How to Write a Resignation Letter

Resigning from a job is something that any employee will have to go through as they progress in their career. You can have many reasons for resigning but one thing you can’t avoid in the process is to write and submit a formal resignation letter.

The best resignation letter is one that makes you look professional in the eyes of your soon-to-be ex-employers. You don’t want to burn bridges and leave a bad impression when you exit your company. To avoid this, you’ll want your resignation letter to convey the message that you’ll be leaving the company with the least amount of disruption and that you want the transition to go as smoothly as possible.

A good format to follow when writing your resignation letter is to mention that you are resigning and when your final working day will be in the first paragraph. It’s important to give your employer enough time to look for a replacement for you or to give them time to create a plan for assigning your duties to other remaining staff if there’s no one to replace you.

You should review your employment contract to check if there’s any prescribed time frame from when you’ve submitted your resignation letter to your last day. However, it’s customary to give employers at least two-weeks notice of your resignation.

In the second or third paragraph of your resignation letter, you can state the reason for why you are leaving the company. You can also use this section to express your gratitude to your employer or convey your parting message.

In the last paragraph of your resignation letter is where you want offer your assistance to make your departure from the company as disruption-free as possible.

You can lend a helping hand by helping find a replacement for you. Being proactive and training your replacement also helps build a reputation for being professional as you leave your job. Be sure to include these when you write your resignation letter.

A resignation letter doesn’t have to be long. It can be brief and simple but you want to be professional about it and help management deal with the loss of a valuable staff and lessen any disruption to their operation.

A final tip for your resignation letter is to proofread it. A resignation letter is typically one-page long and going over it a few times to catch any error shouldn’t take too long.

Browse through our library of resignation letter samples today! You can customize the letters so you can start the next stage of your career. Good luck!