Many people are apprehensive when it comes to writing a resignation letter. There are countless possible reasons for having your doubts about writing a resignation letter. For example, you may have landed up with a new job and you want to explore better opportunities for your career. In such situations, it is quite hard for an employee, who has worked for years with an organization, to break ties with the organization. So, it is highly probable for an individual to wonder about how to write a resignation letter. Let us find out the best practices for writing your resignation letter.
The Need for Learning How to Write a Resignation Letter
Before diving into the details of the practices for writing a resignation letter, it is important to know its need. Around 80% of individuals are not satisfied with their job and career, while almost 10 million people look for switching their career at any particular point of time. In such cases, people need a resignation letter as an official notification of their departure. While the resignation letter is definitely a polite and courteous approach for leaving a company, it also helps in maintaining a good relationship with the previous employer.
The resignation letter is also an official proof of the termination of your formal contract with an employer. The letter is an important component in creating a paper trail which shows your exit from the company. As a result, the HR could document your exit and consider recruitment of another individual for your role. Most important of all, an employment resignation letter also helps you initiate the process of final salary settlement and other benefits. Now that you know about the importance of writing a resignation letter, let us move further in understanding resignation letters.
Fundamentals of a Resignation Letter
The basic components in a resignation letter could provide helpful insights on how to write a resignation email. As a matter of fact, the basics of a resignation letter could help you build the perfect foundation for your departure from the company. Knowledge of the basics of a resignation letter gives you the confidence to write down your final statement to employers. Here are the essential aspects which you must include in your resignation letter.
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Beginning the Letter
First impressions have a lasting impression. So, you need to be quite simple in your tone when starting the resignation letter. Try to avoid any type of sugarcoating or creative ideas in the beginning of the resignation letter. The best suggestion would be to begin with the date of notice i.e. when you plan to submit it. The date of notice would help your employer and the HR department in tracking your employment and exit plan. Maintain a clear and decisive stance while communicating the date of your departure.
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Gratitude
Another significant element in a simple resignation letter sample is gratitude. Thanking your employer for the opportunity to work with them is an essential indication of professionalism. You can thank your employer for all the things you have learned and enjoyed during your tenure with them. Remember that your previous employer, managers and peers could help you strengthen your professional network in the future. It is always better to leave things on a good note for leaving a long-lasting positive impression.
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The Exit Plan
Use the exit plan to show your eagerness for helping out your manager and the HR department for your exit. However, it is important to refrain from the details and avoid promising for the things which you couldn’t deliver. For example, you can offer help for training your replacements during the notice period. Another helpful suggestion for an exit plan would be a detailed documentation of your processes. For example, you can create a detailed guide of carrying out your daily job duties and responsibilities for helping replacements.
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Reason for Departure
There is no specific reason for which you should write your reason for leaving the company in your resignation letter. As a matter of fact, you are not obliged to state the reason for your departure. If you have close rapport with your manager or employer, then you could choose to write your reason. However, there is no reason to dive into extravagant details regarding plans for your new life. Try to communicate your reason simply by mentioning either a new opportunity for career development or spending more time with your family.
All of these essential components can help you create the ideal sample resignation letter with reason, as an optional requirement. While it is important to know what to include in the resignation letter, you cannot ignore what “not” to include.
More often than not, employees leaving an organization might be tempted to point out the organization’s pitfalls in resignation letters. For example, noting the inefficiency of a manager or expressing dissatisfaction with the company policies. Remember that you would be leaving the company and such entries in the resignation letter will spoil your departure. Rather than counting out mistakes of your managers or colleagues, try listing out the things which you learned from them. For example, write about the opportunities to learn new project management methodologies you received at an organization.
How to Start Writing a Resignation Letter?
You must be eager to find answers on how to write a resignation letter. With all the necessary information about the importance and basics of a resignation letter, the following steps can help you.
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Recording the Time and Date
A standard business letter must have the details of time, date and other details for maintaining a record of timestamps. The details of time and date are quite significant for simplifying your exit process while ensuring professional credibility.
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Begin with a Proper Address
Try taking a look at any resignation letter template and you would obviously come across the proper addressing at the beginning. You can use “Hello” or just “Sir/Madam” and even, “Mr./Mrs. [manager name]”.
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Give Your Resignation Statement
Provide a clear indication of your willingness to submit a formal departure from the company. The only recommendation in this case is to offer a formal written resignation from the company.
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Mark the Date of Departure
Your resignation letter must also include information about the date when you will be leaving the company.
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Thank You Statement
Keep your gratitude statement short and simple. For example, I have discovered new opportunities for professional growth during my time at this company.
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Transition Plan
The transition or exit plan is also another important requirement in your resignation letter. However, writing a resignation letter with a transition plan can be tricky. So, it is best to go with something like, “I would be happy to offer assistance in ensuring a smooth transition”.
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Closing Statement
The final aspect in how to write a resignation letter is your closing statement. Write your final goodbye to the company in the closing statement and express an affirmation for maintaining good long-term relationships with the company. You can just finish off the letter by signing your name with a simple ‘Thank You’.
Well, the details outlined till now can give you the foundation for writing your own resignation letter. However, one of the trickiest parts which can be difficult to add in a resignation letter is the reason for resigning from your job. When you come across a simple resignation letter format, you must look for suggestions on explaining reasons for your departure. However, it is important to know the different reasons for which an individual may have to write a resignation letter.
Reasons to Write a Resignation Letter
The reasons for writing a resignation letter are an optional element. However, there is no way your employer or manager would let you go without asking about the reason for leaving. Employees are important assets of every organization and organizations have to go through an extensive process for recruitment and selection to fill up vacancies.
Therefore, you need a good reason to show them why they would be losing an important human asset. Whether you are giving the resignation letter due to personal reasons or due to an opportunity to explore another career option, the reason gives closure in your relationship with the company. Here are some of the good reasons you might consider to highlight in your resignation letter.
Professional Growth
One of the common mentions among reasons in resignation letter samples is a professional growth opportunity. You can try writing about getting the chance to explore a more senior position or a role with challenging tasks and duties. This is where you can use a sample resignation letter with reason for explaining that you have achieved mastery over your existing position. In addition, you must highlight the way in which new job opportunities offer you challenge for skill development such as learning a new programming language.
Organizational Modifications
Structural changes in the organization such as a merger could also be the source of various reasons for resignation. So, in such cases you might have to give reasons that focus on the effect of the new changes in the organization. You can express how the changes have influenced your position, ability to produce high standard of work and career plans.
Economic Distress
The economic distress of a company is also another factor which is responsible for people searching about information on writing a resignation letter. On the other hand, you need something more than just a short resignation letter saying that you would leave the company because you haven’t received your salary. Make sure that you provide the relevant evidence of,
- Lay-offs
- Insufficient resources for carrying out your duties
- Unpaid salaries
Even if you can hope for the company’s potential to improve profitability again, it is reasonable to look for other prospects. Try to avoid harsh words such as bankrupt and failing.
Change of Career Goals
There is no written rule anywhere that you have to stick to a specific career role throughout your life. People reevaluate their career goals and decide whether they need a change in their career goals. Your experience in a company can motivate you for changing your career goals. So, you may want to resign because the existing company cannot offer the chance for addressing your new career objectives. You can also cite reasons for moving to a completely new career or a different industry. However, it is important to point out how the new job opportunity suits your career goals.
Family Reasons
Family is the most important factor for which people search for resignation letter due to personal reasons. There are potential reasons for resigning from a job due to problems in the family. For example, long-term sickness of a family member can be a valid reason for resignation. Make sure that you communicate the period for which you would be taking care of your family members, if you wish to resume.
Commuting time is another promising factor that you should keep in mind while writing about family reasons. Overly long commutes to work can reduce the time you want to spend with your family. As a result, you can experience profound disturbances in work-life balance as well as productivity. So, a resignation might be reasonable in such scenarios.
Is It Simple to Write a Resignation Letter?
So, it is quite clear that the process to write a resignation letter is quite simple. However, it is important to know the things that you should not include in your resignation letter. This is one of the factors that can differentiate a good resignation from an average sample resignation letter in word format. The templates for resignation letters available online can only offer you an idea of structuring the letter. However, following the templates and the phrases in them without any changes might affect the quality of the resignation letter.
Therefore, it is important to know what to write in your resignation letter with clear impression of resignation letter fundamentals. All you have to do is maintain a professional tone, simple statements, direct explanations for your reasons and proper mention of date and time. Learn more about writing a resignation letter with samples right now.
