Resigning without burning bridges

In the Belgian technical sector you always meet again. Today's supervisor is in three years your new employer's customer, the colleague your reference calls, or the man who wants to rehire you. How you leave lingers longer than what you achieved there.

The order is sacred: first your signed new contract in hand, only then your resignation. A verbal promise from a new employer is not a contract, however enthusiastic the conversation was. And then tell your direct manager first, in person, before colleagues hear it through the grapevine. That one conversation sets the tone of your whole departure.

Keep the conversation itself short and dignified. You don't have to defend your choice; 'I got an opportunity that fits better with where I want to go' suffices. Resist the temptation to vent old frustrations, even when invited with 'be honest'. There's no gain left there, only damage.

Your notice period is your final lap, and everyone watches. Whoever hands over knowledge visibly, updates documentation and works the last weeks as hard as the first, leaves with a reputation that pays off for years. Whoever coasts is remembered too.

And the counter-offer? We wrote about it before: it rarely solves the real reason for leaving. Decline it kindly or ask for time to think, but don't let your departure derail into a bidding war that damages trust on both sides.