A resignation letter demonstrates your intention to leave the company for which you have worked for a certain period of time. Therefore, it should be short and accurate and most importantly, it should reflect your intention to permanently resign from your position. Regardless of the reasons that led you to take this decision, you need to thank your supervisor for the opportunity you were provided to demonstrate your skills and competencies. Also, by no means you should express any dissatisfaction with your boss, the company or any of your colleagues.
In particular, a letter of resignation should explain why you are leaving the position. Using short, clear wording and concise expressions you need to explain why you have decided to resign from the company. There are many reasons why people leave their jobs. If you resign to pursue a diverse career path, you should mention it in your resignation letter. In that way, you will demonstrate your career objectives and how they cannot be met if you remain employed in the company. Similarly, if you feel grateful for anything that was offered to you such as corporate training, tuition reimbursement, or any other benefit, you need to briefly mention it in your letter. In doing so, you will demonstrate both professionalism and gratefulness for the opportunities provided to you.
On the other hand, if you believe you were treated unfairly by your boss, your resignation letter is not the appropriate place to mention that, nor should you include any bitter comments in it. Once you put a negative comment down in writing, it may even led to legal consequences. In general, you need to be really careful because once set in stone, it cannot be taken back. Besides, demonstrating lack of professionalism may also deprive you from potential references, if required in the future.
In that first paragraph, including ‘when’ you’re leaving the company rather than ‘why’ is extremely important. Many employees who decide to resign from their positions choose to write a professional resignation letter to their managers for the satisfaction of being polite and professional. Although you may not possess the hallmark skills of an experienced wordsmith, you may follow a straightforward language in the aim of explaining to your employer, not so much why you’re leaving the company as when you plan to leave.
After having stated why you’re leaving the company and when you plan to resign, it’s time to express your appreciation to your manager for getting hired in the first place. If there is one thing you want to be remembered for is your professionalism and your resignation letter is a great tool to achieve that. In this second paragraph, you may state the skills you have acquired in this position and how you have enriched your working experience. Just remember to keep it short. Employers do not like to read long letters, neither too many nice words.
In the third and last paragraph, you need to express your pleasure for having worked for your boss and the company. Besides, including a sentence such as ‘I am at your disposal for any help required to make a smooth transition during my remaining time in the company’, will demonstrate professionalism and consideration for your colleagues and the work load they will undertake upon your leaving.
In conclusion, your resignation letter should not be more than three paragraphs. It has to be professional and straight to the point. In the first paragraph, you will state why you have decided to resign as well as the day that your resignation will be effective, which is normally two weeks after you deliver your letter to your manager. In the second paragraph, you will appreciate the opportunities you were offered at the company. In the third paragraph, you will wrap up. In any case though, never use a negative or bitter language. As the marketplace becomes more and more competitive, make sure that you leave a good impression in order to establish a good foundation for the future.
