notice period: here’s how to handle your final two weeks.

If you’ve never quit a job before, it can be understandably intimidating. How do you end your tenure at your current workplace peacefully, without leaving sour feelings of abandonment in your wake? First off: understand that most professional people understand that turnover is a natural part of doing business. In light of that, how can you handle your notice period?

Our 2025 Workmonitor report, 1 in 3 employees quit their job every year. So you’re not alone in quitting! Most workplaces have policies in place to handle resignations and will treat you respectfully, so try not to assume the worst. Thinking about how to bow out gracefully?

Our article offers you a professional exit strategy. Treat this as a playbook to help you carry out your resignation, so you can tie up all the loose ends without any hassle.

1. wait until you’ve signed an offer.

​If you’re jumping ship for a new job, always wait until the new contract is signed to give notice. No matter how much of a sure thing your new job seems to be, do not hand in your two weeks’ notice until you’ve signed the offer letter. That’s when your new job is a sure thing. That’s when you’ve signed a written, enforceable contract.

​Even if the recruiter you’re working with shows you the promise of an ‘offer is coming’ notice, it pays to have a backup plan for what might crop up. In today's volatile market, don't be shocked if a company backs out of an offer right at the end.

As things stand, you may miss out on the new role, while you’ve already prepared to move on from your old one, leaving your stability completely stranded. The lesson? Don’t jump the gun on quitting until the ink is dry on your new job offer.

2. finish your two weeks’ notice without fail.

​It's always best to see the full two weeks through. You can count on it to leave a good impression. That said, it's not a legal contract, so you can back out of the full period if you have a compelling reason. However, giving obeying to a two weeks’ notice, or even more if you’re in a hard-to-replace role, is a show of good faith.

​By staying on board for your final two weeks, you’re telling your soon-to-be-former employer, “I don’t want to leave you in the lurch.” You’re offering to wrap up your duties, transfer over important knowledge to another employee and maybe even help with hiring your replacement.

​There are a few red flags that mean you can write off the two weeks’ notice. The big ones are feeling unsafe or knowing your employer might act out. If your employer is known to crack down on resigning employees and walk them out on the spot, why should you be the one to miss out on the final paycheck?

3. submit a letter of resignation to officially kick off your notice period.

You’ll want to draw up a formal resignation letter. Steer clear of sending it by email. Instead, present it face-to-face. The printed letter acts as a formal record everyone can refer back to. This is particularly critical since initial conversations can be a blur when you break the news and begin your two weeks’ notice.

Don’t stress over writing a long resignation letter. The best approach is to sum it up on one page. Make sure you put in the essentials: your confirmation of leaving and your final day. You can also hint on the status of projects you’re wrapping up. If you're stuck, you can easily hunt down a good template online.

4. run that resignation by your boss first.

​As tempting as it is to blurt it out to your closest colleagues, resist the urge. You don't want the news to get back to your boss before you've spoken to them. They'll be the one sorting out your replacement. So, they deserve to be the first to know.

Don’t forget that your boss has to deal with the fallout of your leaving. They need to line up your your replacement, and that process needs to kick off immediately. In conclusion, before you start serving your notice.

​The office rumor mill fires up fast. Then, what’s the best move? Fill them in yourself. It's far more professional than them hearing it after someone has passed it on.

5. present your resignation in person.

Don’t cop out with an email. The only truly respectful way is to tell your manager face-to-face. Bring your printed letter to hand over after you've talked things through. No matter how uncomfortable it feels, carrying out the conversation of your separation is what’s an ideal way to commence your notice period.

​If an in-person meeting isn’t working out, go ahead with a phone call. Be ready for your boss to be surprised, and expect them to dig into your reasons your parting. You get to decide how much detail to dive into, but have your responses already figured out.

6. you don’t have to explain.

​You're not required to spell out the exact reasons for why you’re leaving. In fact, it's often smarter to gloss over the details that could set people off. Whether you can't a micromanager or you’ve lined up a much better offer, it's best to stick with a simple, professional reason.

​Ultimately, your reasons for leaving are your own. So, don’t think you have to open up about them. This isn't the time to bring up old issues. While it might feel good to vent, you'll likely just end up making your last few weeks awkward. When in doubt, hold back.

7. don’t burn bridges during your notice.

​When you’ve got one foot out the door, it’s easy to think: “I never have to deal with these people again, it doesn’t matter what I say!” But you’d be surprised just how small many industries are. You never know when a former coworker might suddenly become your current coworker.

​You never know when you might need a reference from a former boss. It’s always a good idea to keep your work network alive. That means being nice. You’re the one leaving, you’re the one who instigated this change, so it’s on you to be the bigger person and keep the relationship with your co-workers intact.

8. prepare for your exit interview.

​Most large companies will conduct an exit interview on the last day of your two weeks’ notice. The intent of these interviews is to understand why you’re leaving so HR can improve employee retention in the future, or possibly address the issues that caused you to pack your bags.

​It’s up to you how honest you want to be. If there are legitimate issues you think HR should know about and address, feel free to share them. If you think airing your issues will cause problems or fall on deaf ears, feel free to keep them to yourself.

​There’s one big exception to keeping things to yourself. If you’ve run into criminal behavior like harassment, stealing or bribery, you shouldn’t brush it aside. These are the kinds of problems you need to call out.

But at the end of the day, remember that you’re leaving. What happens after you’re gone isn’t your responsibility.

9. finish strong.

​When you’ve handed in your notice, your last two weeks can seem like a write off. Don’t give into the urge to slack off and do the bare minimum, just because your tenure is coming to an end.

Give your final few days your full 100%. How you behave will be what your coworkers remember. You can bet if you suddenly transform into a grumpy slacker, that’s what your coworkers are going to think about when you come to mind. For the sake of your professional network, bring your A-game until the end.

​Also do your best to transfer any important knowledge and wrap up or reassign any critical projects you’re working on. This will make the transition as smooth as possible. Try to make your last interaction with your coworkers a positive one, as well.

​Whether it’s having a goodbye meal together, or just taking a moment to thank everyone, end on a high note. Ultimately, resigning from a job is a natural part of life as a working professional. Which means, learning to give two weeks’ notice is a handy life skill to have, unless you plan to stay with your current employer for your entire working life.