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Resignation letters

Leaving your job? A thoughtful resignation letter can help you maintain a positive relationship with your old employer - which is useful as you never know when you'll need their help in the future. Find out what you should cover in your letter, and use our letter templates and examples.

Tips for writing your resignation letter

If you know you're leaving a job, the first thing you should do is talk to your manager so that they're not caught by surprise. Once you've done that, you're ready to follow up with a formal resignation letter.

Your letter should be brief and to the point – you don't need to include a lengthy explanation of why you’re resigning. If you have a good relationship with your employer, show your goodwill by talking about how your time at the company has benefited you.

If you're resigning because the job hasn’t been a good fit, there's no point in being negative. You’re leaving the job, and you want to leave on good terms. Also, you never know when other employers might want to check on your employment history – so it’s best to leave with a clean slate.

A picture of a resignation letter

Resignation letter example

A basic resignation letter should give the facts first, such as:

  • your role in the organisation
  • that you’re resigning from this role
  • the last day you will work.

Though there are many ways to write a resignation letter, you need to cover some key facts. The guidelines in the example resignation letter will help ensure you write a well-structured and polished letter.

Resignation letter templates

If you’ve had a good experience with your employer, you may want to say a little more in your resignation letter – about where you are going, or what you have enjoyed about your current job. In this case, use template one.

If you just want to say the minimum, use template two. But remember, even if you haven’t had the best experience with your employer, you’re bound to have gained something from your time with the organisation, so you can mention that. The letter will sit in your employment file for some time, so it pays to be polite.