Exit Interview

As part of our company’s regulations for resigning employees, an exit interview was conducted on me by one of the personnel from HR department.

First I was requested to answer an exit interview questionnaire which is just asking whether I agree or disagree on the given statement and after that the interviewer based her questions from my answers on that questionnaire. 

The interviewer explained to me that the exit interview is a chance for them to know more the reasons why an employee resigns so that they can try to upgrade the company’s system especially on matters of salary and benefits which are always the reason of employees’ resignation and transfer to other companies.  This will be very hard for employees who resign because they will transfer to other companies … surely they will be asked as to how much is the offer they get from another company and what benefits they will enjoy.

In my case, since I won’t be transferring to other companies, the exit interview became a friendly talk between me and the interviewer.  She even shared her own experience of having been a full time mother for one year but eventually she went back to work because she got bored and because of the pressure of her parents telling her that she just wasted her time studying to get a degree because she is not practicing it.  But she said that her children (now adults) tell her that the most memorable part of their life is when she became a full time mom to them.

It was a relaxing exit interview that I have and the interviewer even asked me to consider returning to the company if ever I change my mind and decided to go back to the corporate world again.  Well, that’s also what my department manager told me but as of now, that's still out of my mind.

It’s My Last Week at Work

This is my last week at work and I’m excited but at the same time a little anxious and sad.

I’m excited because at last my dream of staying at home has come true.  I will be with my family most of the time, no more deadlines for drawings to be submitted and most of all I won’t be enduring the hardship of commuting every day.

On the other hand, I feel a little anxious because this is my first time to stay at home after working full time for more than eighteen years.  Although I spend time with my family every night, every weekend and every holiday, being with them every day is definitely a new experience for me.  I really don’t know what I will be expecting being a full time mother … I have read stories and experiences of other stay at home moms and so far they give me the idea but every family is different just like as every person is unique so I still have that little anxiety running through my mind.

Lastly, I also feel sad because with my eighteen years of working full time, eight years of which is with my current company, I have made friends with a lot of my officemates, friendships that blossomed for years and now we will not be seeing each other that often.

Anyway, all these feelings are normal for persons going through a transition in life and I am not exempted from it.  I know these feelings will pass and reality will take its place … life wouldn’t be easier because I will be a full time mom but with God’s guidance and blessings I believe I will be living a great life.

Questions

In as much that I want to make my resignation from our office as silent as possible, it can’t really be avoided that news of my resignation have reached some of my officemates from other departments that every time they see me they ask me if what they heard is true.  Well, there’s no need to deny it.

The first question that my officemates ask me once I said yes is “Where are you going?”.  It’s always the common question asked to resigning employees here because in our line of business, the manpower demand had been rising lately.  Aside from local competitors, the demand abroad had started to rise again after a few years of slowing down. 

Whenever I tell them that I’m going nowhere and that I’ll be going to be a full time mother, it seems that they don’t believe me.  Well, if they won’t believe me, then it’s not my problem but I can’t also blame them, we have some officemates who didn’t tell the truth when they resign … I can’t get the reason why some people has to make up stories when they resign … the company will try to persuade you not to go on with your plan but if you are really decided, they can’t do anything but to just let you go.  As long as you follow the company’s rules on proper exit, the company has no reason to hold anything against you.  So, just tell the truth.    

The second question usually asked is “Are you sure you won’t get bored at home?”  Though I can’t answer it now still I’m optimistic that I won’t.  Who will be bored raising two energetic kids?  Maybe stressed … but not bored.  Even if my kids would be at school, I have a lot of work to be done at home that I know I would be occupied with.

The third question asked is “Are you financially ready?”  Well, we have been preparing for this for two years and I can say that “we’re ready!”.  This is not just a spur of the moment decision, we have planned for this so I believe that we will be fine.  Living a simple life together with my family and with God’s guidance, I’m sure we will be doing great. 

Others may not understand why I chose to leave the corporate world despite the financial rewards that I get but I don’t have to explain to them.  All I know is that, this decision will be healthy for my family especially to my kids.