How to Write a Resignation Letter

Writing a letter imparting difficult news is, well .... difficult. Whether it's a letter of resignation from a job you love (or hate), a letter to a client about declining sales, or a note to your child's teacher about difficulties at school, hitting the right tone is key to everyone walking away with their professionalism, dignity, and sometimes an appropriate hairstyle, intact.


Use these 5 Steps for Writing a Resignation Letter (or any tricky communication):

Step Away From the Computer.
 
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT type this letter when you are angry, elated, drunk, in tears, hungry or itchy. Okay, itchy is a stretch, but you see my point. It is critical to remove emotion from the situation and stick with just the facts, ma'am. Eat a good breakfast, go for a run, get a good night's rest, have yourself a hangover smoothie, whatever you need to do to attack this task with clarity and professionalism. 

Start with a Complimentary "You" Statement. 
Right off the bat, say something nice about the other person. So, instead of "I've always loved working here at Frankie's Fried Chicken" you'll say "The leadership at Frankie's has taught me so much about frying chicken, which is a wonderful skill making a positive impact on my career." This immediately gives the reader a sense of appreciation and sets the right tone to ...

Go in for the Kill. 
Now's the time to tell 'um why you're really here. Be succinct. Say what you need to say ('sup, John Mayer), and get outta there: "As of today, Oct. 1, 2012, I am tendering my resignation from Frankie's. I plan to continue to work for Frankie's for two weeks; my last day will be Oct. 15. I will work with the staff to insure all my projects are complete and that another employee has been briefed on the status of all ongoing projects."

Create a Positive Sandwich. 
Say something nice, and quick. "The warm, friendly atmosphere at Frankie's, along with the delicious, made-from-scratch biscuits, made this a very difficult decision. I appreciate you making me a part of the Frankie's family for the last year."

Close with Connection. 
If you want to stay in touch, say so. If you DON'T want to stay in touch, that's okay, but make it where at least it won't be uncomfortable when you bump into this person (or worse yet, if someone asks them for a recommendation on your work). Something along the lines of "I look forward to seeing you at Free Chicken Days in the coming months!" works nicely. 

A couple of important notes: don't be tempted to skip writing a resignation letter because you've told your boss you're resigning. You need a formal resignation in writing on file with the company, and a copy for your files just in case.

Also, a resignation letter is not the place say why you're really leaving, like "the constant grease fires are a threat to my safety, the onion-ring tainted humidity in the kitchen wreaks havoc on my skin, and frankly, assistant-manager Barty is a little grabby." Save that for your human resources exit interview, and if they ask you to put it in writing you can consider doing that in a separate communication. Actually, don't. 

{Interested in other writing tips? Click here.}

Dear Sir: I regret to inform you of my decision to resign from writing this blog post effective immediately. If pressed for a reason, I would simply say I am starving, and am leaving now for a bite of lunch. Regards,
2012amymacsignaturefinal

Source: via Pinterest

6 comments:

Unknown said...

This helped me craft my Sales manager resignation letter

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