How to write a resignation letter (With sample)

A resignation letter is an official notice you send or hand in to your employer, letting them know that you plan to leave your position. A resignation letter provides your employer with important information about your departure, such as the timeline for leaving and any important details about your transition.

In this guide, we’ll help you understand why and when you should write a resignation letter, how to write a resignation letter, and provide you with a couple of resignation letter examples. This will help ensure that you can leave any job in a professional manner.

Why write a resignation letter?

In most cases, before you submit a resignation letter, you will have a conversation with your boss, letting them know about your plans to leave your position. However, even though you might have already informed your boss about your plans to depart the company, it is still important to submit an official resignation letter.

Resignation letters are important for two key reasons:

They are a formal notice that can be placed on file. Most HR teams require a resignation letter. They will store this letter with your offer letter and any other information about you as an employee.
They align expectations. Even if you verbally let your manager know you are leaving your role, providing written notice of resignation will ensure that everyone is on the same page. This letter offers a concrete timeline, which can help prevent confusion about when your last day is.

How to write a resignation letter

Writing a resignation letter is simple. First, you want to make sure you include key pieces of information. An employee resignation letter should contain the following components:

Contact Information: At the top of your letter, you’ll want to include your contact information, as well as the contact information of your manager. Phone, email, and your physical address should all be included. This will be important for any follow-up correspondence. Place contact information in a business letter format. For an email, you’ll place your contact information at the bottom rather than the top of the email (see the examples below).
Timeline: One of the most important pieces of information to add to your resignation letter is the last date of your employment. Generally, this should be two weeks after you give your notice. However, if circumstances require you to leave earlier or stay longer, make sure to highlight this in your letter.
Transition Information: It is customary to include a short sentence or two about how you plan to help transition out of your role. This can be as simple as stating that you will wrap up any projects and pass on all relevant information to your manager.
A Thank You: Regardless of why you are leaving, you should include a quick thank you to your employer for the opportunity to work for them. This is not only professional, but it can help you down the road should you need a reference.
Details About Leaving: Optionally, you can include a little extra detail about why you are leaving your role. If you decide to do so, keep it succinct and positive. This is not the place to vent frustrations.

In addition to making sure you include all of the above information in your resignation letter, use the following tips for creating a professional letter:

Use spell check: Before you submit your resignation letter to your boss or HR department, be sure to double-check for any spelling errors.
Re-read your letter a couple of times: After writing your letter, take the time to read it over a couple of times to ensure everything is accurate and easy to understand. If possible, have a friend or family member read it over as well.
Avoid negativity: Depending on why you are leaving your position, it might be tempting to add complaints about your job. However, it is better to save your concerns for an exit interview with HR. Your resignation letter should be a short explanation of your plans to leave the position.
Keep it simple: A resignation letter should be concise and to the point. It doesn’t need to contain a lot of information, but rather should be a simple statement providing your company with notice of your departure.

Resignation letter sample

To help you get a jump start on your resignation letter, check out the following two resignation letter samples. Make sure that if you use these samples to start your letter, you replace all of the information with your own.

Simple resignation letter sample

If you plan to hand in a physical copy of your simple resignation letter, use this sample.

Stephen Harken
123 Front Road
Springfield, KS 65890
(777)555-3333
[email protected]

August 22, 2022

Jasmine Lemony
Marketing Manager
ABC Agency
123 Business Way
Springfield, KS 65890

Dear Jasmine,

Please accept this as my formal resignation from my position as a Marketing Assistant. My last day of work will be on September 2, 2022, two weeks from today.

I want to thank you for the past two years working at ABC Agency on your team. It has been a true pleasure, and I have learned an incredible amount from your leadership.

Over the next two weeks, I plan to help with the transition by finishing up the ad projects I have in motion and passing on all relevant information to your new marketing assistant. Please let me know if I can help in any other way.

Respectfully,

[Signature]

Stephen Harken

Email resignation letter sample

Use this short resignation letter example as a starting point for writing your own message if you plan to turn in your letter via email.

Subject: Notice of Resignation for Mari Klant

Dear Frank,

Please accept my formal resignation from the ABC Agency. My last day of work with the company will be September 2, 2022, two weeks from today.

Thank you for all the professional training you have provided me over the past two years. It has been a pleasure working for you and with the entire team.

As I move out of this role, please let me know how I can help. I will turn over all of my current projects to Adam Flanders to ensure a smooth transition.

All the best,

Mari Klant

[email protected]
(777)345-6789

Learn more about leaving Your job

Quitting a job can feel awkward. However, with the right tools, you can transition out of a role in a professional and positive way. For further reading, check out these helpful guides with information about leaving a company: