Separating From Work

I haven’t set my end date yet, but based on my travel and moving plans, I’m approximately two months out from departing my job. The weirdest thing about planning your departure is that you have to deviate from every principle you learned about developing your career. I’m no longer pushing for harder projects and more responsibility. Doing so would only make my departure more inconvenient for my colleagues. I also didn’t ask for a raise this year, even though some new hires with similar experience have come in higher than me. In some ways it’s a relief;  this may be one of the few times I can legitimately ignore some of the tougher principles of Corporate America.

Saying that my emotions are mixed would be an understatement. I’m going to miss a lot of co-workers I’ve come to appreciate and respect. On the flip side, I often get a smirk on my face every time I have to do busy work, as I know it won’t be my responsibility much longer. It’s amazing how things that used to stress you out so much in the past can just slide off your back as your end date approaches. Conflicts and disagreements rarely arise at this point – all that matters now is the big picture.

As my tenure winds down, I’ve been working on various “sunset activities”, such as writing a job description based on my current responsibilities, creating documentation for tools I’ve built, updating my contact list, and organizing online folders.  It’s not the most compelling work in the world, but I definitely don’t want to burn the bridge I’ve built with my current startup company. While working at a startup definitely had its challenging moments, I know I’m going to leave with new skills and a stronger tolerance for ambiguity. And in my pensive, reflective state, I feel truly grateful for having worked here.

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