How to write a resignation letter (with example)

• Do you need to write a resignation letter?
• How to write a NZ style resignation letter
• What not to put on a resignation letter
• A sample resignation letter you can use yourself
• What to do after handing in a resignation letter

Yes, but this isn’t how you should break the news to your boss.

Once you’re sure that you’ve decided to leave (and really do be 100% on this), arrange a face-to-face meeting with your direct manager, and tell them what’s happening. This is a much more personal way of giving them the news, and only after you’ve resigned verbally should you formalise things in writing.

There are three main reasons why you should write a resignation letter:

As we'll show you below, a resignation letter should include important information, including when your last day of work will be. This means that, when this day rolls around, there will be no confusion or discrepancy because one person got the wrong end of the stick. This will also serve to demonstrate that you’ve completed the notice period stated in your employment contract.

As well as preventing confusion, a resignation letter will give your employer the info they need to start the recruitment process to find your replacement. This will include your job title, and your projected final day in the office.

Sometimes, it’s just important to do things because they’re expected of you. It’s common courtesy in New Zealand to write a resignation letter when you resign, and it will be considered poor form if you don’t. Given the importance of maintaining a positive relationship with your manager and the organisation as a whole, you need to tick this box.

• Keep it concise: in particular, there’s no need to be apologetic for leaving. Staff come and go, that’s part of running a business or department.
• Be positive: even if you had real issues with your former employer,it’s a bad move to let this all out in your resignation letter. Go out on a high on good terms!

Feel free to use this simple resignation letter template when creating your own:

[Your address, phone number and personal email address]

[Date of writing]

[Recipient’s full name]

[Company name]

[Company address]

Dear Kev,

Please accept this letter as notice that I am resigning from my role as Senior Account Manager at {Company Name}. My final day will be {Date}.

I have accepted a Team Leader position at {New Company Name} which is a really exciting opportunity for me, and one I felt I could not decline.

While I’m looking forward to what this will bring, I will genuinely miss working with you and the rest of the team here. The last two years have been incredibly fulfilling, and I greatly appreciate the opportunities you have given me to learn and develop myself. I know that {Business Name} and your department will continue to go from strength to strength.

I am keen to help in any way possible to make this transition as smooth as possible, and am available to help recruit and train my replacement. I will also make certain that all my clients are aware of the change, and complete all of the necessary admin tasks. 

Thank you again for everything, and please feel free to contact me anytime on either {Email address} or {Phone number}.

Yours sincerely,

{Your Name}.

We hope the above resignation letter example is a useful tool that you can use yourselves when it comes to handing in your notice. However, as well as giving you some pointers about what you should include, we also wanted to make it clear what should be avoided when writing a resignation letter. In our humble opinion, it’s best to avoid any of the following:

Your resignation letter should absolutely NOT be the time to vent any frustrations or disappointment you might be feeling about your time with the company. This includes slagging off the organisation itself, any of your colleagues, or your manager themselves.

Even if you’re leaving specifically because you’re finding it hard to get on with the people around you, or because you don’t like the direction the company culture is taking, it’s best to keep this to yourself. The one exception is when you’ve been a victim of workplace bullying, as this should be raised to stop it happening again. However, even in this instance, you’d ideally organise a meeting with your manager or a member of HR staff, rather than including this in your resignation letter.

The absolute maximum length a resignation letter should be is one page. However, even then, we’d be wondering what you’re including to need this many words. Generally speaking, half a page (around 200 words) should be enough to get across the key messages.

Some people almost feel as if they need to ask permission to leave, by providing a personal business case for why the new opportunity is the right one for them to take. You don’t need to do this. You have absolutely nothing to apologise for when you resign, it’s your career to take any direction you want. Of course, as we’ve done in our resignation letter template above, it’s totally okay to express that you’ll miss working for the company, but this doesn’t need to turn into an apology for going.

Equally, you shouldn’t go into details about why the new role you’re heading to is so much better than your current one. For example, you don’t need to describe any salary increase or improved benefits package you’ll be receiving once you jump ship. This could be interpreted as a negative comment on the package you had in your current role.

Whether you’re feeling super elated about never having to work for these people again, or if you’re finding it hard to hold back the tears because you’ll miss not being able to sit alongside your favourite colleagues everyday, your resignation letter isn’t the place to get gushy.

Keep things clear, concise and professional, and save the waterworks for your leaving do.

It’s important that, even with your notice handed in, you keep working hard and maintain your professional standards until your last day. Your resignation letter is part of this. If you submit your notice and it’s riddled with errors, this shows that you’ve mentally checked out, and that you no longer care about how you come across.

Given that you may well be asking this same hiring manager for a reference later in your career, it’s important that you maintain your reputation as a diligent and thorough employee.