How should you resign from a job?
Resign only after a signed offer is in hand. Tell your direct manager first, in person, with a short written notice letter. Give the notice your contract requires, offer a genuine transition plan, and say nothing negative — Alberta's senior market is small and permanent.
For candidates
The order matters
- Signed offer, with start date and terms, before anything else.
- Direct manager first — never a colleague, never a group message.
- A short written letter confirming your last day.
- Then, and only then, the wider announcement.
Decide about the counter-offer in advance
Most people who accept a counter-offer leave within a year anyway, because money was rarely the actual reason. Know before you resign what you would say to one, so the answer is not made emotionally in a room.
Leave the exit interview clean
The temptation to finally say everything is strong and the payoff is nothing. Be brief, be factual, be gracious. References outlive grievances.
Transition like it is your reputation
Documented handover, introductions made, files where they should be. In a market this size, how you leave is often the story that reaches your next employer before you do.