Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to move onto new opportunities. Whether you’re climbing the career ladder, taking a change of direction, or sailing into the sunset to enjoy retirement, you’ll need to inform your current employer. In this article, we’ll look at how to write a good resignation letter. We’ll examine what to include, what to omit, and how to resign gracefully, thoughtfully, and positively. 

What is a resignation letter?

A resignation letter is official notice of your intention to leave your current role and employer. It’s important to write a letter, even if you’ve verbally informed your line manager, as the letter will serve as formal notice of your intention to quit. Your notice period will begin from the date you submit your resignation letter.

You can submit your formal letter as an email or a printout, but it’s generally considered best practice to inform your manager verbally first before kicking official departure mechanisms into place. 

How to structure a resignation letter

Your resignation letter is a formal piece of business correspondence and should be structured as such. If you’re writing a traditional letter, you’ll need to add your home address and the company address at the top and include the date you intend to submit the letter. 

Emails are obviously more casual in approach, but you should retain a formal tone. Use an appropriate subject line (such as “Notice of resignation”). 

The resignation letter can be addressed to your line manager or to your contact in the HR team, with your manager copied in. You can use a first name, if that’s how you generally address the person, but if you’re sending the letter to a contact that you don’t know very well you can use “Mr”, Mrs”, or “Ms”. “To whom it may concern” is considered rather stuffy and cold these days, so it’s best to avoid it. 

The body of the letter will contain your statement of resignation and any necessary administrative details, before you sign off with your name and job title. 

What to include in a resignation letter

Of course, you need to know what to write in a resignation letter. What exactly do you need to cover? There’s no need to write an essay - just keep it short and sweet. These paragraphs will help to ensure you cover everything necessary: 

• Paragraph 1: State clearly that you intend to resign and give a final working date, in line with the notice period in your contract of employment. 

• Paragraph 2: To resign gracefully, it’s standard to include some niceties here. You could express gratitude for the opportunities you’ve had in the role, highlight a particular project you enjoyed working on, or make a positive comment about the team, for example. 

• Paragraph 3: Show that you remain committed to the role until the day you leave. You could offer to support a handover, produce knowledge sharing documentation, or mention some work you aim to complete before you go. 

• Closing: Wish the company or department well and sign off. 

Ultimately, what to put in a resignation letter depends on your personal situation, the company, and the circumstances of your departure.

What not to include in a resignation letter

When writing a resignation letter, there are certain things you should avoid. To leave on a positive note and without burning bridges, steer clear of: 

Airing grievances: While your decision to leave may well be down to the smell of Sheila’s lunchboxes, Bob’s micromanaging, or the expectation that you’ll do the work of three people, a resignation letter is not the time to mention that. By all means bring up such issues constructively in an exit interview, as your experiences may well help to make things better for future employees, but your letter of resignation will be kept on file and will reflect on your professionalism. As your mother always said, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. 

Gushy emotions: Whether anxious about leaving great colleagues or apprehensive about your next step, your resignation letter is best kept formal and professional. There will be plenty of time for emotional goodbyes on your departure day. 

Bitterness: Maybe the role didn’t live up to expectations, you were overlooked for a promotion, or a promised pay rise never materialised. However you feel about leaving, it’s worth reiterating that the resignation isn’t the place to express these feelings. Keep the letter to the bare minimum if bitterness is trying to creep in - just give notice of your resignation and departure date, and sign off. 

Details of your new role: Of course, your colleagues or manager may ask where you’re headed, but this detail isn’t necessary in a resignation letter. There’s no need to mention your new job title, employer, salary, benefits package, or indeed anything else about your next position. 

Waffle: As we said, it’s best to keep this letter short and punchy. Don’t be tempted to ramble on in great depth and detail - it’s simply not wanted or needed. 

Resignation letter hints and tips

Before we look at some resignation letter examples, we have some final hints and tips to make sure your resignation letter represents you positively:

• Keep the tone warm and professional

• Email or hand over your letter on the same day you give verbal notice of your intention to leave

• Proofread the letter before sending it

• Keep a copy of the letter for your records - if sending from a company email address, be sure to copy in your personal email too

• Be prepared for a counter-offer; remind yourself of the reasons you’re leaving and consider how you will respond if your current employer makes a counter-offer to persuade you to stay on

• Take some time on your last day to thank colleagues who have supported you and offer a way for them to stay in touch, whether that’s by phone, email, or connecting on LinkedIn 

Resignation letter examples 

Let’s take a look at some samples of how to write a resignation letter, so that you can gather some ideas for your own. 

This one is in a traditional letter format, to be printed out and handed over in person or attached to an email:

Here’s another resignation letter example, this time in email format. 

If you can’t wait to slam the door behind you, try out this simple, to-the-point resignation email that avoids blame and bitterness: 

The next example resignation letter can be used when the reason for leaving is retirement, rather than a new job: 

What about times when you need to quit for personal reasons? Maybe you’re obliged to take on caring responsibilities, need a mental health break, or have any number of other reasons for leaving. There’s no need to overshare but do consider keeping the door open for a return in the future. Try this resignation letter sample: 

Move your career forward seamlessly 

We’ve outlined the purpose and importance of a resignation letter, shared some dos and don’ts, and provided some examples to inspire your own letter. You’re well prepared to make the break from your current employer and stride forth into your next position! 

As one door closes, another opens. You never know when or where the next role might arise, so you should always be ready to apply. Ensure your resume is up-to-date and aligned with best practice by submitting it for a free resume review from the experts at TopResume.