Whether you’re penning one for a job it pains you to leave, or ‘cos you couldn’t be happier to be jumping ship, writing a resignation letter is always such a chore.
Sure, there are plenty of chaotic and cathartic ways you can resign, but at the end of the day they all require you to communicate it professionally to those impacted by your impeding absence.
Exactly how professionally is up to you, of course. However, as a general rule it’s a wise choice to leave a job on good terms, lest you need them for a reference in the future.
Which brings us to the age-old art of the classy resignation letter.
@corporate.snark #corporatehumor #corporatelife #corporateworld #workmemes #resignation #workmemes ♬ original sound – Kayla
They can be daunting at first, with so many questions on what to include, or what to omit. How honest/savage should you be? Who do you even address it to? And how much notice do you need to provide?
Fear not, friend. Here are 7 tips on how to write a resignation letter that is so iconic, they’ll want to hire you again just to have the pleasure of reading it a second time.
How to write a bangin’ resignation letter
1. Don’t ‘say what you really think’
Second only to the feeling of writing an absolutely soul-destroying text to an ex, it can be a really bloody tempting to give your employer the full Olivia Rodrigo treatment and tell them what you really think.
However, if there is anything you should 100 per cent definitely not ever do under any circumstance, it is try to exact revenge in this way.
There are a few reasons for this, with the main one being your resignation letter is your last impression, and writing a c**ty one is a great way to ruin your chances of getting a positive reference from that workplace.
Also, it’s not actually that effective at instigating change. Writing something mean about your employer or experience in a workplace as you are leaving is likely to result in whatever valid criticisms you had being overlooked. If you want them to step up their game, try and raise your issues with them long before abandoning ship!
Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to refrain from all criticism. If you are leaving because there is a problem, they deserve to know. Just ensure that your grievances are direct and objective.
At the end of the day, it’s about being honest but professional. You’re writing a letter to your boss, not a text to a toxic friend.
And on that note…
2. Address it to the right person
It may seem like a bit of a no-brainer that you should include the intended recipient of a letter, but there’s more to it than just a name!
For starters, scrap the “To whom it may concern” immediately, and address it to your immediate supervisor, with their position.
- E.G: Dear [MANAGER NAME], [COMPANY] Manager,
If you are in a circumstance where you do not know who your immediate supervisor is, and are sending your resignation to your company’s HR department, then address it as that.
- E.G: Dear [COMPANY NAME] HR Team,
The primary reason for doing this is so that the recipient does not get confused by the letter and accidentally discards it — thus potentially delaying your resignation.
On this note; ensure the letter is properly formatted! Include company addresses, positions, emails, and personal contact points for yourself, should anyone need to reach out to you.
Make it look like a formal letter, not something you scribbled down on a spare sheet of paper.
3. Include your final day of work
This is probably one of the most crucial elements of a resignation letter. If you are submitting a notice of resignation, you need to include when your final date of employment will be.
This doesn’t need to be any great work of Shakespeare, and can simply read:
It’s also important to know what the required notice period stated in your contract is, as that will determine when your final day will be. While most workplaces operate on a two-week notice rule, this is not a blanket rule and varies from company to company.
Your contract will include exactly how many days/weeks you need to give notice for your resignation, so check there before handing any letters in. The last thing you want is to submit a two-week notice, only to find out you’re supposed to give four!
4. Short ‘N’ Sweet
While I previously advised against applying an Olivia Rodrigo-like energy to your resignation letter, you are encouraged to channel Sabrina Carpenter, in that you should keep it Short N Sweet.
Basically: don’t overwrite! The entire letter should be able to fit on one page.
With all the information you need to include, you shouldn’t have to write more than four to seven different sentences in total. Here’s an example structure of what the body should include:
Nobody is winning a Pulitzer Prize for the letter they wrote to quite from a fast food job. While Jane Austen has written prose that stood the test of time, nobody kept copies of her resignation letters.
Be short. Be sweet. Be clear.
Also, be yourself. AKA:
5. Don’t just copy and paste from ChatGPT
In 2024, the year of our Lord, there are countless generative AI tools that can help in the process of writing a resignation letter. And I’m telling you: do not just copy and paste from them.
In the short time it’s been available to the public, many people have learnt the hard way that they cannot just copy from AI without looking over it first.
While this tool may be helpful in churning out large body copy at superhuman speeds, it is thoroughly recommended that you edit over whatever it produces.
Hell, not even ChatGPT recommends copying and pasting from itself!
Personalising the letter is important for including the correct names, dates, and sentiments.
Also it’s not even a huge time saver. With the amount of effort it would take you to edit over whatever ChatGPT produces, you could have just written one yourself.
6. Leave the door open
This note may seem counterintuitive, but it comes from the same philosophy as not cathartically writing a vengeful resignation letter.
At some point in the notice, include a brief sentence or so about how you are thankful for the experience, and that you look forward to crossing paths with these former colleagues in the future.
It’s a nice idea to do this as in the surprise situation you need to return to the job you are currently leaving, having in writing that you were willing to do this could be a real life-saver.
Plus, the world is a small place, and in some industries you cannot afford to burn bridges.
And there ya have it. Follow these rules, and you’ll have cooked yourself a fresh-hot resignation letter that will make your manager never truly fill the hole you’ll leave in the company.
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