Should I Post a Farewell Message on LinkedIn?
Quitting a job can be an emotional experience. You’ve likely formed bonds and relationships with coworkers over the months or years at your current company. A natural desire is to publicly say goodbye or thank people you’ve worked with. Posting a farewell message on LinkedIn may seem like a good idea, but there are risks to consider.
Potential Benefits of a Farewell Post
Here are some possible upsides of writing a LinkedIn goodbye post:
- Lets your connections know you’re moving on. A post spreads the word efficiently compared to telling people one-by-one.
- Creates an opportunity to thank coworkers, clients, and managers.
- Allows you to reflect on positives from your time at the company.
- Could lead to new connections, job leads, or business opportunities.
If done thoughtfully, a farewell post can provide closure and let you highlight meaningful experiences or relationships.
Risks of Writing a Goodbye Post
However, there are also potential downsides to consider:
- Could damage relationships if not handled diplomatically. Negative language or venting frustrations is risky.
- May alert colleagues earlier than you hoped if you wanted to delay the news.
- Overly emotional language may damage your professional brand or come across as unpolished.
- Former employers may see the post and take issue with the content.
- Highlighting specific individuals could offend those not mentioned.
The biggest risk is burning bridges through insensitive language or sharing too much. Venting, negativity, or revealing confidential information should all be avoided.
Keys to Writing a Professional Farewell Post
If you do decide to publish a LinkedIn goodbye, keep these tips in mind:
- Keep the tone positive, gracious and forward focused.
- Thank people generally rather than calling out individuals.
- Share your new career plans briefly without bashing your current role.
- Proofread for typos, grammar errors or accidental confidential info.
- Ask trusted colleagues to review the draft and give feedback.
- Notify your manager first before posting publicly.
With care, forethought and diplomacy, a farewell post can be sentimental without burning bridges. But proceed with caution given the risks involved.
When Is a Goodbye Post Appropriate?
As a general rule, a public farewell message is best suited for the following situations:
- You’re leaving a job on good terms for positive reasons.
- You worked at the company for several years and established close working relationships.
- Your role involved extensive client/customer interactions and partnerships.
- You’re moving into a substantially different next role or career direction.
- You received recognition awards or accomplished major projects at the job.
In contrast, here are some scenarios where a goodbye post may be risky or unnecessary:
- You only worked at the company for a short time.
- Relationships with colleagues or management are strained or contentious.
- You’re taking another role very similar to your current position.
- Your work was largely independent with minimal interactions.
- You wish to keep the news private for competitive reasons.
Take time to evaluate your specific circumstances before deciding if a public post aligns with your transition.
What Should I Include in a Farewell Post?
If crafting a goodbye message, aim to make it professional, sincere and thoughtful. Elements to include:
- Thank colleagues, managers, clients generally for the experiences and opportunities.
- Note 1-2 sentences on key accomplishments or projects you enjoyed.
- Briefly explain your next move at a high level to provide closure.
- Share what you appreciated most about the role or company culture.
- Offer to connect individually with close contacts moving forward.
At the same time, avoid:
- Specifics on why you’re leaving or critiquing the company/management.
- Overly negative emotional venting about frustrations.
- Farewells to individual co-workers by name.
- Confidential information on projects, clients or company issues.
- Job-seeking asks or solicitations.
Keep things positive, gracious, and focused on the highlights. This maintains professionalism and protects your brand.
Sample Farewell Post
Below is a hypothetical example of a solid LinkedIn goodbye post:
After 3 years at XYZ Company, this week marks my last as I move on to a new opportunity. I’m incredibly grateful for my time here and the chance to work with so many talented people. The team at XYZ is doing amazing work, and I know there are exciting things ahead. I wanted to thank my colleagues and leadership for their partnership and for making this such a meaningful experience. The chance to lead the rollout of our new client portal is an experience I’ll never forget. I’m sad to say goodbye but feel positive about the future. I’ll be starting next month as a Product Manager at 123 Industries. I look forward to staying in touch, and please reach out if I can ever be a resource!
This strikes a balance of expressing appreciation, highlighting accomplishments, sharing key details, and inviting future contact. The tone remains gracious, diplomatic and forward-focused.
Key Takeaways
Posting a farewell message on LinkedIn when leaving a job can be rewarding, but also has serious risks. To recap the key considerations:
- Proceed cautiously as posts can have unintended consequences, such as burning bridges.
- Notify your manager first before sharing news publicly.
- Craft the tone and content thoughtfully to avoid negativity or damaging relationships.
- Stick to the positives like thanking people and recalling accomplishments.
- Only post if you left on good terms after an extended period of time in the role.
- Focus on the future and invite people to stay in touch moving forward.
With prudence and care, a farewell message can provide closure and express gratitude without missteps. But also know when to forego a post to protect yourself and professional relationships.