Everyone Talks About Making a First Impression, But What About Your Last One?

At 9:12 a.m., Natalie was prepping to lead a team meeting. By 9:30, her badge was turned in, her laptop was gone and she was out the door—laid off without warning. No goodbye. Just gone.

Luis gave his notice—and let his frustration do the talking. He vented, named names and made his exit loud. In the moment, it felt satisfying. Later, it cost him. Relationships frayed. Credibility cracked.

Priya’s last day was a Friday, but she’d started planning her exit weeks in advance. She’d wrapped her projects cleanly, handed them off with care and made time for the relationships she wanted to keep. Her exit was strategic, generous and unmistakably professional.

Three exits. Three very different outcomes.

One disappeared. One burned bridges. One built them.

Most people plan their first 90 days at a job—learning their new role, setting goals, getting early wins. But their last two weeks or final day? That part often gets rushed, neglected or avoided altogether. In the case of an unexpected exit, the end can be even more difficult to navigate.

Overlooking how you handle your departure isn’t just a missed step—it’s a missed opportunity. And in biopharma, where trust travels faster than resumes, your final impression can shape your reputation more than your actual results.

It’s called the peak-end rule. People remember two things most about an experience: the most emotionally intense moment and how something ends. In the workplace, that means the tone and timing of your departure may matter more than months of steady work.

Whether you’re heading out for a new role or navigating an unexpected exit, it’s worth asking:
What story are you leaving behind?

Once you’ve accepted a new offer, it’s natural to start thinking ahead. But that’s when people tend to check out too soon. It’s tempting to focus on what’s ahead instead of what’s in front of you.

This is when being present matters most—not just for your team, who still needs your guidance, but also for you. How you leave is your chance to shape what people remember.

Here are four tips for leaving when the exit is your decision.

Your last weeks still count. Don’t disengage. Don’t disappear. Keep showing up like someone whose work still matters—because it does.

Make your handoff clear and useful. Offer to train your successor. Flag what’s ahead.
A clean exit isn’t just about closure. It’s about making sure the team can keep moving forward, even after you’re gone.

A few thank-you notes. A warm farewell message. A one-on-one coffee before you go.
These aren’t just niceties. They’re the moments people remember, and the ones that shape what they remember about you.

Let people know how to reach you, and stay in touch. You may not be looking for work now, but the relationships you keep shape future opportunities.

Maybe it came out of nowhere. Maybe you saw signs but hoped you were wrong. Either way, you didn’t get to choose the timing or the terms.

You don’t owe them anything, but this isn’t about helping them. It’s about helping yourself. Because in a tight talent market, the way you handle your exit can set you apart and help you land your next role.

Here are four tips for leaving when the exit isn’t your decision.

When you get the news, you don’t have to hide that it’s hard, whether you’re sad, stunned or angry at the situation. But staying grounded, even briefly, can shift the energy around you. People may not remember what was said, but they’ll remember how it felt to be around you as it unfolded.

Once the shock fades, consider a short email with something useful: a status update, where to find a key file. You don’t have to do much. But a brief gesture—shared when you’re ready—can leave people thinking, “That’s someone I’d work with again.”

Consider the story you want to tell about your exit—not just to others but also to yourself. What did you learn? What will you carry forward? When the job ends abruptly, the story you walk away with becomes the beginning of what’s next.

Sometimes the moment you didn’t choose becomes the one that proves who you are.

When it feels right, reach out to the people who mattered. A short message—“I appreciated working with you”—can go a long way. It signals professionalism and self-respect. It helps close the loop with grace and keeps relationships intact even after the role ends.

Leaving a role isn’t just the end of a chapter. It’s a moment people remember—sometimes more than the work itself.

If you’re choosing to move on, you have the benefit of time: time to wrap things up, thank the people who mattered and leave things ready for whoever comes next. If you were laid off or let go abruptly, you may not have had the chance to say goodbye or find closure. Still, how you carry yourself in the days that follow—what you say, how you engage—quietly shapes what people remember.

In an industry where referrals carry weight and word travels fast, final moments matter. They influence how your name is spoken in rooms you’re not in. Sometimes, that last interaction is what nudges the next door open—or quietly closes it. So, before you leave, whatever the circumstances, ask yourself: Am I leaving in a way that my future self will thank me for—one that reflects well on who I am as a person and an employee?