When it comes to the end of the employment contract there are a few things that you need to do to ensure that you leave on good terms and that you are set up for your next role.
Handover
When you are leaving a role it's important to ensure that you handover your work to someone else. This could be another developer on the team or a new developer that is joining the team.
This handover should include all the work that you have done, any documentation that you have created, and any knowledge that you have gained while working on the project.
This will ensure that the project can continue to be developed without you and that the new developer can pick up where you left off.
Send Final Invoice
If you are a contractor then you will need to send a final invoice to the company that you have been working for. This should include all the work that you have done and any expenses that you have incurred while working for the company.
Clean Your Workstation
- Ensure that all your local code is pushed to the repository
- Delete any accounts that you have with the old employer
- Remove any files for the company from your computer
- Remove ssh keys from your computer
- Clean up your development environment
Update Your Portfolio
If you have a portfolio website then you should update this with the work that you have done while working for the company. This will help you to show off your work to potential employers.
Make the same updates to LinkedIn and your CV.
Ask For A Reference
Gather any client feedback you had about your work and ask for a reference from your employer. This will help you in your next role to show that you are a good developer and that you have done good work in the past.
Decide What You Want To Do Next
Decide what you want to do next. Maybe you want some time off before starting your next job. Maybe you want to jump straight back into a contract. You might even want to spend some time working on a new skill or language for the next contract. Now is a good time to do a course or certificate in learning a new skill. Work out where you want to take your next career move.
Start Job Hunting
Leverage online job boards, professional networking platforms, and industry associations to discover openings that match your qualifications.
Work On Personal Projects
A good way to enhance your skills and also add to your portfolio is to work on a personal project. You’ll get to use a new skill at the same time.