To write a good resignation letter, greet your manager formally, then state your intent to resign and the date you’ll officially depart. Next, express gratitude and sign off professionally. Your letter could even be as simple as this, “I am writing to inform you of my resignation from [Company], effective [Date]. I appreciate the opportunities for growth during my time here. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to ensure a smooth handover.”
An effective resignation letter is concise. It makes your decision to resign and final day at the company clear. From there, you can provide extra details regarding the context of your departure.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through simple resignation letter examples and how to craft the right message for each “occasion.”
Plus, we’ll share a few resignation letter templates.
Resignation letters are often rushed or treated as an afterthought, but they shouldn’t be. Writing a thoughtful resignation letter is your opportunity to end on a high note, maintaining positive relationships with your current employer. This is where you communicate your leave in a constructive way and pave the way for future opportunities and good professional relationships.
Leaving a company doesn't mean you'll never work with your current colleagues again.
Important Note: Never submit a resignation letter without first informing your manager face-to-face. It’s good etiquette and more professional to tell your manager that you’re resigning in-person than over a letter or email. Your resignation letter should be a mere formality, not a way to break the news.
Simple Resignation Letter Examples
A simple resignation letter works in almost all situations.
All a resignation letter really needs is a resignation statement, an appropriate notice period, expression of gratitude, and a professional tone. Simple resignation letters include all these key elements but keep it straightforward.
Simple resignation letter
Formal resignation letter
One-month resignation letter
Short Notice Resignation Letter Examples
These are used when notifying your company that you’re leaving with less notice than usual (typically less than two weeks). In this instance, provide a general reason for why you need to quit, while still focusing on expressing gratitude and moving forward positively.
24 hours notice resignation letter
Immediate notice resignation letter
Resignation Letter Samples for Common Reasons
You don’t need to explain why you’re leaving in your resignation letter. But, choosing to do so allows you to give context and provide feedback, which can help you maintain a positive relationship.
When providing personal reasons on a resignation letter, always focus on future opportunities and the positives rather than the negatives.
New opportunities resignation letter
Misalignment resignation letter
Retirement resignation letter
What to Include in a Resignation Letter
Every resignation letter includes the following:
- Background details. This includes your contact information, the company, and date of your resignation letter.
- Statement of resignation. Make your decision to resign clear.
- Resignation date. Announce the exact date you’re set on leaving, ensuring it aligns with the notice period in your work agreement.
- Expression of gratitude. Thank your employer and team for the opportunity to work with them.
- Reason for resignation (optional). Provide a brief yet general reason of why you’re leaving, without going into the specifics.
- Offer to assist with the transition (optional). State that you’re willing to help the company prepare for a smooth departure.
- Professional closing. End formally with “Sincerely” or “Best regards.”
Each of these ensure a resignation letter that not only serves as a formal announcement, but also sets the tone for your departure and maintains your professional relationships.
How to Write a Resignation Letter That’s Clear, Concise, and Respectful
Here’s how to write a resignation letter that bids farewell respectfully, regardless of your circumstances:
- Add your contact details (full name, city and country, phone number, and email address), as well as the company name and date of your letter.
- Address your manager.
- State your resignation and the effective date of departure.
- Highlight positive experiences you had with the company.
- Show appreciation directly toward your manager and the organization.
- Express your willingness to facilitate the transition process.
- Use a professional sign-off to end your letter.
It’s also enough to just write a formal greeting, followed by a straightforward statement of resignation, then give gratitude and sign-off. What’s important is that you succinctly make your decision clear, give enough notice, and maintain a professional, respectful tone.
Side Note: This writing guide can also apply to writing a resignation message via email. However, keep the subject line of your resignation email short. A simple, “Resignation: [Name]” is good enough.
1. Add contact details, company name, and date
These details go in the header section of your resignation letter in the following order:
- First and last name
- Location (city, country)
- Phone number
- Email address
- Date of letter
- Company name
2. Address your manager
You address your resignation letter to your manager because they are your direct supervisor and typically the official channel for communication regarding your employment.
Use your manager’s name when addressing them in your letter of resignation:
- Dear Mr. Jones
- Dear Ms. Wanderwald
- Dear Anthony
To keep it safe, be formal by addressing your manager using their last name.
However, depending on the company culture and your professional relationship, you could address your manager by their first name.
3. State your decision to resign and last day of work
The opening paragraph of your letter is a statement of resignation. This outlines your decision to resign and your effective date of departure.
Here are a few examples of a professional resignation statement:
- I am writing to inform you of my resignation, effective [Date].
- After careful consideration, I am writing to announce my resignation from my position as [Job Title] at [Company]. My last day of work will be [Date].
- Please accept this letter as my formal resignation. The official date of my departure will be on [Date].
The purpose of the first sentence is to make your resignation intent and final day clear. Other details aren’t necessary.
But if you’d like, you can also add a short sentence afterward that shows your appreciation for the positive experiences you’ve had during your time of employment. This way, you immediately highlight that you’re grateful for the skills gained and developed, in addition to how you’ve grown as a professional.
4. Provide a reason for leaving (optional)
You don’t have to share your reasons or explain yourself. If you’re uncomfortable for whatever reason, you can skip this part entirely. Although you might feel some guilt for leaving, you’re not required to justify your decision.
The only time it might be necessary to give a reason is when you must resign sooner than the expected notice period as stipulated in your employment contract.
When providing a reason, keep it brief. No need to get into the specifics. Mention it in either the same paragraph as your resignation statement or in the next.
Here are a few examples:
- As I continue to develop my career, I have decided to pursue an opportunity that aligns with my long-term goals.
- Following a recent opportunity that came to my attention, I have made the decision to resign from my current position as [Job Title].
- I am writing to express my gratitude for the past [number] years at [Company]. This was not an easy decision, but I have chosen to [reason].
I’ll share a few more common reasons for leaving and how you could express them in your resignation letter:
- Partner relocation. “I am resigning due to the recent relocation of my partner, which requires me to move to a different city.”
- New career opportunity. “I have decided to resign to pursue a new opportunity that aligns more closely with my career goals.”
- No mutual fit: “Through careful reflection, I have come to realize that this role may not be the best fit for my long-term goals.”
- Personal development. “I am stepping down to focus on furthering my education and personal development.”
- Health reasons. “Due to health reasons, I find it necessary to resign to focus on my wellbeing.”
- Family commitments. “I am resigning to dedicate more time to my family responsibilities that have recently increased.”
5. Express your gratitude in good faith
Acknowledge any positive experiences and learnings from your time at the company.
Expressing gratitude—especially for specific parts of your experience—can help leave a lasting positive expression, even if you’re leaving in difficult circumstances. Remember, this is purely optional, and not called for in all circumstances.
On the other hand, you may briefly provide suggestions and constructive feedback. But as mentioned earlier, I’d suggest saving this for the exit interview with your manager.
6. Make a closing statement
Clarify the next steps before signing off your letter. Offer your best wishes and show your willingness to make the transition period smoother.
Mention that you’re open to providing further assistance, if necessary. This could be by offering your help with training a replacement, wrapping up specific projects, or even recommending a successor. This should, of course, be within reason and fit in the time frame that you’re aiming for. Helping with the transition process can keep your working relationships positive.
7. End with a formal closing
Finish your resignation letter with a closing salutation followed by your signature underneath. Here are a few examples:
- Yours sincerely
- Sincerely
- With gratitude
- Best regards
15 Free Resignation Letter Examples
We’ll now go through some of the top resignation letter examples for various scenarios.
Once you’ve found the right option, you can make a few tweaks and tailor it based on your circumstances.
If there’s not an example on this list that matched the scenario you’re in, that’s okay—
We have hundreds more ready-to-use templates in our resignation letter library here. Another option is to follow the same structure of a sample you resonated with the most. This could mean keeping your reasons broad and focusing more on the positives. Or it could mean specifying your reasons and focusing more on your own experiences. Or it might be something else.
1. Grateful
This is short and sweet yet effective.
They’ve kept it straight to the point and mainly focused on what they’re grateful for as opposed to why they’re leaving.
2. Thankful
Although this sample is short, the employee has shown they’re thankful. Besides the last paragraph, it’s because of their willingness to provide further support to make the transition easier.
If you’d like to specify the date of resignation, you can make that clear in the first few sentences of your letter.
3. Immediate Notice
Even if your intention is to resign immediately, you don’t need to specify your reasons. Here, they’ve kept it general and focused on their gratitude and willingness to offer support.
If you’re still around, it’s probably because you have your own circumstances for leaving that you’d like to bring up. Or it could be that you want to share your own thoughts and give some feedback.
Either way, below you’ll find a range of resignation letters with valid reasons for leaving.
4. New Job
Found a new job? Let your employers know why you’re going for it.
In this case, that’s because of the commute and travel time, which has an impact on work-life balance. This is one important aspect to consider before accepting your next job opportunity.
In another similar situation such as relocation, it’s entirely understandable.
5. Family Circumstances
Despite leaving because of family reasons, the resignation letter projects a positive tone of voice. They’ve shown their appreciation and given their contact details so that they could get in touch at any time necessary.
To further reinforce positivity, they’ve let their employers know that they’re open to further assistance to ease the transition.
This template also works for those of you resigning because of the following:
- Maternity leave
- Mental health
- Returning to school
6. Career Growth
The career growth resignation letter refers to your development in your professional journey.
Before moving on, acknowledge the things you’ve been through and the opportunities you were given. To make it heartfelt, think about your word choices. For instance, here they’ve used phrases like:
- I have been honored…
- My decision is not one I have taken lightly…
- I deeply appreciate…
7. Personal Health Issue
Like some of our previous examples, you don’t need to go in-depth, especially if it’s a personal health issue resignation letter.
And to confirm it’s not a career break, mention that you’ll be continuing elsewhere.
Almost 50% of employees stated in a survey that discrimination has been an issue in the workplace.
It’s unfortunate but it's still a problem in the modern work environment.
As managers are usually aiming to improve the company culture, honesty would be the best policy. So at the very least, they’ll take your input into account and do what they can to prevent your negative experiences from happening again to future candidates.
8. Job Dissatisfaction
Not happy with your job overall? Use this job dissatisfaction resignation letter template.
To show that you’ve been thoughtful, it’s worth mentioning how you’ve been thinking about your options.
9. No Opportunity
In the no opportunity resignation letter, the worker acknowledges the value they’ve got from working with the company. Next, they simply state the reason for their resignation.
10. Unethical Workplace
Instead of starting with the positives, the unethical workplace resignation letter immediately points out why they’re resigning. You can also state how it’s made you feel and how it’s affected your performance.
11. Unfair Treatment
The unfair treatment resignation letter is quite long. Although the reason for leaving is a negative one, they still recognize the positive. Rather than leaving it at that, they’ve explained how and why their personal growth and career development have been limited.
Not everyone is looking to resign because of a better job opportunity. Some of you might consider quitting to complete your education and get your qualifications.
See below for examples.
12. Bachelor’s Degree
Going to university is commendable. It boosts your theoretical and academic knowledge.
Throughout this bachelor’s degree resignation letter, they show the company how much they’re thankful. Moreover, it's written in a supportive tone as they’re willing to help to make the transition smooth.
13. Master’s Degree
The format of the master’s degree resignation letter could be used for other educational levels too. On top of telling them their reason for leaving transparently in the first paragraph, it’s followed by an appreciative tone.
14. PhD
The PhD resignation letter doesn’t go into detail about why they’re choosing to pursue a doctoral degree. Your reason can be kept as simple as this without having to go further.
15. MBA Study
The MBA study resignation letter adds more information about why they’re leaving. In this particular sample, it comes off as a bit personal because they’ve stated that the opportunity to study has been a long-term dream.
Use Rezi AI Resignation Letter Writer to Create Your Own Automatically
Struggling to come up with what to say? I don’t blame you.
Instead of trying to think of the right words, use our AI Resignation Letter Writer to craft a professional message in seconds.
All you have to do is enter a few details:
- Company name
- Job position/title
- Last day at work
- Reason for resignation (optional)
- Signature (optional)
From there, Rezi AI will generate a complete resignation letter for you. You can get started for free by signing up for an account here.
See how it works in the video clip below:
Summary
Here’s an overview on how to write a resignation letter and leave on a positive note:
- Complete the header section by adding in your contact details, the company name, and date of your letter.
- Greet your direct supervisor formally.
- State your resignation intent and the exact date that you’ll be leaving.
- If you’re comfortable, give a broad reason on why you’re resigning.
- Show appreciation and gratitude for the work experience.
- Express your willingness to assist with the transition.
- Use a professional sign-off to end your letter.
Follow these steps, and you’ll leave a good, lasting impression on the company.
Hopefully, you found our writing guide and resignation letter examples helpful, and that the path forward feels brighter.
After submitting your resignation letter, you might be in need of updating your resume and cover letter for your next job application. In which case, do feel free to check out some of our other resources that could help you speed up the process.
Here are a few places to start:
- 50+ cover letter examples and why they work
- A step-by-step guide to showcase your professional background
- 74+ resume skills that are in demand in the workforce
Resignation Letter FAQs
How do you write a resignation letter for a job you love?
Acknowledge the difficulty in making your decision. You can write something along the lines of, “This was a tough decision, but I have accepted a new opportunity that aligns with my long-term goals. Thank you for the incredible experience at [Company].” Before making your resignation statement, you might also want to include the phrase, “After careful consideration” or “It comes with a heavy heart.”
How do you write a resignation letter for a job you hate?
Simply write a resignation message that gets straight to the point and suggest sharing your feedback in an exit interview. You can write, “I would be happy to discuss my reasons further in an exit interview.” Even when quitting a job you hate, don’t leave any negative comments on your resignation letter. These are kept on record and can burn bridges.
What to say in a resignation letter?
Your intention to resign, last day of work, and an expression of gratitude are the key elements to include on a resignation letter. You could also mention a general reason for leaving, but it’s not necessary. Keep it short and professional.
How to start a resignation letter?
To start a resignation letter, use a formal greeting like "Dear [Name]". Then, clearly state your intention to resign and the final date of employment with the company by writing a sentence like "Please accept this letter as formal notification of my resignation from [Company], effective [Date]."
How to end a resignation letter?
Make a polite closing statement by directly thanking your manager and the company. You could also write that you’re willing to help with the transition process. After your closing statement, end your letter by using a professional sign-off like “Sincerely” or “Best regards.”
Leaving your job soon? Don’t treat your resignation letter as the end of a chapter. Instead, consider it as the start of a new one.
