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11+ Resignation Letter Templates
Resignation letters are a necessary beast when it comes to exiting a job with grace and professionalism. So if you are on the lookout for a well-written and well-designed letter to give to your boss before you leave your current job, you are on the right page on the internet.
In this article, we share helpful tips on how to craft the best resignation letter for when you decide to call it quits in your job. We also share multiple examples of printable letter templates that you may use depending on the kind of exit strategy you have formulated for your job.
Elements of a Good Resignation Letter
A good resignation letter is one that gets your message across without sounding too rude to your employer or boss. In the next few paragraphs, we have listed down the key elements that should be found in a resignation letter.
1. Tone: A resignation letter’s tone will reveal much about the letter writer and his or her relationship with his boss or employer. But no matter how much you despise your boss and how much you want to leave your job, remember that your resignation letter serves as official documentation of your leaving your job. Professionalism should be maintained at all costs and this is done by using a polite tone in your letter.
2. Current Role or Position: A good exit letter should also contain information about your current role or position. This is helpful in reminding your boss (or anyone reading the resignation letter) about the tasks that you are working on. If possible, you do not need to include any new prospects or plan after leaving the job.
3. Requested End Time: Another important element that should be found in a resignation letter is the amount of time or number of days you need or have before you actually stop reporting for this current job. This is called the minimum notice requirement and most companies will have different policies for this.
4. Action Plan: In most industries and job roles, it is considered unprofessional to leave a job with unfinished or un-delegated projects or assignments. That is why if you intend to tender your resignation, you should include an action plan on how to go about this transition period. This may be indicating that you are willing to train your replacement before you quit the job. Or, this may be making sure that your current projects or tasks are completed before your last day at work.
5. Formal Format: Lastly, a resignation letter should also follow the standard letter format. This means that it should contain a heading, inside address, greeting, body, complimentary close, and your signature. Don’t just write a short note as your resignation letter. No matter how much you hate your job or boss, take the time to write a formal resignation letter or use a resignation letter template.
Those are the top five most important elements of a resignation letter. Make sure to incorporate them in your own resignation letters or use any of the pre-formatted simple resignation letter templates we have curated below.
11+ Resignation Letter Templates
Check out a few examples of printable resignation letter templates that we have embedded below. Each template is available in different file formats to make it more convenient for end-users to customize them.
Letter of Resignation Template
Resignation Letter Going Back to School
Accountant Resignation Letter Template
Board Resignation Letter Sample
Free Resignation Letter to Company Template
Internship Resignation Letter Example
Official Resignation Letter Format
Resignation Letter Template for Personal Reason
Resignation Letter to Client Sample
Short Resignation Letter Template
Simple Resignation Letter Format
Teacher Resignation Letter for Personal Reasons
How to Write a Resignation Letter
Shared below is a step by step guide on how to write your own resignation letter. Read and internalize each step so that your own letter will sound professional and calm.
1. Learn the basic letter-writing format: The first step in writing a resignation letter is to familiarize yourself with basic letter-writing formats. This means knowing what essential parts of a letter are and how to write them. We have mentioned the basic resignation letter format in the first part of this article so read it again if you need a refresher.
2. Note the key information you wish to include in your letter: And since you are creating a resignation letter, you need to make sure that your letter only contains information that is relevant to the letter’s purpose. Note these pieces of information before you sit down and actually write the letter. This way your letter will be more organized and express a coherent thought.
3. Begin typing your letter: The next step is, of course, to begin writing your resignation letter. You may create a draft on paper or by using a word processor. When writing your letter, it is better to already follow the standard letter format so that you will not have to redo and re-format everything after you write it.
4. Alternatively, use a pre-made resignation letter template: If you are not confident in your writing skills, it may be best to use a pre-made resignation letter template. Examples of which are included in this article. A pre-formatted letter template will help you save time and effort since you no longer have to create a job resignation letter from scratch. Also, printable letter templates are fully customizable. This makes it possible for anyone to add, remove, or even reuse any design and formatting elements to match your own preferences.
5. Proofread your letter: After writing or customizing your resignation letter, it is time to take a step back and ask someone to review it. This step is especially important if you want to make sure that your letter is worded professionally and politely. A proofreader can look for typos, grammar lapses, and even inconsistencies with reasons or statements provided in your resignation letter. If you are creating a handwritten resignation letter, it is best to proofread the draft of the resignation letter first before writing the final copy of the letter.
6. Print it out: The last step is to print out your resignation letter. If you are using any of the pre-made printable resignation letter templates that we have included in this article, printing is made easy since the templates are already formatted to follow an A4 or US letter paper sizes.
And those are the essential steps in creating a heartfelt resignation letter. Hopefully, you only get to follow these steps when you really need to get out of a current job. To see other examples of resignation letters that can be used for a variety of professions and scenarios, feel free to browse through our website.
Types of Resignation Letters
There is no standard classification system for resignation letters. The paper type and size may differ when you creating a resignation letter. But, essentially, their content is the same.
Resignation Letter Sizes
Just like other types of formal letters, resignation letters are best printed out on official document paper sizes. The examples of resignation letters included in this article follow the following letter sizes:
- A4 – 8.27 inches by 11.69 inches or 210 mm by 297 mm
- Letter (US) – 8.5 inches by 11 inches or 216 mm by 279 mm
- Legal (US) – 8.5 inches by 14 inches or 216 mm by 356 mm
Resignation Letter FAQs
What is a resignation letter template?
A resignation letter template is a pre-made yet customizable digital file that allows you to easily and quickly create resignation letters. As a digital template, it will contain all the necessary text and design elements needed for a formal resignation document. Purchasing a resignation letter template will allow you to edit the template to match whatever personal or work information you wish to include in the letter.
Can you backdate a resignation letter?
Whatever the circumstance surrounding your resignation is, backdating a resignation letter may not be a good idea. First, you need to carefully assess why you or your employer wants your resignation letter backdated. When you find out and you agree to the reason, then feel free to backdate your resignation letter. If not, then there is nothing wrong with following your intended resignation date.
When is the best time to submit a resignation letter?
Depending on your contract, you may have to submit a resignation letter at least two weeks before your intended resignation date. It may be best to do this on a Friday to give your employer or manager more time to think about your decision.
What is the difference between a resignation letter and a relieving letter?
A resignation letter is a document written by an employee and submitted to an employer to inform him/her of the employee’s decision to quit the job. On the other hand, an employee relieving letter is a letter or document created by the employer and given to the employer on his or her last day of work. The latter may act as an official document attesting the employee’s freedom to pursue new employment.
This article is a treasure trove of facts and tips on creating your own resignation letter. In addition, the multiple examples of resignation letter templates included above can surely help anyone draft their own personalized letters when they finally quit their jobs. For more customizable business templates like the ones embedded above, check out the rest of Template.net.
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