How to Write a Resignation Letter (with Format & Samples)

Over several years of service at various levels, including top management, I’ve been through countless resignation letters. And I’ve submitted a handful of job resignation letter myself for various reasons.

With some confidence I’ll say, writing or handing over a resign letter is never a happy occasion. As employee moving to greener pastures, you may have reasons to rejoice.

Or as worker facing a loss of job for some reason, you would definitely be grieving. Whatever your condition or circumstances, writing and handing over a job resign letter is a very tough task.

Furthermore, I’ll also add that a resignation letter is a very important document for your career as well. It speaks a lot about your personality. Indeed, it can also impact your future jobs.

resignation letter

Why? Here’re the reasons.

Importance of Resignation Letter
In purely generic terms, the best resignation letter signifies the end of your relationship as an employee with an employer. And like any relationships in life, there’re no happy endings.

In such situations, a resign letter can serve to reduce or eliminate bitterness or anger that may exist or arise between an employer and yourself.

Though you may have been an excellent employee and your employer happy with your work, resignation changes it all. Consciously or subconsciously, it leaves a sense of guilt among both.

An employee feels guilty about leaving a workplace that brought them to a position to get a better job. The employer feels guilty for inability to retain your services for the organization.

Furthermore, a prospective or new employer would demand to see your resign letter and know its contents.

A resignation letter sample with three to five sentences would have sufficed to leave a job. But when a new or prospective employer reads that resign letter, they would be able to find your personality traits.

When you sever a relationship with an employer, it’s important to exit with goodwill. Who knows? You may have to seek a job once again with the employer.

Or your dues could be pending with a past employer. Or you might require an experience letter and excellent references.

There are several more subtle points on why a resign letter is a very important document for your career. We’ll discuss that as we go along through this article.

But first, let’s start with the basics about how to write the best resignation letter. You will find the resignation

Basics of Job Resignation Letter
As with any letter, it’s customary to mention certain details on your resignation too.

Full name or expanded initials.
Contact Address.
Phone number.
Email ID.
Date.
All these appear on top of your job resign letter and are equally important. Your full name or expanded initials would be useful to avail services from any government agency or bank.

Contact address, phone number, and email ID is vital, should the employer need you for any issues relating with handing over of charge or to process your dues.

And above all, the date is the single most important element of your resignation letter. Because it clearly indicates whether you’re leaving without notice and duration of the notice period.

Often, new employers will ask to see your resignation letter only to check the date and notice period.

As a result, a resignation letter also serves as the record of your employment and its end with a particular company or employer.

Additionally, a resignation letter date has several more uses. It can prove useful while claiming Provident Fund or bank purposes and legal cases, if any.