It is important to conduct yourself in a professional and respectful manner when resigning from a position. Submitting a well written resignation letter will help ensure a good relationship with your former manager and firm.
A resignation letter should be short and to the point. It should not be longer than one page.
Keep your letter positive and professional. There are a number of reasons why your resignation letter should not be used to address grievances or frustrations:
- You may want to return to the employer, or work with that manager at another company in the future.
- You may want to use them for a reference.
- The company will likely keep this on file and may refer to it in the future if you seek to come back or ask for a reference.
Your resignation letter will likely be delivered in a face to face meeting with management, or immediately after such a meeting. Drafting the main points of a letter in advance will help focus you for that conversation, you can then fine tune it if needed after the meeting.
Some things to include:
- Date your letter so there is written documentation of when you are giving formal notice.
- Keep the opening paragraph concise and to the point clearly stating your intention to resign.
- Provide the date of your last day of employment
- Extend an offer of support indicating your willingness to assist with training and knowledge transfer.
- Thank the person for the opportunity. Though factors have caused you to leave, your manager did invest time and resources in you. It’s appropriate to thank them for the opportunity.
Some things to avoid:
- Do not vent or air grievances about the role, or what either the company or manager is doing that is causing you to leave.
- Don’t take up causes or document grievances on behalf of your coworkers
- Do not boast about how the new opportunity or company is better.
- You don’t have to explain why you are leaving.
- Don’t send a letter with spelling or grammatical errors.
A Sample Resignation Letter:
(Current date)
Manager’s name
Company Name
Address
Dear (Manager’s Name),
Please accept this letter as formal notification of my resignation from (Company Name). My last day with the company will be (date).
Before I leave, I will ensure that all my projects are completed as far as possible, and I am happy to assist in any way to ensure a smooth handover to my replacement.
I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work at (Company) for (years of service). During this time, I have thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere within the team and will miss our interactions.
While I am excited by the new opportunities that I will be pursuing, I will always remember my time at (Company Name) with affection. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further information after I leave, and I would be delighted if you stay in touch.
Kind regards,
(Your signature)
(Your printed name)