It is your last day at work, you feel awkward and stressed, and being “on edge”, you are very susceptible to saying the wrong thing to the wrong person (telling a few home truths) but then again, you don’t really care as you cannot be reprimanded and you won’t be at work on Monday to suffer the repercussions. Is it the right attitude to have on your last day?
The simple answer is no. You should always leave your job on a positive note as you just like “first impressions”, your “last impressions” will stick in the memory of your co-workers in regards how they view you. In addition, Ireland is a very small country and you never know when you may cross paths in the future and your current colleagues could be employees of the future.
In essence, you should remain professional. Even if your head-space has already moved on to the next challenge in your career, you should remain focused on tying up loose ends. If you are totally unmotivated and uninterested it may be a good idea to formulate a list first thing in the morning which will include a final hand-over.
Finally, thank your colleagues personally for everything and send a farewell e-mail to everyone on your team. If you are fortunate enough to have farewell drinks organised, remember to avoid getting too inebriated and keep in positive spirits and as professional as you can be after a few alcoholic beverages. You don’t want the last professional memory of you being in a state of drunkenness where you have fallen in a stopper, whilst insisting on putting a curse on everyone around you!
