How to Write a Resignation Letter

A resignation letter is one of the formal proceedings that one has to do when leaving an organization. Different organizations have different policies when it comes to the matter of resignation. Some demand that their employees pre-inform over a stipulated period to help them plan for the replacement. 

However, there are situations where you need to resign immediately or on short notice. How do you prepare your resignation letter? You will find the answer to this question in the post.

Also, check out Tips to Write a Notice to Quit Letter.

Also, you will get to know how to write a resignation letter that drives home your message and not causing resentment to your boss. As a bonus, we will show a sample resignation letter to give you the needed inspiration and guidelines to write a befitting one for yourself. 

What is a resignation letter?

A resignation letter is a formal letter that is written by an employee of an organization or an individual having a job affiliation with an organization to put forward his or her interest in terminating the contract of employment.

The letter holds weight as it shows that you respect the organization and it showcases that you did not leave on a bad note. With this, there is a chance of getting recommendations from the company. Furthermore, if you submit the letter within the stipulated period, you have unhindered access to your entitlements in case you have one.

However, a short notice resignation letter is a resignation letter that falls short of the stipulated period for which an employee can write such to their employer.

As stated earlier on, most organizations have a period for which they demand their staff to drop a resignation letter. When such a letter does not meet up to this rule, it is regarded as a short notice letter.

Short-notice resignation letters are not entirely bad as there are situations that an individual does not control which might lead to such occurrences. Nevertheless, each organization determines how to respond to such occurrences. 

Reasons for employees’ resignation 

There are thousands of reasons why an employee can decide to leave an organization. Each individual has their peculiar reasons. However, the common reasons for resignation from a place of work include the following

Greater Opportunities

It is a common occurrence for employees of a company to gravitate towards places where there are greater opportunities than their present place of work. It is not an unquestionable character, rather it is a display of the love of growth and change.

Present Company’s Policy 

Not all cases, but one of the common reasons for the resignation of staff from a company is the policies of the present company. Staff can find such policies unfavorable and can decide to move to another place where they have a better one.

Personal Decision

Human beings are capable of making their own decisions and as such there are cases where the staff makes decisions on resignation from his conviction. 

How to Write a Resignation letter

A resignation letter is a formal one therefore it must be brief and a formal tone must be used. Also, it would be helpful to use a letter headed paper. 

For the part of the writing, your resignation letter should contain the address of the company. There is no need for the address Furthermore, the name and the position of who you want to address the letter.

Just as in any other formal letter, the salutation is next. What is next is the heading which must connote that the letter is a resignation letter. Furthermore, date the letter, remember, it is a formal document and should be treated as such.

Also, check out How to Write a Guarantor Letter.

The body

Remember, brevity is key as there is no need for too many words or elaboration on any discussion in the letter. First, state the reason for the letter in the paragraph. In addition, 

For the next paragraph, you will need to state the reasons why you want to leave the company. One great tip is that you need not be resentful when stating your reasons especially if the company policies are the major reason why you are leaving.

You can simply state your reasons to be personal. In a nutshell, don’t try to make the company look bad in your letter. 

After that, the next paragraph is what I call the “Thank You” part. For this section, you are expressing gratitude to the company. State the contributions and the key skills, experience, and networks throughout your time in the company. 

Finally, the last paragraph should talk about how you are ready to help with the period of resignation and assurance of your support for the company after your resignation. This will be your closing remark.

Cross-check for grammatical errors and check for missing information. If it meets all requirements, append your signature and make it official. 

How to write a short notice resignation letter

In this section, we will explore how you can write a short-notice resignation letter. You already know what a short resignation letter is from the previous explanation, now we need to explain how you can write one.

However, writing a short notice resignation letter follows most of the approaches of writing a non-short notice one. Therefore, if you can write the latter, the former is easier. The only difference is that you are not following the stipulated time. However, there are some tips for you to help with the situation

If you are leaving on short notice. Do the following:

#1 Inform your HR Manager or relevant authorities in the company

This action helps you pave the way for your short notice by informing them about your resignation. You will get the empathy and respect needed if you carefully and respectfully tender the matter to your manager. 

#2 Avoid Gossiping about your resignation to your colleagues

I am not saying you can share the news with your colleagues but when you are leaving on short notice, you need to respect the authorities and as such let the company be in the position to announce your resignation. However, this advice is from personal experiences from people who have been in such scenarios before.

Sample of Resignation Letter

Greetings, Mr. Don Cohen.

Letter of Resignation

“This letter is an official statement to declare my intention of resigning from the (your position) in this highly esteemed organization, effective from (date). “

It is with deep regret that I write this to you. However, after so much consideration and consultation, I believe it is time to pursue new challenges to further my career. Thank you for the opportunity to work in this position for the past six years. I enjoyed the lessons, the connections, and most importantly, the skills that I have had the opportunity to come across throughout employment. I will undoubtedly carry that with me throughout my career.

Finally, I promise to not drop the level of my performance over the remaining days of my employment. Also, I will be ready to be of any assistance to assist with the transition period.

I wish the company success in its future endeavors. Thanks once again.

Sincerely,

Lawal Patrick

Final Notes on How to Write a Resignation Letter

Resignation letters need to be a part of the process of terminating a contract as an employee of an organization. It is a testament that you left in a good condition. The information here helps you know how to write a resignation letter whether you are leaving on short notice or not. 

Before you go, check out How to Become a Veterinary Ophthalmologist.