How to Write Your Letter of Resignation (+ Resignation Letter Templates)

Oh, right. Writing the resignation letter is the final step in quitting your job (well, the final step before you complete those two weeks, right?). 

Take a deep breath because you've already done the toughest part of quitting your job, notifying your boss. Writing your resignation letter is important. Why? It serves as an official document to be recorded by the human resources department.

It also disallows any hearsay regarding why you left or how you handled leaving your job. 

It’s possible that your company may not require a letter of resignation, but does that mean you don’t need to write one? If this is the case, you probably won’t lose anything by not writing one, but it’s always nice to go the extra mile. You can even use AI tools like ChatGPT to help write your letter of resignation. 

Since you're an amazing and exemplary employee, your resignation will reflect that. 

Table of Contents

We have a step-by-step guide to writing a resignation letter that Human Resources will be tempted to frame. Just kidding, but that would be cool, right? 

How to Write the Perfect Resignation Letter in 3 Easy Steps

Your resignation letter should include a few different items, no matter your job or industry. First, you'll want to ensure that you use the standard formal letter formatting. Within the letter itself, you'll want to include: 

Okay, let's get down to writing that letter that says it once and for all: I quit!

1. State the Facts 

No need to beat around the bush. They already know you’re leaving since you shared your news with your boss first. The beginning of the letter just needs to restate the fact that you are resigning and your planned exit date. You can also include your reason for leaving and future plans here if you like.

Side note: You don’t have to disclose your reason for leaving if you don’t want to. That’s what an exit interview is for; even then, you get to choose your story. Maybe your boss is a nightmare, or you don’t have a new job lined up. Whatever the reason, if you don’t want to share it, don’t. 

Be sure to use positive language. When in doubt, skew on the positive. While there is a temptation to express your grievances, try not to use this as a place to vent. 

This portion might look something like this:

Dear [Name (include the last name if you work in a more formal environment)],

Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from my role as [Title, e.g., Senior Developer] at [Company Name] as of [End Date, e.g., October 12, 2022]. I have received an offer for a new opportunity in a management position with a startup company, and after careful consideration, I feel that this is the right career move for me.

2. Express Gratitude 

Take a minute to reflect. What did you like about this job? What did you learn? What opportunities did you have here that have impacted your career?

Even if you can’t wait to get out of this hellhole, you probably wouldn’t have been able to get the job offer you’ve just accepted without the experience you gained here. Everyone loves to hear the words “thank you,” and gratitude has been proven to correlate with happiness, so jot down a few lines about what you have appreciated about this job and leave on a positive note.

I want to express my gratitude for the knowledge I’ve gained and the skills I have been able to develop in this role. It would not have been possible without your mentorship.

I am thankful for the time I have spent working with every member of our team and the opportunity to develop great professional relationships here. I look forward to staying in touch, and I hope that we can collaborate again in the future.

3. Complete All of Your Work 

Before you say #kthxbye and press send, make sure you let your boss know that you fully intend to complete all assigned work, and—if you’re up for it—that you’re available should they have any questions after you’re gone.

Two weeks is a short amount of time for a company to be able to transition your role to someone else, and by allowing them to contact you for (minor) help and questions, you’ll help ease that transition, which will speak volumes to your former employer.

This is your opportunity to show that you’re a hard worker with integrity and will help preserve the relationship. It will earn you major brownie points and might even get you a great letter of recommendation.

What you should say:

To ease the transition after my departure, I intend to complete all assigned work before my final day and leave thorough instructions for my replacement. I am happy to assist with any training during my last two weeks. If you have additional questions after my departure date, please feel free to contact me on my cell (xxx-xxx-xxxx) or by email at xxxxxx@gmail.com.

What Not to Write in a Resignation Letter

Now that we've covered what to include in a resignation letter let's discuss what you shouldn't include. Whenever possible, it's best to leave a job on good terms, even if the circumstances aren't ideal.

Bonus: We covered what to avoid in your resignation letter in more detail here. Take a look to make sure your letter doesn't hit on any of the topics we discuss.

Your Resignation Letter Sample

As with any formal letter, put the date and address of the person you’re writing at the top of the page. And then put it all together. If you're emailing the resignation, you can forgo the address, but keeping it as professional as possible is the name of the game here.

If you can add an address header, you may as well. Here's a resignation letter sample to help you prepare your own.

[CURRENT DATE] 


[NAME]

XYZ Company

1234 Memory Ln,

Cityville, CO 33333


Dear [Supervisor's Name],

Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from my role as [Position] as of [Date]. I have received an offer for a management position with a start-up company, and after careful consideration, I feel that this is the right career move for me.

I want to express my gratitude for the knowledge I’ve gained and the skills I have developed in this role. It would not have been possible without your mentorship. I am thankful for the time I have spent working with every member of our team and the opportunity to develop great professional relationships here. I look forward to staying in touch, and I hope we can collaborate again.

To ease the transition after my departure, I intend to complete all assigned work before my final day and leave thorough instructions for my replacement. I am happy to assist with any training during my last two weeks. If you have additional questions after my departure date, please feel free to contact me on my cell (xxx-xxx-xxxx) or by email at xxxxxx@gmail.com.

Best regards,

[Signature]

More Resignation Letter Templates

New Job Basic Resignation Letter

Basic Resignation Letter Without Reason For Leaving

You didn't want to do it, but you did! Every if the HR department files your resignation without giving it a second glance, you covered your bases. The only thing left to do is to go celebrate that new job! You’ve earned it.

You Might Also Like These Resignation Letter Articles