Leaving a job...

[softgrey]

When you leave a job to go to a new one...
or if you are freelance and the job you are hired for is over....
what do you do?...

do you send an email to everyone you worked with to thank them and give them your new contact info?

what sort of things should you say?

or is that really annoying and cheesy?..

i have gotten mass emails from people leaving their jobs to sort of touch base and say goodbye...
but there are plenty of people I know who just sort of show up at a different company- with no announcement or anything.


so what do you guys think...?
email or no email...
small personal emails..
or one general mass email?...

and when do you send it...?
on your last day?...or before that?...how long before?...2 weeks?...
what if you are looking for a new job?...

any opinions, advice, tips, feedback???...

thanks..

 

[kimair]

when i left my last job, i sent an email to everyone at the agency i personally worked with...
something along the lines of, "it was a pleasure to work with all of you and i learned many things that will be valuable in my new position," etc.
i sent it out the morning of my last day...
i included my personal email as a contact address...

for people at work i was closer with, i sent them something more personal, along with more contact info...

i think sending a mass email to everyone is a bit annoying, it it's more than say 20 people...

 

[Lena]

^ agreed, i just mailed few very close collegues last time i had to change jobs and that was it, but maybe the 'ethics' are different in the U.S.

 

[maarit]

I switched jobs in fall and I didn't really send anything. My work friends knew my number and email anyway

 

[BetteT]

In this industry ... or actually in any industry ... it's really important to make and keep connections. It's called marketing and it's only one of many things that can help keep you in people's sight and memory. You never know where your next job will come from ... and I'm not just talking about freelancing, either.

For example: If you loose a "real" job due to cut backs you will want to find another quickly ... and they say that nowadays you can often find jobs by letting all your contacts know that you are in the market and asking them if they know of any openings. So I would think that a pleasant goodbye to everyone that you had close contact is a good idea. Hopefully, they will remember you if you ever need a referral or refefrence.

I think that a general email would be fine for most co-workers (or crew), but perhaps a special hand written note to your closest associates and immediate bosses would be appropriate. It's actually not done often... so it would make you stand out among all the others. And I don't think it's annoying ... after all, they do know you ... I would think that most people would think it was a nice touch.

I would just say you enjoyed working with/for them and invite them to contact you if you can ever help them out with anything. That's pretty generic ... asking for more business from a client and offering any type of help to co-workers.

If you are freelance, you might say you hope that they will think of you for other opportunities and referrals. If it's to other people on the crew, you will also state that you will think of them for referrals, too. You know how that works ... one hand washes the other.

 

[abstractbunny]

network, network, network. the fashion industry is a small world, and it's full of an ever decreasing circle of women....who gossip...so if theres one thing you should do, it's stay as amicable as possible.
alternatively, my friend recently left him job and left an out of office auto reply on his email saying "i'm out of the office, and i'm not coming back!!" he he!!

 

[SamanthaBNYC]

here's what I do when I leave a job:
write down my name, home phone, cell phone, and e-mail address on nice paper and hand deliver it to people who I want to stay in contact with right before I turn in my two-weeks notice. I've been at companies that have a policy the second that you give them your two-weeks notice they have security escort you out of the building. This way, the people you want to stay in contact with have your information and you don't get forgotten.
Networking is the best way to find jobs, even though I've utilized the services of many high-quality recruiters, I've gotten a good deal of interviews through personal referrals.
Off-topic, but another thing that I think most people overlook is that if you're looking to leave a company, when someone leaves before you do, you should get in contact with them and offer your help at that point. They could end up going to your dream company, and if you help them, you will have a good reputation at that company. Plus, if someone has been good to you, nothing feels better than giving them a glowing reference or placing them at a job that's perfect for them.

 

[ETROsexualJ]

Yah I don't think you should send it to everyone in your contact list; but, rather those people that you are close to.

You DO NOT want to send something out to everyone and b*tch about the job or company or tell someone off (a la' one of my coworkers last week) because it is a very small industry and you would be suprised how many other people are in contact.