I recently watched a TED video with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and it stimulated my thinking further. If you have started looking for another job it does not mean you have to mentally check out of your current one. This is a common occurrence; most people who have had enough of their current environment will no longer participate fully, will shy away from additional responsibility and ignore any new opportunities that might come their way. Does this sound like you?

My recommendation is to continue to exceed expectations, put your hand up for project work and ask for more challenging activities to keep you stimulated. 

Be proactive and remain engaged until the day you leave the organisation, not a day before.

You never know you may unearth a new role within the organisation you are in or impress a manager from another business unit who may be hiring.

Can I pose a question to you - how would you prefer to be remembered?  As a hard working results
orientated person who delivers OR someone who lacks drive and shows no commitment to the team.  If you mentally check out before you leave your current organisation they will remember you for the latter. 

Some people have been shocked when they have not received an offer of the role they were expecting because of comments from their referees.  Unless prompted most referees will be thinking about your performance over the past six months as it is recent.  They may not remember the bright eyed, enthusiastic, over achiever who worked there prior to that. 

If you would like to hear what Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has to say, go to http://www.ted.com/talks/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders.html

About the author

With Tracy you can be sure that your career goals, whether you're changing jobs mid career or later in life, will be met with a customised career coaching programme. Coaching opens the mind to alternatives, new thinking, solutions and different ways of approaching situations. It is also a time of reflection, self-evaluation and big picture thinking.