Reasons to prepare for a smooth handover before we leave a job

To me, there is only one reason to prepare for a smooth handover before we leave a job:

The legacy of your work and your accomplishments. Your work is your gift, it is personal and it lasts. You may have streamlined processes or improved functionality and these elements are guaranteed to survive. It does not matter that you are on to (hopefully) bigger and brighter things. What matters is your integrity and your professionalism, which are sustained once you have left a company, through your legacy.

Thinking backward

How awesome is it to look back and reflect upon all your accomplishments and handing over to your replacement is the perfect way to achieve this conclusion? Not only will you see how far you have come, but the sense of satisfaction in showcasing your experience will make you proud and consolidate your work. Surely, it will catalyse your enthusiasm for your new role because it will reinforce how successful you have been, but also how successful you have yet to be.

Thinking forward 

The technology industry is thriving. Every day, technologists and scientists move ever closer to discovering new and wonderful things. Therefore, it is an exceptionally exciting time to be part of the IT world because you are part of something. Being one person in a big machine is not what being part of this technical world is. Instead, it is a network of professionals that share a love for growth, evolution and improvement. With the ever-increasing popularity of LinkedIn, coupled with the constant buzz of the technological hive, who you are really matters now. When I say this, I do not mean to suggest that meritocracy, in the IT industry, does not exist because, ultimately, merit is the only way to succeed in getting a better job. However, your reputation can stick. You want that reputation to be one of utmost professionalism, and preparing your replacement in an efficient and expert way is assuredly the only way to guarantee a positive whir in the hive.

Your legacy: for yourself and for others; these are the two main reasons that a handover is imperative in the IT industry.

For more career advice, please check out our other posts.

This post is written by our guest blogger, Sarah Garrett.