Congratulations, you’ve done it! You have collaborated with your rockin’ talent acquisition specialist to discover your next career chapter. You nervously prepared for your interviews, showed up with confidence, and knocked the socks off the management team. It’s all peachy as you celebrate your newfound gainful employment and then it hits you…you must tell your current employer. Let’s face it, saying good-bye is never easy but writing your resignation letter can be. Let’s chat resignation letter how to’s! Let’s start with the basics. Here’s a simple formula to writing resignation letters:
Current Date + Statement of Resignation + End Date + Gratitude + Transition Details = Resignation Success!
Current Date – Start with a formal heading including name, address, and the date. Think old school snail mail letter writing.
Statement of Resignation – Begin with a brief statement of your intent to leave your current role. Less is more! For example:
“Please accept this as my formal resignation from [insert role here] with [insert company here] will suffice.“
End Date – Here’s the fun part; let your employer know when your last day with their company will be. Hopefully this is also the first day of your mini between job vacation! The golden rule is two weeks from delivery of your letter.
Gratitude – A heartfelt thank you for all the wonderful opportunities employment with the company has awarded you. Practicing brevity is also appropriate in these concluding comments. A common go to is:
“Thank you for the opportunities you have offered me through [x number of years with company here]. This role has supported my growth both personally and professionally. I appreciate the warm environment [x company here] has provided, I truly looked forward to coming to work each day.”
Transition Details – Let’s be real, whoever is coming in to fill your role will have some big shoes to fill! Bonus points if you can do one last good deed for your former employer and support them in the hiring process as you transition out of the company. If your situation allows, include an offer to support the transition of your role.
Now that we’ve covered the resignation letter how to formula for success, let’s discuss what NOT to do.
- Don’t include extensive details about why you are leaving or your new job opportunity. There’s no need to explain your reasoning or justify your departure in the letter. This information can be covered in a conversation with your boss, if needed.
- Don’t burn the bridge! Whatever your reasons are for leaving this employment opportunity, it is a part of your career journey. This employer will be a part of your resume and employment history go forward! Maintaining a warm connection with this employer keeps them in your professional network, increases the likelihood they’ll be willing to support you with a letter of recommendation, and it leaves the door open for future employment opportunities!
- Don’t include anything negative. If you’re leaving the company due to dissatisfaction, this is not the avenue to discuss your grievances, talk poorly about the company, or complain about your colleagues.
- Don’t forget to be professional. This is the LAST impression you are making on this employer, exercise politeness and respect! Channel your inner Maya Angelou…” people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
That wasn’t so bad, was it?! The absolute most important element of writing a successful resignation letter than both delivers your message and closes the chapter on a good note is being YOU! Authenticity in your writing and delivery speaks volumes. Now go craft the perfect resignation letter and get back to celebrating! Congratulations, you quit it!