It was almost midnight on Thursday, July 26, and I was sitting in a collaboration room on the 25th floor at our office in Times Square. Earlier in the day, I had sat in the same room with a partner and two senior consultants on my team, working on my last engagement ever. But now, the floor was deserted but for a nice middle-aged man who popped by to vacuum the carpet around 15 minutes ago.
I was running last-minute errands to wrap up my seven years at the firm, and finally drafting my goodbye email. For some reasons, these emails were always the hardest parts for me - if you remember how long I stalled in sending my notice of resignation email.
I agonized over keeping my next move vague, or being more specific on what I’d be doing after I quit. Should I include that bit about pursuing photography and include a link to my personal website? To me at least, it was not an inconsequential detail. I was opening up about my passions and letting myself be vulnerable. In my mind, my colleagues are highly accomplished people who are dedicated to the professional, high-paying industry. Would they judge me for leaving to pursue photography? Would they laugh at how naive and idealistic I am? (Whether they were truly judgmental or not was another thing, of course. I recognized that these were all voices in my own head.)
However, I decided to include it anyway because I wanted to stay true to myself. I wanted my friends and colleagues to know what I’d be doing after leaving this job, and I also wanted to hold myself accountable - the more people who know what I’m up to, the more likely I will try my hardest not to fail myself.
In the end, I wrote this:
Dear friends and colleagues,
Tomorrow will be my last day after a great 7-year run at the firm. For my next chapter, I’m excited to pursue my passions and challenge myself in new domains. I will go into photography and explore social impact enterprises to work with beyond New York.
My time with the firm has been an enriching journey and I would like to thank all of you for it. It’s been an honor to work with you. I’m sure that in the future, the experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met here will help me wherever I go.
I wish you the very best in the years ahead! I hope that one day our paths will cross again.
Please keep in touch!
Email: nanett@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karissananetta/
Website: https://www.iamoutofoffice.com/
Kind regards,
Nanette
And at 11.45pm, I sent it off to a few dozens of my colleagues.
Tomorrow is my last day, and a new day.
Comments