All good things have to end, and all bad things have to end very soon.
It’s time to write a resignation letter, one of the many varieties of business letters, if you’re stuck at a company that doesn’t value your abilities and work ethic or if you’re prepared to start down a new professional path. To learn how to write a resignation letter perfectly, stick to this page.
What Is a Letter of Resignation?
A letter of resignation is an official communication from a worker to their employer informing them that they will be leaving their position. In other words, it is a formal method of giving up. A letter of resignation should be used to give formal notice of resignation, specify the end day of employment, lay out any necessary future steps, and foster goodwill toward the employer.
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How to Write a Resignation Letter
So, if you’re prepared to leave your 9 to 5 job behind, grab a bottle of wine or a cold brew (depending on the situation) and discover how to quit politely.
Include a Heading
Any resignation letter needs to start with the date written and the location of the business. The letter’s date of composition is crucial because you’ll eventually put the date of your resignation in it.
Your resignation letter’s date at the top serves as a trustworthy record of the time you informed management of the change. You can use the letter as evidence that you did your due diligence if there are any regrettable errors on your departure day.
The timestamp is already present in resignation emails if you are authoring one. However, feel free to add the date in the email’s body if you want it to stand out as a crucial component of your resignation.
Whether sending an email or a printed copy, it is also advised to put the company’s name and address in the header.
It can seem odd to include a mailing address as you will probably be handing this letter directly to the relevant staff members. A time-honored custom of resignation letters calls for the address, which also serves to specifically identify the business you are leaving. Again, it’s better to be specific than sorry when quitting a company.
Keep your letter of resignation’s opening formal yet cordial. Your resignation letter doesn’t have to sound personal even though you’re quitting.
If you’re unsure about who will be receiving the letter, start with “Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. BOSS NAME,” “Dear COMPANY NAME,” or even “To whoever it may concern.”
If you are close with your manager or boss, use their first name instead of last.
Describe your Goal:
You must be succinct and to the point when writing a resignation letter. It should be quite apparent in the first paragraph that you are leaving the company.
Here are a few instances of how to succinctly and obviously describe your goal:
- I’m writing to let you know that I’ve decided to leave my position as project manager at Logistics Company.
- “I hereby tender my resignation as Project Manager at Healthcare Company with deep regret and thanks.”
- “With the submission of this letter, I officially resign from Construction Company.”
Writing a sentence this direct and frank may definitely seem awkward. You never address a friend or member of your family in such a formal manner. However, it’s crucial to use honest language.
Your letter should make it apparent if you’ve made up your mind to go and can’t be persuaded differently. If not, there can be some ambiguity while management looks for methods to keep you around.
You should speak with your manager before writing a letter of resignation if you want a greater income or a promotion. When you’re prepared to move on to other chances, only submit a letter of resignation.
Decide a Deadline:
After informing management of your vacation, you must specify when your job will end. Depending on the specifics, most organizations require two weeks’ notice or more. For instance, if you’re in the middle of a protracted project, you can promise management that you’ll stick with them to the end.
Please explain your need to leave earlier than two weeks in advance if necessary. You don’t need to provide much detail. For instance, if you need to take time off to take care of a sick family member, it is private information that you don’t have to disclose. Instead, you could decide to inform your employer that you need to leave sooner than the usual two-week notice period owing to an urgent situation.
The importance of providing this precise date cannot be overstated. One benefit is that it gives you additional means of clearly telling your management team that you are departing. Another benefit is that it enables management to properly plan for your absence. They can determine what work is possible to do and what will be left behind after you go if they have a specific date in mind.
Related: Retracting Resignation: Tips for going back to your Old Job
Specify the Rationale for your Resignation (optional):
It’s possible that, if you’ve been a worker there for a while, your managers and coworkers are more than that. They might be friends of yours, have watched your children, or co-own a sailboat with you (weirder things have happened).
Include that in the next section of your resignation letter if you want to inform them of your future plans. Humans need resolution, so explaining your decision to leave can help your bosses determine whether the working relationship will conclude amicably.
Here are some examples of how to define the next stage of your life:
- Despite my disappointment at leaving this organization, I am excited to begin my graduate studies in finance at “UNIVERSITY NAME”.
- “I think accepting my recent out-of-state job offer is best for my family and me,” the person said.
- I’ve worked at “CURRENT COMPANY” for many delightful years, but I’m leaving to focus on my music career full-time.
Ideally, your employer cares about you and is pleased to see that you are moving forward in your life. Recall that leaving is not the same as breaking up because a company is not a person. It’s simple to feel bad about letting go of the things and people you were enthusiastic about. However, at the end of the day, we have to look out for our own interests.
You may decide not to go into much detail if the professional relationship is ending badly. Perhaps an exit interview would be a better place for that information.
Here are a few instances of how you can explain your departure without going into too much detail:
- “I’ve made the decision to resign after much thought,”
- “I have made the decision to resign from my work at COMPANY NAME for personal reasons,”
- “I will no longer be at COMPANY NAME due to unforeseen circumstances,”
Because everyone’s interaction with coworkers and management is unique, customize your resignation letter.
Make a Transition Assistance Offer:
You put in a lot of work for your business. There will surely be a void where your diligent effort once existed after you are gone. Despite the fact that it is not your obligation to care about the firm after you leave, it is kind to offer assistance with the transition during the time you are on notice.
This offer might not be feasible if the business intends to hire a replacement. You won’t remain there that long because the hiring process can take weeks or even months.
However, managers might appreciate an offer to spend some of your last days at the company training other team members who could fairly execute your job or parts of it.
Offers to assist with staff training or other aspects of the transition may take the form of:
- I acknowledge the potential impact my absence may have on the graphic design team and offer to train the junior designers to carry out some of my more difficult duties.
- “I wish the organization ongoing success after my leave and will be available to train my colleagues in advance of this transition,”
Once more, this action is optional. It’s a gesture that demonstrates your willingness to go above and above to ease the burden of your departure. The majority of employees whose particular duties and abilities are challenging to replace are advised to take this action.
Express Gratitude:
This section of the resignation letter, in which you thank the company for everything it has done for you, is essential.
This section of the resignation letter is also excellent for preserving the good connection we talked about. You get to express your gratitude for the chance once more and wrap out the conversation with a positive note—or, more precisely, a positive letter.
This section gives you the chance to be more descriptive about some of the aspects of this employment that you have valued. Additionally, it shows management that you enjoyed the position and learned valuable lessons from it.
Here are some instances of formal yet sincere methods to thank your manager or the management group for the chance:
- “I want to thank you and everyone at Technology Company for giving me the chance to work in a sales department that is expanding quickly. Unquestionably, the experiences I’ve had here have helped me become a better speaker and critical thinker.
- “Thank you for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading the research team; I have truly loved my time at Marketing Company. You’ve not only helped me develop my capacity to solve problems, but also my ability to ask for the resources I need to succeed.
- “I genuinely appreciate everything Logistics Company has taught me. Most of all, I appreciate the effort management does to guarantee that every employee receives appropriate training and plenty of chances for professional development.
Once again, listing your grievances in this section is not appropriate. Additionally, you should be cautious about what you write due to the ethos of the internet and social media, which encourages screenshotting and sharing. Particularly as you enter a competitive job market, you don’t want a fit of rage to be the letter that goes viral on Twitter.
Regardless of your employment history, being able to speak positively about the position could have a significant impact on your professional connection. After all, you never know when you might need to cite a position, business, or manager as a reference to land a new job.
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End on a Gracious Note:
You should conclude politely, just like you would with any essay or letter. It is not necessary for something to be elaborate or lengthy. It merely serves as a tidy conclusion to all you’ve said.
Make this area a little bit more personal if you and your boss or other coworkers got along well. But keep it formal. Writing an impassioned poetry about how the sun shines into the kitchen on Taco Tuesday is not appropriate for resignation letters. However, that would make a lovely farewell card.
Here are some examples of official, yet considerate, ways to wrap up your resignation letter:
- “I’m happy to discuss any more queries or worries you may have regarding my departure, and I am willing to wait to inform other staff until you feel it is appropriate to do so,”
- “Again, I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me throughout my three years at Sales Company. I want to keep our friendly relationship going.”
- “I send you and everyone at Advertising Company my best wishes as you keep having a great influence on customers all across the world”.
It would be acceptable to reiterate your offer to train coworkers or new hires if you have previously made it.
Finish with a Signature:
Although it might seem unnecessary, remember to sign your name at the conclusion.
This establishes your identity as the sender, verifies the letter’s conclusion, and helps to personalize it.
Make sure to sign off your letter with a closing salutation like “sincerely,” “warmly,” “regards,” or anything similar. Again, the word you select may be a reflection of your relationship with the business and its personnel.
Resignation Letter Sample
Here is a resignation letter template you can fill in with your personal details. Remember, you are not required to include your reason for resigning in your letter:
[Current date]
Dear [Name of Supervisor],
Accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from the position of [Title]. I’ll be leaving [Company] on [End date].
I am happy to assist you with any training activities during my last weeks on the job to make the transition after my departure easier. I’m going to make sure my replacement has clear instructions and current paperwork.
I would want to take this opportunity to thank you for the knowledge and experience I have obtained by working here. I am very appreciative of the time I have spent working with our team and the connections I have made in the business world. It’s been a pleasure working with you, and I hope to run into you again soon.
Sincerely,
[Your printed name and signature]
If you decide to give a reason for leaving, either in your letter or in your conversation with your employer, be specific and upbeat, concentrating on the benefits of the transition rather than the events that led to it. Be formal and professional at all times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time must pass before resignation?
Depending on your job role and level of work, the notice period often lasts between one and three months. However, there are some circumstances, such as moving to a new area or a family emergency, which force employees to request a shorter notice time. A short notice resignation is what this is.
Can your manager reject your resignation?
An employee's resignation cannot be accepted or rejected by the employer. Normally, when an employee's resignation is accepted by the employer, they continue working as usual until the conclusion of the notice period, at which point their employment expires.
Can I send my resignation letter by email?
Can I resign via email? Yes. Generally, it is advisable to submit a formal resignation letter together with your resignation in person. However, there are some circumstances, such as remote employment or personal crises, that do call for a resignation email.
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