Creating and submitting a professional resignation letter can impact how past and prospective employers and coworkers perceive you.
Your letter of resignation should be short. Include your last day of employment, an offer to help with the transition, and gratitude to your soon-to-be former employer.
Do not publicise your problems or speak negatively about the firm or coworkers in your resignation letter.
What is a resignation letter?
Employees must provide their employer with a proper employment resignation letter when they decide to leave their work. According to Pat Roque, career transition coach at Rock on Success, a job resignation letter is a formal statement of an employee’s quitting strategy.
“It’s a compulsory document that goes into your employee records,” Roque explained to Business News Daily. “Think of it as the final chapter of your previous company’s journey.”
Your letter should be written in a neutral tone, informing your employer that you will be leaving and on what date, as well as offering to aid in the transition to someone new and thanking them for the time, you spent on the team. Regardless of how you feel about your job or boss, remaining professional, pleasant, and helpful provides closure and a constructive route forward.
“Always keep the door open,” Roque advised, “since you never know when you might want to return or even work with other colleagues in a future career elsewhere.”
According to James Rice, Picked’s head of SEO, while you will most likely be required to submit a typical resignation letter, it is always advisable to plan a meeting with your manager to personally hand over the note and discuss your departure in person.
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What your resignation letter should say
Although the particular contents of your job resignation letter can be adjusted to your position and company, a few essential parts should always be included.
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Roque recommended including the following elements:
- Your end date. Provide your formal end date, preferably at least two weeks ahead of time.
- Help in the transition. Express your willingness to engage with your boss or successor to ensure a smooth and easy transition, including your availability to discuss your workload and status updates.
- Thanks to you for the opportunity. Find something positive to say, regardless of how you feel about a coworker or how toxic the job has become.
- Inquiry about instructions (optional). Request explicit instructions concerning final job commitments if you aren’t already aware of your company’s exit protocol. Some employers may ask you to go immediately, while others may have you involved in a transition over two weeks, or they may ask you to work from home and meet HR on your last official day to return your laptop.
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According to Alex Twersky, co-founder of Resume Deli, offering to help train a replacement, preparing the company for your departure, and expressing thanks are all crucial components of a job resignation letter.
“Conjure up… “Make the most of your time at work and keep that image in mind while you write your resignation letter,” suggested Twersky. “Make your boss believe they were amazing even if they weren’t. [You could] receive a nice recommendation from it.”
Tip: Include your resignation date, gratitude for the opportunity, commitment to a smooth transition, and a request for exit procedure guidelines in your resignation letter (if applicable).