As the old adage goes, all good things must come to an end.

My Afterword partner, Derrick Dubois, is leaving the UVM Foundation to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot.

He’s off to the Aviation Technology Program at Vermont Technical College which, in partnership with the Vermont Flight Academy, offers the only pilot certification/licensure program in the state of Vermont.

I’ll miss my partner here on the ol’ blog, but I’m really happy for Derrick. He’s making his dream a reality — which is not always an easy thing to do. To send him off, we made one last overly dramatized Afterword video for you:

And in true Afterword form, Derrick and I put together some tips and lessons learned from his experience to share with you.

3 Tips for Transitioning out of a Job

1. Give appropriate notice – once you’ve accepted a new job, a grad program, or whatever your next step may be, be sure to give your current employer notice of your departure. Work with your direct supervisor to decide on an end date and communicate that date with the rest of your organization.

2. Wrap it up – take stock of the projects and programs you work on. Set ‘hand-over’ meetings with those who will take over (whether permanently or temporarily) for you. Make sure important files are saved on shared drives so they can be accessed by your successor and share any instructions and log in information that needs to be passed on before you leave.

3. Keep in touch – leave the lines of communication open when you leave. Be available to answer questions or help locate a file or contact for your old colleagues and the person who takes your place. You never know when you’ll need your old colleagues.

Farewell, Derrick. Don’t be a stranger…

— Ryan