5 To-Dos After You Accept a New Job

5 To-Dos After You Accept a New Job5 To-Dos After You Accept a New JobSo, youve just accepted a new job offer. Congrats The first thing you should do is call up your best friends and make plans to celebrate (obviously).But after youve toasted to your latest success, you may find yourself in unfamiliar territory. What exactly is the proper protocol for leaving your job? And is therbeie anything you should be doing to prepare for your new one?As someone who just made job change 4, I can tell you that although circumstances are always different, there are certain things that can help make any transition go more smoothly. Here are five things youll need to know.1. Relax, Then Go Talk to Your BossYou may be feeling a little nervous about telling your anfhrer youre leaving- and thats understandable. But chances are, this is not the first resignation he or she has ever heard. If your boss is good, he or she will want the best for your professional growth and will be happy for your new oppor tunity- even if that means youre changing companies. (And if he or she is on the frosty side, then that only confirms that you made the right decision)Whatever the case, though, youll still want to give your boss the professional courtesy of telling him or her first. As much as you want to tell your best office buddies the news, save your excitement until you find out how your boss wants to handle the announcement. Depending on your situation, he or she may want to tell your team in order to stop the rumor mill or to explain how transitional activities will work. Make sure that you understand how your departure will be announced before you go spilling the beans- then figure out a departure strategy that will work best for everyone.Related Moving on How to Quit Your Job With Grace2. Dont Forget the PaperworkGet ready- once you give your notice, there may be a lot of paperwork coming your way, even before you fill out your new W-4 forms. If your current company needs an official lette r of resignation, prepare that right away. If youre going to be staying on your employers health insurance plan through COBRA, make sure you understand the laws surrounding your policy, and read over those notices youll get in the mail. Lastly, you may want to check out the transition steps needed to roll over your 401(k) or other retirement fund to your new employer. The last thing youll want to do is miss out on the company match at your new gig3. Be Specific with Your Job Transition PlansYour boss has enough on his or her plate without having to worry about how your duties will be taken care of once youre gone. So, the best thing you can do to leave on great terms is to be proactive and give him or her more specifics on how exactly you will transition your day-to-day responsibilities. Set up a meeting and discuss your ideas on who would best be suited to take over in the interim, and then give a specific schedule on what and who you will train. This lets him or her know that you have a plan, and that everything from the most important tasks to the most mundane (but necessary) ones are covered.Related How to Make it Easier on Your Team When You Leave a Job4. Keep in Touch With Your New EmployerEven after youve signed the acceptance letter and decided on a start date, you should still expect to stay in contact with your new employer during the transition time. There may be things that require your immediate attention- for example, my latest employer required a drug screening and background check, so I had to make sure that I promptly made my appointment at the clinic and submitted all the necessary paperwork. I also received lots of paperwork from Human Resources, and I promptly confirmed with them that I had received it. No matter what your new employer needs, get it handled as soon as possible- going incommunicado for long periods of time doesnt exactly send a great message.On a more fun note, I got a few congratulatory emails from people I had interviewed with. If your co-workers reach out to you, be sure to email them back, thank them, and tell them how excited you are to be part of the team. All of this extra contact will help relieve some new-kid awkwardness on the first day.5. Make the Most of Your Time OffIf you managed to work in a little break time before starting your new job- even if its just a day or two- use that time to your advantage. Most importantly, try to organize your life a bit. Youre going to be busy learning a lot of new things, so the last thing youll want to worry about is a dirty apartment or empty refrigerator waiting for you at home. Use the time off to clean, organize, go grocery shopping, get a car wash, and run pesky errands that you never had time for before. Who knows when your next vacation will roll around, so heres your chanceIf you managed to negotiate a longer break time between jobs (which I recently did), I would suggest doing those things you cant normally do during the weekday. In my case, I re lished golfing in the middle of the day and working out at 9 AM- instead of 515 AMAnd finally, relax and pamper yourself a bit. You may be in for some long hours (not to mention information overload), so treat yourself to that massage or beach day while you can. Youll be relaxed, rejuvenated, and organized- and ready to start that new adventure.Related 3 Ways to Make Your Vacation More EnjoyablePhoto of man on phone courtesy of Shutterstock.