Although some people are able to hold down a job at the same company throughout their life, others will have inevitably hopped from one business to the next. Whether you feel like your prospects are better elsewhere or because you feel like it’s time to slow down, resigning is a process that can easily scare people. Written poorly, a resignation can and will burn bridges – and depending on the industry, it may have repercussions when trying to find a future job. To ensure that everyone can move on while also being respectful to your current employers, it’s essential that we are able to write a resignation letter that is both professional and graceful. Should you be looking to change jobs in the future or near future, this article is for you!
The resignation
There are many ways to write a resignation, but every proper resignation letter contains three elements:
1. Your declaration to resign
2. When your last day will be
3. Precisely why you are resigning and what happens next (sometimes optional)
The start of a resignation letter largely depends on why and how you want to leave.
If you want to leave on good terms – for example, if you want to retire or found a better work opportunity elsewhere but still enjoyed your time at the current place – then it doesn’t hurt to start the letter by showing appreciation to your employer for the work and experiences that you’ve shared together.
On the other hand, if you want to resign because you felt mistreated or suffered of poor experiences, it’s important not to let your emotions get to you. Simply declare your intent to resign – there’s no obligation to butter up your employer, but antagonising them is far from professional.
Once you’ve stated your intent, you need to state when your last day of work will be. This depends on your contract and can range anywhere from immediately to 3-months. Regardless, it’s important to give an exact date, as your employer will need time to arrange your replacement and/or deal with any outstanding tasks or responsibilities.
With the administrative stuff out of the way, some people choose to conclude their resignation then and there. You don’t always have to give a reason why you want to resign – which makes “I’m leaving for personal reasons” a reason that gets used quite often.
Not being specific with why you want to leave also has additional benefits. If the resignation is due to dissatisfaction with the company, saying that you want to leave for “personal reasons” keeps a neutral relationship with the company – which is handy for if you want a positive reference for your CV, explains The Balance Careers. The same can be said if you are open to reapplying for the position in the future once you’ve sorted out your “personal reasons”!
Whatever your reason for resigning is, if you valued your relationship with your employer, then explaining why you want to leave is an important way of providing feedback to your boss or the HR department – perhaps it’ll get them to address a recurring mistake or bad work practice that management refuses to do anything about.
Furthermore, putting your reason for leaving in writing is good for keeping the record straight (especially if you have a manager or boss who is prone to fudging or mixing up details). Having a clear record of your concerns on file ensures can help to prevent any disputes later on.
These are just the basics of a resignation letter, but if you want to go above and beyond to assist your colleagues and employer with your exit, Entrepreneur suggests that you can offer to help as well. “When you quit a job, one or more of your team will likely absorb your responsibilities as a backfill until your replacement is hired,” Entrepreneur explains. “Your colleagues will greatly appreciate any effort you display to make the transition easier on them.”
How you choose to help can be very broad – for example, providing training to your replacement, teaching a colleague how to use custom spreadsheets or how to upload content to the company website… but obviously, your boss has final say on what you need to do or help with in your final weeks. “Not only is this a positive gesture, but you also never know when you will see these people again, so leaving them with a good impression can be a smart move.”
Lastly, do submit your resignation in person. Don’t just toss the letter on your boss’s desk if they aren’t around. Make sure that they receive the letter personally as a sign of courtesy (and also to prevent your resignation from getting buried amongst other work documents).
Now that we know the elements of a resignation, let’s try an example:
Dear Mr. Cosgrove,
Please accept this letter of resignation from my position of Marketing Executive effective Wednesday 29 June, 2022. As per company contract, I am giving my 3 weeks’ notice and my last day will be Wednesday 20 July, 2022.
It has been my pleasure working with X&M Advertising Co and I appreciate all the time I’ve spent together with the marketing team. Despite this, I have to consider the welfare of my family and my newborn son, who I rarely get to spend time with due to my responsibilities at X&M.
Before my departure, I’ll have the BappleBee’s project proposal ironed out and will delegate my client portfolio amongst the rest of the team – or if a replacement can be arranged, I’ll gladly help them to learn the company ropes.
Thank you for the opportunity to work here, and should the position still be available in the future, I’ll gladly reapply.
Best regards,
Bob Milgram
Resignations mark a new chapter in your life and should be looked forward to with optimism and enthusiasm. Even if you are leaving because of negative reasons, a well worded and structured resignation will still score you useful references and business relationships – don’t miss out on this opportunity to progress your career even further!