When it comes to quitting your current position, an employee is supposed to hand in an official notice which is called a resignation letter. However, with so many people working remotely, a resignation letter has tuned into a resignation email. In fact, the principles of writing a resignation email aren’t very different from writing a regular letter, but there are some nuances to know.
In case you’ve never faced the necessity to write resignation letters or you’re curious about the peculiarities of resignation email writing, this article is precisely what you need. You can use it as a step-by-step guide to remain professional and rely on the resignation letter templates while writing your own.
Overview of Resignation Email
The reasons for leaving your current workplace may be various: a new job opportunity, an employment contract ending, moving places, an unhealthy working environment, job responsibilities that don’t coincide with the remuneration or just personal reasons. Whatever the reason is, you should inform about your decision to quit appropriately and in advance.
You can do so by sending your boss an email letting them know about your intentions. Of course, ideally, the email should be preceded by a face-to-face conversation with your boss if both of you can physically organise it. Given that one of you is working remotely, an online conversation is a great alternative to inform your boss about your decision to quit. In some situations, like family emergencies, this rule may be broken, and a person can resort to just sending a resignation email. In this case, composing it correctly plays a crucial role in your future.
If you are wondering about the difference between a resignation letter and a two weeks notice, they are actually the same and are both aimed at resignation announcements. It’s also helpful to know that the date of sending a resignation email doesn’t mean starting the countdown to the final day. It’s just the beginning of the quitting process, and the final resignation date can be additionally negotiated.
Benefits of Writing a Professional Resignation Email
Remaining professional is probably the strongest argument in favour of writing a proper resignation email. However, let’s dive in and check how an employee benefits from it.
- Positive impression. Sending a resignation letter is a sign of your integrity, respect, and consideration for your current boss, co-workers, and the company as a whole. It demonstrates that you realise they depend on you and rely on you as a team member. Besides, you don’t want to disappoint them by announcing your resignation at the eleventh hour.
- Lasting relationships. The previous argument gives rise to this one. By quitting on a positive note and fostering goodwill, you prepare the ground for ongoing professional relationships, mentorship, and potential collaboration in the future.
- Reputation management. When leaving on good terms, you mitigate the risk of negative feedback and, at the same time, enhance the possibility of future opportunities. Employers and recruiters appreciate candidates who remain cooperative till the very end. This will make you a desirable and competitive candidate in the future.
- Reference request. You shouldn’t underestimate the power of positive references from your employer – they can make a difference. If your performance has always been of high quality, a well-written email will definitely encourage your soon-to-be former employer to provide glowing references when you decide to leave. The presence of such can significantly boost your chances of landing a great new job.
- Self-reflection. When composing a resignation letter, you are bound to reflect on your experience and progress (or absence of such) in the company. In both cases, it will help you gain clarity about your future career goals and values you’d like to pursue.
Tips for Writing a Professional Resignation Email
Speaking more generally, you should remain polite, maintain a positive tone throughout your letter, and avoid any spelling mistakes. You should also be laconic and explain the reason for your decision as clearly as possible, without criticising or complaining. However, we’d like to give you more detailed guidelines on how to write a notice email professionally by discussing every element of it.
Structure
One must stick to a particular format when writing any business email, and a resignation letter isn’t an exception. It usually includes such parts:
- Subject line
- Greeting
- Introduction
- Body
- Closing
- Sign-off
Subject line
First and foremost, create an appropriate email subject line. Your manager must be receiving tons of emails daily. Hence, a clear subject line is necessary if you want your resignation email to be noticed on time. There are some examples to use for your subject line:
- Resignation email/letter – name
- My resignation – name
- Two weeks’ notice – name
- Notice of resignation – name
- Formal resignation request – name
- Resignation effective immediately – name
Choose Your Words Carefully
As mentioned, your resignation letter is not a complaint book. If you need to share your soul, a personal meeting with your HR department representative will be more professional than writing a dramatic letter. Even if you are willing to include a genuine reason for your quitting, pick the most neutral and dispassionate words: instead of saying, “My colleagues are extremely toxic”, use “I am quitting due to personal/ mental health reasons”.
Keep It Brief and Concise
The main aim of the resignation notice is to give information about your resignation and its date. Usually, a couple of sentences are enough to include the message. You can freely add any questions regarding your resignation, too. Avoiding useless information gives people more chances to focus on your requests, not on organising and prioritising information in your letter.
Express Gratitude
We should appreciate any experience our life provides. If it was a good period of your life – say “thank you” to your boss and team for being part of it and giving opportunities to improve, have fun, and enjoy your professional activity. If it was vice versa – say “thank you” anyway. It’s probably not a good idea to write, “Thank you for helping me clarify what kind of workplace I will be trying to steer clear of in the future”. However, you may express gratitude for getting professional and personal growth opportunities. This move is bound to ensure a peaceful and smooth transition.
Include Your Contact Information
If your decision to quit was not dictated by some negative experiences and motives, and you would be glad to keep in touch, add your contact details in the letter. You may also write that you’d like to stay in contact so people know it and bear it in mind. If you are sure you are leaving for good, skip it.
Offer to Help During the Transition Period
In the end, let them know you are available to provide your successor with assistance on the specifics of your work. If you want, include time frames when they are welcome to contact you. It will be another sight of your thoughtfulness as you will considerably facilitate a new employee’s adaptation process.
Examples of Professional Resignation Emails
Finally, we’ve reached the practical part with several resignation letter template options. When writing to your boss or manager, we advise being sincere and including all the elements of a well-written letter mentioned above.
Resignation email example – effective immediately
Subject line: Immediate Resignation – William Pane
Dear Elisabeth,
I’m writing to inform you about my decision to resign from the Social Media Creator position I currently hold. I have to do it immediately due to unavoidable personal circumstances (or your reason); therefore, tomorrow is my last day at the company. Please accept my sincere apologies for doing it on short notice.I would also like to add that I do realise that this news is so unexpected; I am willing to help with the transition process via email (willpane@gmail.com), video conferencing, or phone (020-8555-4444). I am available every working day after 12 p.m.
I immensely appreciated the chance to be a part of our team under your guidance. I have obtained lots of valuable experience. Thank you for this time and for your understanding now.
Sincerely,
Will Pane
Resignation letter email to the HR department
You may not be so eloquent when writing a resignation email to an HR compared to your manager or boss; they don’t usually need explanations and gratitude. But you should include very specific information necessary for an efficient termination process.
Subject line: Resignation email – Andrew Grey
Dear HR team/name,
This email is my formal resignation request from my position as (job title) at (company name) on (date).I have accepted an offer from another company (company name). Please, provide them with references when they contact you. I would also appreciate the opportunity to meet and discuss my leaving date and other nuances of my resignation as soon as possible.
Kindest regards,
Diana Spenser
Conclusion
If you are interested in building a successful career, stick to the rules of being a real professional in every aspect of your activity. One of these aspects is communication which can open a vast array of business doors if appropriately applied. No matter on which terms you have to quit your current job, you should resign with dignity. Set up a personal meeting with your boss to inform them about your intention and then compose a well-crafted resignation letter. Not only will it help to form a positive impression of you as a former team member, but it will also significantly boost your chances of getting favourable references.
