How to Resign Professionally From Your Medical Sales Role

Deciding to leave a job can feel exciting, uncomfortable and daunting all at once.

Even when you know moving on is the right decision, actually telling your manager can be one of the more difficult conversations you'll have at work.

In MedTech and medical sales, it's particularly important to leave professionally. It's a relatively close-knit industry, and the manager, colleague or customer you're saying goodbye to today could cross your path again later in your career.

So, how should you approach your resignation?

1. Make Sure Your New Role Is Confirmed

If you're resigning because you've accepted another job, don't hand in your notice simply because you've received a verbal offer or had a positive final interview.

Ideally, you should have received and accepted a formal written offer and understand any conditions attached to it before resigning from your current position.

Check the important details carefully, including your salary, bonus or commission structure, job title, territory, start date and any conditions such as references or other pre-employment checks.

Changing jobs is a significant decision. Make sure you know exactly what you're accepting before giving up the security of your existing role.

2. Check Your Contract and Notice Period

Before speaking to your manager, check your employment contract or written terms.

Make sure you understand how much notice you're required to give and whether there are any relevant conditions you need to be aware of when leaving.

Depending on your role and contract, your employer may expect you to work your normal notice period. Alternatively, arrangements such as garden leave or payment in lieu of notice may apply.

Don't assume you can shorten your notice period because your new employer would like you to start sooner. If you want to leave earlier, you'll normally need to discuss and agree this with your current employer.

3. Tell Your Manager Personally

Where possible, your manager should hear about your decision directly from you rather than discovering it through an email or somebody else.

Arrange a private conversation and tell them clearly that you've decided to resign.

If you work remotely or meeting face to face isn't practical, a video or telephone conversation can be perfectly appropriate.

You can then confirm your resignation formally in writing, following whatever process your employer requires.

Your written resignation doesn't need to be lengthy. It should clearly state that you're resigning, give the appropriate notice and confirm your expected final working day.

4. Keep the Conversation Simple and Professional

You don't need to give your manager a lengthy justification for leaving.

Explain your decision calmly and professionally. You might be moving for career progression, a different product area, a larger territory, greater responsibility or simply because the new opportunity is a better fit for what you want next.

You also don't necessarily have to tell your employer where you're going.

If you've had a difficult experience with the company or your manager, your resignation conversation usually isn't the best opportunity to list every frustration you've accumulated.

You can be honest without turning the conversation into a confrontation.

5. Be Prepared for Questions and a Possible Counteroffer

Your resignation may come as a surprise, particularly if you're performing well or have strong customer relationships.

Your manager may ask why you're leaving, whether anything would persuade you to stay and what your new employer is offering.

Think about how much you're comfortable sharing before the conversation.

You may also receive a counteroffer.

If that happens, go back to the reasons you started looking for another role in the first place. A higher salary or improved package may be attractive, but consider whether it actually addresses the reasons you decided to leave.

You don't need to make a decision under pressure during the conversation. If you're genuinely considering the counteroffer, give yourself time to think about it properly.

6. Handle Your Notice Period Professionally

Once you've resigned, it can be tempting to mentally move on to your next job. Try not to.

Unless your employer tells you otherwise, you're still responsible for doing your current job properly until you leave.

Continue supporting colleagues and customers, complete what you reasonably can and maintain the same professional standards you would expect from somebody staying with the business.

In a commercial role, your employer may decide to change your responsibilities during your notice period. For example, they may restrict access to certain information, reallocate accounts or ask you not to continue normal customer activity.

Follow the arrangements your employer puts in place and the terms of your employment.

7. Prepare a Thorough Handover

A good handover makes life easier for the people you're leaving behind and helps you leave with your professional reputation intact.

Depending on your role, this could include:

• Current account activity and agreed next steps
• Outstanding customer queries
• Upcoming meetings, demonstrations or clinical activity
• Open opportunities and relevant CRM information
• Projects that need to be completed
• Important internal deadlines
• Information a colleague or replacement will need to take over your responsibilities

Make sure relevant company information is stored where your employer expects it to be rather than remaining solely in your own notes or inbox.

At the same time, remember that customer lists, sales data, presentations, pricing information and other confidential business information belong to your employer. Don't take company information with you when you leave.

8. Leave Your Relationships Intact

How you leave a company can matter almost as much as how you joined it.

You don't have to pretend everything was perfect, and you don't need to stay in touch with everybody you've ever worked with.

But where you've built good relationships with managers, colleagues and customers, there's little to gain from damaging them on your way out.

Medical sales and MedTech can be a surprisingly small world. People change companies, managers move between businesses and former colleagues can become future customers, hiring managers or references.

Leaving professionally keeps those doors open.

Moving On Without Burning Bridges

Resigning doesn't need to be dramatic.

Be certain about your decision, understand your contractual obligations, tell your manager directly and give your current employer the same professionalism during your notice period that you gave them before you resigned.

You can be excited about your next opportunity while still leaving your current company well.

That's the best way to close one chapter of your medical sales career and start the next.