Moving to a new company? Don't forget your digital belongings
Moving to a new company? Don't forget your digital belongings

Just like moving from one house to another, leaving a company often involves the delicate dance of deciding what to take and what to leave behind. Think of it as a professional version of Marie Kondo’s tidying method - but instead of asking “Does it spark joy?”, we’re asking “Is it legally mine to keep?”

The Ethical Packing List

Before we dive into what to take, let’s address the elephant in the room: intellectual property. It’s like borrowing your neighbor’s lawn mower - sure, you’ve been using it for years, but that doesn’t make it yours to keep. Here’s a handy rule of thumb: if it was created for your employer, on company time, or using company resources, it stays behind.

That said, there’s plenty you can ethically pack up:

1. Your Digital Workflow

Remember all those clever email rules you created to sort through the daily avalanche of Jira notifications and meeting invites? Those are yours! Document your:

  • Mailbox rules for managing notifications
  • Calendar organization systems
  • Personal productivity shortcuts

2. Your Process Templates

Think of these as your professional recipes - the basic frameworks you’ve developed for getting things done:

  • Meeting agenda templates (stripped of company-specific content)
  • Project planning frameworks
  • Personal checklists and workflows

3. Your Knowledge Management Systems

This is like your professional cookbook - the methods you’ve developed for organizing information:

  • Directory structures
  • File naming conventions
  • Personal documentation approaches

The Digital Moving Checklist

Here’s a practical timeline for gathering your belongings:

  1. Two Months Before Departure
    • Inventory your digital tools and workflows
    • Document your personal processes
    • Start collecting templates
  2. One Month Before Departure
    • Export personal contacts
    • Screenshot your favorite configurations
    • List the utilities you’ll need to replace
  3. Two Weeks Before Notice
    • Finalize documentation of your systems
    • Purchase personal licenses for must-have tools
    • Archive your workflow documents

The “Leave Behind” List

Just as important as knowing what to take is knowing what to leave:

  • Company-specific documentation
  • Client data
  • Proprietary code or algorithms
  • Internal process documents
  • Company templates and forms

Why This Matters

Think of your career as a long-running TV series. Each job is a season, and you want to carry the character development (your skills and methods) into the next season without taking the show’s props and sets with you.

Remember: The goal isn’t to replicate your old workplace at your new company - it’s to bring your best practices and personal systems while respecting intellectual property boundaries.

Start Packing Early

Don’t wait until your last two weeks to begin this process. By then, you might find yourself locked out of systems or too busy with knowledge transfer to properly document your personal workflows.

As the saying goes, “The best time to organize your professional belongings was when you started the job. The second best time is now.”

The Takeaway

Your professional tools and methods are like a well-seasoned cast iron skillet - they get better with use and deserve to go with you to your next kitchen. Just make sure you’re only packing what’s yours to take.

Remember: Your experience, skills, and personal organizational systems belong to you. The specific implementations, company data, and proprietary information belong to your employer. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and consult with HR or your manager.

After all, the best way to start a new job is with a clear conscience and a well-organized toolkit of your own making.