Have you decided to take your talents elsewhere? You’re not alone. A record 4 million Americans left their jobs in April 2021 as they moved on to more fulfilling work. Your career journey will take twists and turns on your way to retirement and on your journey, you will need to learn how to gracefully leave your current role. An important part of leaving gracefully is giving your boss adequate notice. You can give this notice in person, but most HR departments will prefer you submit your resignation in writing so they can keep it in their files. This written notice will be your Resignation Letter.

A Resignation Letter is written notice of your decision to resign from your current company. You could be leaving for any number of reasons. Maybe you scored a new, better-paying role at a different company. Perhaps you have decided to stay home with your kids. Possibly you’ve decided to sell your belongings and travel the world. Whatever your reason, it is always important to leave a final good impression on your previous employer so they will provide a positive referral for your next career move.

Typically, you should give your current employer at least two-weeks-notice. This means you should deliver your Resignation Letter, either by email or in-person, two weeks prior to the last day you can work for your company.

Equally important to your timing is the content of your Resignation Letter. In your letter, you need to answer two questions: what and when. These will be followed by your expressions of gratitude and discussion around transition. Let’s discuss each section in detail. We will also provide some examples for your letter to follow.

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The What: Your Resignation

You should open your letter by cutting straight to the point – you’re leaving. In clear and concise language, make it understood to your audience the subject matter and purpose of your letter. Your subject matter is your resignation, and your purpose is to communicate your resignation to your boss so they can prepare.

If you’re sending your Resignation Letter by email, your subject line should read as follows:

“Subject – [Your Name] Resignation.”

This will convey your intent immediately and make the email stand out amongst the rest of your boss’s inbox.

Next, you need to expand on this by specifying exactly where and what role you are resigning from. While this may seem redundant, employers will be documenting your resignation and not everybody at the company may be familiar with your exact position. This part should be as concise and respectful as possible – there’s no need to explain why. You can give your reasons to your boss and coworkers verbally. Here’s how your first sentence should read:

“Dear [Boss’s Name],

Please accept this letter as my formal notice of resignation from [Company Name] in my role as a [Your Position].”

Now, your boss and every subsequent reader will understand the intent of your letter. They will understand who you are, what company you’re leaving, and what role you will leave behind. Additionally, they will see you were cordial, not curt, in doing so.

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The When: Your Last Day

Next, you need to communicate when you will leave your company. This will establish expectations for your resignation. While two weeks is standard, you could also resign effective immediately or give even more notice than two weeks. You should keep in mind – the more notice you give, the more your employer will appreciate you, which improves your chance at a positive referral. However, some situations may arise that require immediate resignation.

Your responsibility is to let your reader know exactly when you will be leaving. This part is simple, and should read as follows:

“My last of employment will be [Date of Desired Last Day].”

After this, your boss will be able to look at their calendar and start preparing for your departure. This typically includes letting HR know who will then decide to fill your position or not. If they decide to fill it, the hiring process will take time. Once your position is filled, the company will also need to train the new employee. While this is not your responsibility, it is respectful to offer your help making the transition as smooth as possible. This will be the last part of your letter, but first you need to say thank you.

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Thank You

Whether you are leaving a job you thoroughly enjoyed or a job you utterly hated, it is always a good idea to say thank you in your Resignation Letter. This will be the last impression you ever leave at your company, and it will be documented forever. Chances are, even if you couldn’t stand the job, you learned quite a few things during your time there. Additionally, they took a chance on you. These are all great reasons to say thank you.

Your expressions of gratitude should be concise and respectful. You can use this template for your thanksgiving:

Thank you for the opportunity to work at [Company Name] for the past [amount of time you’ve worked there]. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the chance to [some of your favorite job tasks / experiences]. I’ve learned so much about [a few things you’ve learned on the job], and for that I couldn’t be more grateful. I will take all of this with me throughout my career.

This part will allow your reader to reflect upon the positive aspects of your employment – key to a positive referral. Your thanks will show them you appreciate and recognize your employer’s contributions to your development. Let’s face it, sometimes bosses are upset by your decision to leave. They’re not mad at you, but the stress it can cause. While your thanks will be appreciated, you need to show an acknowledgement of the difficulty your leaving will cause and offer to help with the transition.

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The Transition

The key here is to under-promise and over-deliver. You don’t want to make all sorts of ridiculous promises such as helping train a replacement or finishing a certain project prior to leaving. This will set yourself up for failure and leave a bad taste in your employer’s mouth when you fail to follow through. In fact, it’s best to leave specifics out of this section completely. You never know what may come up during the transition process. Maybe you get sick, or your new employer starts taking up some of your time.

Instead, you should simply offer to help in anyway you can and leave the floor open to suggestions. You can use the following template for this section:

“I understand my departure may bring some additional stress to the next couple weeks. I’m willing to do everything possible to wrap up my current work and train new team members. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help make the transition process as smooth as possible.

I wish the team and [Company Name] continued success and I look forward to staying in touch in the future.”

This will alleviate a lot of stress and worry your departure may cause and your boss will be likely by very appreciative of your offer. They know how life goes; chances are they have left jobs themselves throughout their career. They may not even ask for your help on the transition process, but they will appreciate your willingness to help.

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The Sign Off

As a professional, you likely have a go-to for your email sign offs. Here’s a list of signoffs to avoid in this situation:

  • Cheers
  • Best
  • Take care
  • Respectfully
  • Best wishes
  • As ever
  • Thanks

While these signoffs may work in less formal situations, it is best practice to keep your Resignation Letter signoff respectful and formal. You should opt for the classic signoff:

“Sincerely,

[Your Name]”

This will convey professionalism and an acknowledgement of the seriousness of your Resignation Letter. While this may seem obvious, you’d be surprised at how many people can overthink this part. Keep it simple.

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Conclusion

A Resignation Letter is written notice of your decision to resign from your current company. Regardless of your reason for leaving, you will need to let your employer know that you are moving on. In your letter, will need to make it understood that you will be leaving and when exactly you expect to leave. It is best practice to give thanks to your employer for the opportunities and learning experiences they’ve given you, as well as offer to help with the potentially difficult transition process. Throughout your letter, you should be as concise and respectful as possible.

Your Resignation Letter is the last impression you will leave on your company. In all likelihood, they will document your letter for years to come and may even reference it when you ask for a referral in the future. For these reasons, it is important to leave a good last impression.

Feel free to use the templates above in your next Resignation Letter and use the time this saves you to start preparing for your next chapter! Best of luck.