So you’ve secured that job offer and have
an exciting new career opportunity to pursue.
The down side is that you now have to resign,
so here are a few pointers:
A written letter is always preferable to a verbal
resignation on its own, as it gives you time
to think about what you’re going to say
and see it in black and white before the deed
itself. Remember that however much you may dislike
your current job and/or boss, you should never
commit these thoughts to paper where they can
come back to haunt you!
A resignation letter need only include: Your
name, date, the person it is addressed to, notice
of termination of employment, when this is effective
from and your signature. However, if you’re
leaving in good circumstances, you may wish
add a thank you for the opportunities the role
has given you and/or that you will miss working
with your colleagues. If you’re stuck
for what to say, have a look at our instant
resignation letter below?
When handing in your resignation, try to emphasise
the positives: you never know when your paths
might cross again, so always leave the meeting
on a good note and be as co-operative as possible.
Stress that you will undertake the handover
of any uncompleted work to the best of your
ability. People remember both the first and
last impression you make on them.
Unless your boss is expecting you to resign,
your decision may come as a surprise, so be
prepared for a reaction. They may get emotional
or even confrontational in which case, you need
to stick to your prepared comments and retain
your composure at all costs.
Your boss may decide to counter-offer and if
salary was your only issue, then you may decide
to stay. However, salary alone is rarely the
only reason people decide to move on, so if
you are tempted, you need to consider:
What were my original motives for leaving?
Why did I have to resign before I was offered
a higher salary/more responsibility?
Has anything else changed?
Will my boss view me differently/trust my
commitment from now on?
Will I permanently damage my chances of working
with this new company if I turn down this
offer?
If you are tempted to
stay then be aware that people in this situation
are often job hunting again within 6 months!
Personalised Resignation
Letter
Not sure what to write? Enter your details here
and we’ll produce an instant, personalised
letter - all you need to do is print it off and
sign it!
