bundy

Here's the thing. Me and Mr Bundy are hoping to move to Oz in July/Aug this year, me on a de facto spouse visa. I haven't actually applied for my visa yet as I'm waiting for stat decs to come back from Oz, and I need one more hosp appointment before my medical. This appointment is on 12th Feb, so I'm hoping to get the application in by the end of Feb and will be front end loading.

The problem is that my job involves working in the summer, and I would like to leave before all hell breaks loose, ie at the end of May. But I have to give 3 months notice, which means handing in my notice at the end of Feb, before I hear back from AHC about my visa.

So, firstly, I need reassurance. Am I wise to quite my job before I know the outcome of the application, given that I don't particularly like my job and would probably leave anyway?

Secondly, I've never resigned before. Any tips on what to stick in my resignation letter??!!!

The end of Feb is scarily close now.

podgypossum

Hi Bundy.

I would just be honest and say you are emmigrating. Makes no difference to them in the long run as you are going anyway. Are you reliant on the money from this job? If not i'd just hand it in now. Even if you dont go exactly at the time you think you are, not working will give you heaps more time to organise yourself.

Good luck!!

NickyC

Try here for some good examples of resignation letters:

http://www.i-resign.com/uk/letters/letters.asp#No1

PaulDClark

Keep it short and sweet, resist the tempation to slag off the job.

I've always ended on a postive note, you know:

"I have enjoyed my time at Bloggs Limited and would take this opportunity to wish you, and the company every sucess in the future."

There's no point in burning any bridges!

bundy

My boss will quite possibly kill me as I am leaving at absolutely the worse time for the department...but she has been pretty awful to me over the last 3 years and I don't feel I owe her anything. The other reason for leaving is that my brother is getting married in July and my boss has already said that I can't have time off for the wedding
:scared:

I do need the money at the moment - I've just been given a nice pay rise too, which is annoying in some ways as it makes it harder to leave! But if I stick it out until the end of May, I'll only have a month or two to temp or something to pay the bills. I'm planning to have saved enough by then, but every penny counts in the run up to emigration, I imagine.

My worry is that the whole visa thing fails (it shouldn't but I still worry, mainly about the medical) and then I'm stuck here in the UK having chucked in a good job with good prospects.

bundy

Thanks NickyC and Paul. I shall look at the samples and construct something amiable. I won't be slagging the place off, although I will be asking for an exit interview and offering some constructive criticism (re the boss, mostly). I have my references sorted already. Basically, everyone but the boss knows that I'm going and when it's likely to be....

TrickyTree

Alright Bundy

Seems the day is getting closer and closer.

As you know I will be in the same situation as you hopefully towards the end of the year.
Personally I wont be handing in my resignation until the visa is in my hand and the house has sold.

But as I write this I smile and think it will be one of the sweetest days of the whole visa process .

Good luck and hope everything goes very smoothly for you both.

TT

owieb

My wife was in a similar situation, fed up of her job, wanted to get out, busy time of year etc. But before it wore her down too much we decided to take the gamble and she handed in her notice. She was on 3 months as well. The only difference was that we did have our visas sorted by that time.

You'll be surprised at how understanding your boss may be. Your best bet is to be honest, tell them what you're doing and when you are leaving. Tell them that if there is any delay in your plans then you will be more than happy to come in and help out wherever you can.

They may tell you to bog off, but chances are if it is a busy time of year and there is somebody who can do the job (and at the same time help in handing it over to someone else) they would be foolish to turn you down.

That way, you don't have the worry about maybe not having any work if things take a bit longer, but at the same time you ease the stress by having a definite date for leaving work.

This is exactly what my wife did, the company she worked for really appreciated that she was prepared to not leave them in the lurch, plus we got ourselves some extra money as we were delayed by a few weeks!

bundy

Wotcha TT, how's it going?

I've wrestled with this decision for ages...but I think I would be leaving my job in May whether I was emigrating or not, simply because I don't want to go through another summer of hell (it would be my fifth summer) which this job requires (70+ hour weeks, on calll 24/7 for 7 weeks, total chaos, precocious american students). The money is one thing, but it certainly isn't everything.

I can't wait to hand in my notice. I shall have to wear a hard hat as my boss will certainly explode...but oh, the joy and relief!

The wierd thing is that the last day in Feb this year is the 29th as it's a leap year. Which means I'll be handing in my notice on a day that doesn't normally exist. Not sure if this is a good omen or bad!

Big 'X'

I know how you feel about handing in a res. letter. I had to suposedly give 6 months notice!. I initially had a chat with my boss and we agreed that i wouldn't hand my letter in until I had my Visa although we were both agreed on a finish date (verbally only). Thing is i should be finishing on the 15th of Jan and still haven't received my Visa!! so I have yet to hand in my letter.:scared:

In conclusion, be honest and it could by you some time.

Big 'x'

bundy

Oooohhhh, good idea. I'll definitely try that one, and it would solve many problems.

To be honest, I do feel really bad about leaving my colleagues at the worst time of year, just days before the busiest period when 1200 students turn up on our doorstep. I'd hate me if I was them. And my boss did half-joke that she would have no one else leave in May which is when most people decide to go. But she can't stop me and, at the end of the day, I have to protect my own interests. Better that I leave before the busiest period than half way through it.

The thought of being able to come back in to help out on my terms is very appealing and I shall definitely put that to the powers that be.

TrickyTree

Bundy

Things are going great at the moment.
Had a top xmas and new year with the other half and now on countdown until all the form filling starts.
Other halfs brother will be over on a WHV by Wednesday and then her folks arrive for a 2 month holiday in May.
By that time it will be all systems go and ready to hand in the apllication.

Just a quickie how easy have all the forms been to fill out?
We have had a dry run and all seemed straight forward but have you come across any big problems that have taken time to sort out?

Cheers

TT

bundy

Blimey, and I though three months was bad!

I have already sort of cleared things with Personnel, but my boss, who is an evil person, is unlikely to be at all nice to me, let alone compromise. She takes people leaving very personally and as rather an insult.

Good luck with your visa....

owieb

Cool, let us know how you get on.

bundy

Good stuff.

The forms are pretty straight forward - it's gathering the evidence that takes forever and has a definite head-against-birck-wall feeling to it. Things with us have stalled slightly while we wait for the aussie contingent to pull their fingers out and send back their stat decs. It's taking them ages because none bar one of them have passports and none of them can find their birth certs. So I'd get working on any of your aussie stat dec fillers as soon as possible.

Remember to allow 40 days for the UK police check - shorter for the aussie one, if you need it. Book your medical in good time, leave ages for getting reports from specialists/consultants/GP if you have any medical conditions.

Go through the various lists of useful evidence posted on this forum (AnthonyKirby had a good one, but there are others) and dig out as much as you can...I spent a whole weekend looking for one ancient boarding pass. And I found it!

If you've done a dry run of the forms then you have a head start...the time consuming bits are the stat decs and the police check(s)