So, you’ve decided to quit your job because you’ve found a newer, better one. You’ve decided when you’re going to give your current employer your two-week notice and you’re making plans for that brand-new job and need to write the perfect resignation letter before you leave.

One of the most important tasks on your to-do list should be to formally announce your resignation to your current company, and because you don’t want to “burn any bridges” on the way out, that act should include writing a professional resignation letter so the company has something in writing to put in your file.

But if you’ve never written a resignation letter before, how do you get started? Fortunately, it’s much easier than you think, and the following tips and suggestions will help a lot.

Regardless of where you work, the first thing you should do is check with your HR department to make sure that a letter of resignation isn’t required.

While resignation letters aren’t required by law, they are the professional and right thing to do, and some companies may require that you write one before they begin processing your outgoing paperwork. There are two good reasons for submitting an official letter of resignation:

• It officially announces your resignation and lets your current employer know when your last day will be.
• It can make it easier for the company to make you a counteroffer if they so desire.

A letter of resignation makes the resignation official and allows you to tie up any loose ends before leaving your job, and while the letter doesn’t have to be long or complicated, it should still contain certain features, including the following:

• The date the letter was written and submitted (which should be the same day).
• Make sure you address the letter to your direct and immediate supervisor.
• State that you are officially resigning from the company, and specify when your last day will be. As a general rule, a notice of a minimum of two weeks is standard protocol when resigning from a job, but you can make it longer than that if you wish.
• Provide a tactful reason why you are leaving; for example, a better opportunity, a relocation, personal reasons, and so on.
• Always include a brief “thank you” to the company for providing you with the opportunities you’ve had since you accepted the position.
• Make sure your letter is signed at the bottom of the page.

As you can see, a resignation letter only needs the basics to be properly written.

The letter doesn’t have to be long or complex and in fact, short and sweet is often better.

If you feel like you’ve not been given the opportunities there that you were hoping for, skip that information in your letter.

In fact, a resignation letter should have a positive tone, not a negative one, so leave any grievances you might have with your current company out of your resignation letter.

If you’re not sure how to set out your resignation letter, take a look at our example below to get you started.

After you’ve signed the letter, it’s a good idea to make a copy of it for yourself.

As you’re writing it, be professional and courteous, as well as succinct.

Remember, your company doesn’t need to know every detail of why you’re leaving or anything about your new job.

Professionalism is always best because the last thing you want to do is sound unprofessional when you’re writing the letter.

Regardless of how you look at it, a letter of resignation is going to be seen by your current employers, so you’ll want to do it right from the beginning to end.

If you’ve never written a resignation letter before, there are numerous templates you can find online, and these can be a big help.

If you have a document with tips and suggestions that will help the person who is hired after you leave, that will impress the company more.

Even if it’s a short document with only a few details in it, your HR department will appreciate it.

It’s also best not to send your supervisor your letter of resignation via email.

From experiences that we have encountered through the many years that we have been working in the recruitment industry, not every email will be read.

Writing out a hard copy of your resignation letter not only implies that you have put a lot more consideration and effort into leaving your current position, but it is also likely to give off a better lasting impression and is more likely to be seen and read by your employer as well.

Your supervisor should be the first person you inform when you’re planning to resign, but afterward, don’t forget about your co-workers.

Once you know your supervisor has received the letter, you may wish to also start letting your closest co-workers know that you’re planning to leave.

Maintaining professional relationships with your co-workers could stand you in good stead when looking for advice on a future project or developing your own business for example.

Again, it’s the best way to make sure you don’t burn any bridges on the way out and could lead to a long-lasting professional connection later down the line.

Finding a job in today’s market can be daunting for people who are currently retraining to re-enter the job market. When you write your letter of resignation, don’t overthink it and make it more complicated than it needs to be.

While there are certain bits of information that need to be in your official letter, you don’t need to make it more complicated than it really is.

The letter is important, but that doesn’t mean it should be long or complicated. A one-page letter with only a few paragraphs is just fine.

As long as you have the basic information in there that your company will need to know once they hear you’re leaving them, you simply don’t need to have a whole lot more in there.

If you’re ready to leave your current role and want to get the best advice on how to pass an interview, you can take a look at our insights page to give yourself a boost in finding yourself a new job or reading up on the latest/important news in the recruitment industry.

Written by Lucid Support