Quitting your job? You should write a resignation letter
As exciting as embarking on a new job may be, writing and submitting a resignation letter can seem daunting enough to consider skipping that step altogether. I reached out to Doug Ebertowski, a career expert at FlexJobs, to find out why people should write a resignation letter even if they might be hesitant or uncomfortable about sharing their reasons for and feelings about leaving.
“It serves several purposes such as providing documentation and a record of your resignation as well as an official end date for everyone involved. Additionally, it communicates your professionalism and maintains a positive relationship as you leave on the best possible terms,” says Ebertowski.
According to FlexJobs, it should be submitted as soon as you know the date you’ll be leaving, and include information such as your intention to resign, your plans about delegating any remaining work, an exit timeline, and a short explanation about why you’re leaving.
“The critical point here is short — you want to give some reason behind your departure but not a lengthy explanation,” the FlexJobs guide says. “You can be vague in your wording here, speaking in generalities, like this: ‘While I’ve enjoyed my time at the company, I’ve decided to pursue a new career opportunity.’”
In the FlexJobs’ guide, Ebertowski says complaints about specific individuals, critiques of your boss, and too much information about your future plans are topics to avoid when crafting a letter of resignation.
(Kathleen Furore is a Chicago-based writer and editor who has covered personal finance and other business-related topics for a variety of trade and consumer publications. You can email her your career questions at kfurore@ yahoo.com.)