Parting is such sweet sorrow

If you're currently employed, you'll have to decide if you want your boss to know you are considering a career change. If you think it may threaten your present job, don't tell anyone.

If you think the news will be favorably received, discuss your ambitions with your manager. You may even be able to get some tuition reimbursement from your company if the courses you want to take enhance your performance in your present job.

Even if relations at your current place of work are stretched, continue to be civil and professional even after you have handed in your notice.

Reputations can spread within an industry, if you are moving to another company in the same sector you do not want it spread about that you are unsociable or a bad employee. If possible you want a glowing reference when you leave so keep things on a good footing.

Once you have decided where you are moving onto, you will have to hand in your notice. Ideally you will have a new position lined up so the only time when you are out of work is a week at most.

The standard period of notice is one month, but this depends on how long you have been with the company. If you have a job lined up, you have to make sure they know that you have to serve your notice period before you can start work with them.

Once you have left your job you will have your P45 posted to you. This is a form that shows your tax code and is very important because it tells your employer how much tax you should pay. A P45 is made up of 3 parts, you should keep Part 1A as a record of your pay and tax and hand the P45 Parts 2 and 3 to your new employer as soon as you start. If for some reason you don't have a P45, your new employer will give you a temporary P46 form.

If you have a pension, share buying options or a health plan with your company read your documentation to see what will happen to these when you move on.