any other details that would help someone get the ball to the end zone.

3) Outline Your Processes

Create a list of recurring projects, especially ones that don’t occur often. Write down the process step by step in elementary, easy-to-follow directions. Write it as if you are telling someone who has never worked in your office how to complete that task.

4) Create a Contact List

Create a contact list with phone numbers, emails, and job functions.

5) Passwords and Resources

Create a list with login and password information to important accounts and resources and be sure to include why you would use those accounts.

Once you’ve created your transition plan, take some time to make sure that you have archived and gathered any resources you will need as you transition. Clear your cache on work technology and delete any saved passwords. Forward any subscribed newsletters to your personal email account and unsubscribe your work email. Make sure to transition any important accounts such as paystubs, 401K, and health insurance information to your personal email. Archive any passwords you may need for personal accounts that are associated with your work email.

Taking the time to plan your exit strategy and building a systematic transition plan will not only relieve some of the stress of the transition but will allow you to leave on the right foot. A solid transition plan leaves your former employer in a good place and helps to provide the best chance for success to whoever replaces you.

Our Deep End Coaches are here for the entire career search and transition journey. Schedule a complimentary meeting today.