Preparing to Leave Your Job

"Preparing to Leave Your Job

Before you hand in your letter of resignation, it's a good idea to make sure you've fully prepared to leave. You may get escorted off the premises on the day you quit, never to return again. Same goes if you get laid off or fired. That's typical at big companies, especially if you have access to confidential information or expensive equipment. Once you're out the door, you may not be able to get back in or access the computer network for security reasons.

So, if you know you're going to quit or think you might soon get fired or laid off,

• Take personal property home, so there's no question what belongs to you or the company on your last day.
• Remove personal items (software, emails, etc.) from your PC.
• Collect current contact information from your future references, potential networking associates, and vendors and clients if appropriate.
• Get letters of recommendation.
• Compile a portfolio of your work.

Naturally, you might have to do this on the q.t., with the right people and at the right time.

On your last day, your soon-to-be ex-employer might even shadow you with a security guard or conduct a security search as you leave. It might look just a tad suspicious if you try to delete even personal files from your computer. You might even get busted if you try to leave with your briefcase stuffed with portfolio items. That's because the company most likely owns all of your work, and most definitely owns the office supplies and equipment you used to make copies."
from about.com

<Note from JobFairy.com: You can be 1000% sure that once you quit, have been fired, or got laid off, you will never have access to your files again. Make sure you never leave personal information on a work PC. Make a habit of bringing all your personal computer files home every Wednesday night (if not more frequently). Keep almost nothing on your desk, and if you must keep a bunch of personal things at work, keep them in desk drawers so no one can tell if you have removed them. Definitely save and send home code samples and screenshots as you go, because you'll never have a chance to retrieve them in case you leave.>