Workplaces are becoming more fluid. Gone are the days of working with one company for your entire career. Now, it’s likely that someone entering the workforce may change companies five, six, or seven times throughout the course of their career. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 3.6 million people quit their jobs in May, the highest rate since April 2001. While changing companies is becoming more commonplace, it’s important to note that the way a person leaves can have a positive or negative impact on their career. “And as you accelerate your career and your progress, from point to point, just the way the world works today you will consistently need to interact with, hear about, hear from, the people in all of those different jobs,” says New York City-based executive coach Shefali Raina. It’s important to follow protocol and get all of the housekeeping details correct. If confidentiality, non-competes, and other guidelines are required, those should be followed meticulously. It’s also important to keep the reasoning for the exit forward-focused. “Make sure you have a clear, compelling, and comprehensive response, and that it is focused on the growth and potential in the new opportunity; that it is about moving toward something new and not running away from something here,” Raina says.