How To Write A Resignation Letter

Changing careers is an important and unavoidable part of life not only professionally but personally as well. Properly managing the way you transition from one career to another and writing a good resignation letter can greatly impact the outcome for you in both cases.

When you finally land a new role or position, you should manage your resignation process in a professional and tasteful way. The way you resign will leave a strong lasting impression on your current employer and if done wrong could potentially burn the bridges of any future employment with them.

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Here are some things you should think about before going ahead with your resignation letter:

Terms of Employment

1. Make sure you refer to your employment contract to find out the minimum amount of notice you need to give before you can “just leave” and be sure to double check your employer’s termination policy for any grey areas that may not have been covered in your contract.
2. Look for any contractual terms that can include: non-competition, non-solicitation and non-poaching clauses, particularly if you’re letting your employer know where your next workplace is.

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The Resignation Process

1. An appropriate way of dealing with your resignation is to firstly resign verbally in person and then provide your formally written resignation letter as a follow up.
2. Remember to keep your resignation letter short, positive and straight to the point.
3. Offer your employer some assistance in finding and training a new candidate for the position you are resigning for.
4. If possible, it’s best to give your employer more notice than the minimum that the contract requires so that have plenty of time to find recruitment and make the handover process as seamless as possible.

What to Include in Your Resignation Letter

1. Confirm that you’re resigning and which role you are resigning from. You should also included a scheduled leaving date. Your scheduled leaving date may end up being different depending on how much extra notice you give your employer.
2. Make sure you refer to your current employer agreement so your employer knows you have doubled checked the rules and advise them of your intended employment end date based on the terms of your contact.
3. Mentioning your appreciation for your position you were fulfilling and the learnings you have taken from it will also be looked at favourably.
4. Remember to give contact information so they can get in touch with you to make final arrangements; and
5. Depending on your reason for resigning, provide extras to support your case. Some examples of reasons include career advancement, relocation, or simply to seek extra education.

What NOT to Include in Your Resignation Letter

1. Don’t point out any criticisms you have of your employer. The best time to drop that bombshell is in your a formal exit interview;
2. Don’t individualise any of your co-workers, subordinates or managers.
3. Try not to make your language too emotional, inappropriate or vulgar i.e coarse language.

Common Examples & Reasons for Resigning

There’s tons of reasons people leave their job and no matter what your reason for resigning is, your resignation letter must accurately reflect that reason. See below some examples of different approaches to writing a resignation letter that might match your reasons.

Change of Career

Resigning can sometimes be influenced by a person’s need to change their career path entirety. In this case, it’s appropriate to provide this reason in your resignation letter, and to take some time with your manager to talk about your career move. The resignation letter example below shows how this reasoning can be set out:

Mr Smith

Operations Manager

{Company Name Goes Here}

1234 Company Street Address

Brisbane QLD 4285

11th october 2017

Dear Mr Smith,

I am writing this letter to inform you that I am resigning from my position as Operations Manager at {Company Name Goes Here}.

As my contract of employment states, I am giving you one month’s notice, and my last day of employment with {Company Name Goes Here} will be on the 9th November 2017.

I am leaving to pursue a career as a pilot as this has always been a dream of mine.

I will make sure that all my work is completed and/or in a position to be handed over to and make my transition period as smooth as possible. Please also note that I am prepared to assist with helping to recruit and train my replacement prior to leaving.

I would like to take this time to thank you for the opportunity to work for {Company Name Goes Here} and wish you and the company all the best.

If you require any further info, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

{Your Name Here}

34 Home Address

Brisbane QLD 4281

Advancement of Career

Advancement of Career is one of the most common reasons people resign from a position. Unfortunately, it’s always realistic for people to progress their career within their current workplace, in which case you should highlight that fact in your resignation letter. The below resignation letter example is for in the case of pursuing an external opportunity:

Mr Smith

Operations Manager

{Company Name Goes Here}

1234 Company Street Address

Brisbane QLD 4285

11th october 2017

Dear Mr Smith,

I am writing to inform you of my resignation from my position of Operations Manager at {Company Name Goes Here}, with my last day of employment being 14th November 2017 in accordance with the notice period that is stated in my contract of employment.

I am ready to advance in my career and have accepted a position as the Head of Operations.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work for {Company Name Goes Here} and wish you and the company all the best.

If you require anything further, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

{Your Name Here}

34 Home Address

Brisbane QLD 4281

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Relocation

If you need to move location, it’s important to explain to your manager the reason of your resignation, both verbally and in writing. The below resignation letter example demonstrates how this can be written, in addition to providing assistance for your smooth transition:

Mr Smith

Operations Manager

{Company Name Goes Here}

1234 Company Street Address

Brisbane QLD 4285

11th october 2017

Dear Mr Smith,

It’s with regret that I am writing to you to inform you of my resignation from my position as Operations Manager at {Company Name Goes Here}, with my last day of employment being 12th October 2017 in accordance with the notice period that is stated in my contract of employment.

I am relocating to Sydney with my family, and in the absence of an internal transfer, I will be seeking employment in a similar role when we arrive. It would be greatly appreciated if you would provide me with a written reference to help me with my transition.

Please also note that I am prepared to assist with the recruitment and training of my replacement prior to leaving, and will ensure that all my work is completed and/or in a position to be handed over to ensure a smooth transition period.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work for {Company Name Goes Here} and wish you and the company all the best.

Should you require anything further, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

{Your Name Here}

34 Home Address

Brisbane QLD 4281

Furthering Your Education

When you are looking to further develop your skill-sets and knowledge, or to move into something entirely new, You might choose to resign from your position to focus on study. In this situation, it’s important to explain to your manager the reason for your resignation, both verbally and in writing. The resignation letter example below shows you how to communicate that:

Mr Smith

Operations Manager

{Company Name Goes Here}

1234 Company Street Address

Brisbane QLD 4285

11th october 2017

Dear Mr Smith,

Please accept this letter as a formal notification that I am resigning from my position of Operations Manager at {Company Name Goes Here} to pursue full-time studies at tafe/university/college.

In accordance with what is stated in my contract of employment, I am giving one month’s notice and my last day of employment will be 19th December 2017.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work for {Company Name Goes Here}, and wish you and the company all the best.

If you require any further details from me, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

{Your Name Here}

34 Home Address

Brisbane QLD 4281

Retirement

More than likely, your employer will be aware of your upcoming retirement and will go ahead with the appropriate procedures.

However, it’s a courteous gesture to communicate your intentions with them and formalise these it with a ‘resignation due to retirement’ letter for distribution for line managers, directors and the HR department. The resignation letter template below demonstrates how to structure this kind notice:

Mr Smith

Operations Manager

{Company Name Goes Here}

1234 Company Street Address

Brisbane QLD 4285

11th october 2017

Dear Mr Smith,

Please accept this letter as a formal notice of my retirement due on 15th December 2017. I will be leaving my position of Operations Manager at {Company Name Goes Here} as of this date.

I am willing and able to help with the recruitment and training of my replacement prior to leaving and will ensure that all my work is completed and/or in a position to be handed over to ensure a smooth transition period.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work for {Company Name Goes Here} and wish you and the company all the best.

Please advise me of any next steps or requirements to finalise my arrangements.

Yours sincerely,

{Your Name Here}

34 Home Address

Brisbane QLD 4281

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Without Notice Period

Resigning without a notice period isn’t very common but is sometimes relevant. In a case where you are unable to, or do not wish to work your notice period, an explanation is required. The resignation letter template below shows how this can be communicated:

Mr Smith

Operations Manager

{Company Name Goes Here}

1234 Company Street Address

Brisbane QLD 4285

11th october 2017

Dear Mr Smith,

I am writing this letter to inform you that I am resigning from my position as Operations Manager at {Company Name Goes Here}.

I understand that my contract of employment requires me to work until 18th October 2017, however, I would be grateful to be released earlier due to {Insert Reason Here}.

Please also note that I am prepared to assist with the recruitment and training of my replacement prior to me leaving, and will ensure that all my work is completed and/or in a position to be handed over to ensure a smooth transition period.

I would like to take this time to thank you for the opportunity to work for {Company Name Goes Here} and wish you and the company all the best.

If you require anything further details regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

{Your Name Here}

34 Home Address

Brisbane QLD 428

Generic Resignation Letter

If the reason for resigning is simply a need for a change, a generic resignation letter is suitable. As seen in the letter of resignation example below, the generic format leaves out any specific reasons for the resignation, and features basic details including the last day of employment:

Mr Smith

Operations Manager

{Company Name Goes Here}

1234 Company Street Address

Brisbane QLD 4285

11th october 2017

Dear Mr Smith,

I am writing to inform you that I am resigning from my position of Operations Manager at {Company Name Goes Here}, with my last day of employment being 19th January 2018 in accordance with the notice period that is stated in my employment contract.

Please note that I am prepared to assist with the recruitment for and training of my replacement prior to me leaving, and will ensure that all my work is completed and/or in a position to be handed over to ensure a smooth transition period.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work for {Company Name Goes Here} and wish you and the company all the best.

If you require any further details from me, please let me know.

Yours sincerely,

{Your Name Here}

34 Home Address

Brisbane QLD 4281

Resigning is never an easy thing to do, however, when done correctly it can leave the right lasting impression with your current employer which may work in your favour long term.

P.S if you are planning to resign, you might want to think about updating your resume. Here is an article on how to write a kick-ass resume.