How To Write A 2 Week Resignation Letter
Moving on to the next chapter in our life is always a welcome change. Regardless of the circumstances, what matters most is having the ability to start all over; to breathe again. Whether it means moving to a new place or finding new relationships the circumstances surrounding the closure of one chapter remains the same: life will never be the same again. When it comes to career, things could get more complicated especially if you have to start your new job soon. The ball starts rolling when you have to learn how to write a two weeks resignation letter!
What Is A Two Week Resignation Letter And Why You Need To File It
The 2 week notice resignation letter is the professional approach to documenting and relaying your decision to terminate the engagement with your current employer. Every engagement involves a relationship and not every relationship will be harmonious.
It should not matter if your decision to resign is motivated by an opportunity to grow your career or a need to escape an unproductive working relationship. You should always follow company protocol, be guided by professional ethics and formally advise your employer of your decision to resign.
Resignation requires you to go through a clearance period. The resignation letter is part of the documents you have to submit in order to gain clearance from your employer. For your employer, the resignation letter will be their basis for organising their 201 file and computing the benefits that are still due to you. It will also assist your employer in finding a replacement and transitioning your duties, responsibilities and pending work to the new employee.
Below you can find an infographic showing the 8 rules for writing a two week resignation letter. Feel free to share it on social media or embed it on your site. Remember to scroll down at the bottom of the article to see our resignation samples.
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8 Rules For Writing A Two Week Resignation Letter
For some people, writing a resignation letter in 2 weeks can be very stressful. Emotions could be running high, anxieties could be overwhelming but in truth writing a resignation letter is a simple activity.
Here’s how to write a professional two week notice resignation letter.
1. The First Line Should Be Direct to the Point
There is no need to sugar coat a resignation because companies are used to this; it is part of the corporate world. Yours is no different from anyone else’s resignation.
Be definitive when crafting the first line; do not mislead your employer by implying you may re-consider your decision to resign if given a better counter- offer.
2. No Need to State the Reasons for Resigning
This advice is especially important if the engagement did not end on friendly terms.
But generally, there really is no need to state your reasons for resigning. Once your decision to move on has been made that’s all there is to it. Your company will not get in the way of a better career.
You could state the reasons when you meet with your direct supervisor, manager or the company owner.
3. Be Formal; Yet Friendly
Writing a professional resignation letter means exactly that; maintaining utmost professionalism and respect until the very end.
Address your manager or direct supervisor by his or her title and last name. The tone of your resignation letter must be formal but not stiff.
If you and your manager had a particularly friendly relationship, do not incorporate funny anecdotes or innuendos.
4. Maintain a Positive Tone
This will be the last letter you will ever file to your employer. Even if you had a very turbulent relationship and things got personal and heated, take the high road and maintain a positive tone.
Remember, this letter could be the last impression you leave with the company. If your prospective employer calls up your previous employer, you would want them to receive positive feedback about you.
5. Give Appreciation to Your Employer
Always include one or two lines that clearly indicate your appreciation for the opportunity and the experience.
Every job is an experience; and experience earned is knowledge gained. Whether the cons outweigh the pros, you will still walk away a better, more learned person.
6. Advise on the Status of Your Work
Let your direct supervisor or manager know if you have completed work or if there are some tasks you still need to attend to.
If there are tasks that have not been accomplished, assure your employer you will have these completed on or before 2 weeks. This is important because some employers would prefer to either assign pending work to another or put it off until a replacement is found.
The reasoning is they will not take any chances you will be less focused or committed to accomplishing the tasks to the best of your abilities.
7. Extend Post – Resignation Support
Transitioning to a replacement is never easy for a company. There are training costs and the learning curve to deal with before the new employee can be consistently productive.
Extend an offer to assist the company in training the new employee. You could formally endorse your tasks to the new employee and guide him on how to get it done.
Many companies may choose to cut ties with you with the resignation letter especially if the engagement was volatile. Nonetheless, extending support is a very professional gesture which will be appreciated.
8. Close with Gratitude
Even if you’ve expressed appreciation at the opportunity, there is no harm in further closing with gratitude.
It will definitely smooth over a rough relationship and help both parties get off on a new start on their respective careers.
Structure And Format Of A 2 Week Resignation Letter
The structure and format of a resignation letter is similar to that of a regular business letter. No surprise, because a resignation letter is still communication intended for the employer. The difference would be in its content.
However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind when writing a resignation letter.
This is a formal letter. Therefore, you should hand carry it to the office and have it received by the addressee or his or her representative.
Many employees make the wrong assumption that an e-mail would suffice as long as the copy was signed, printed and scanned. After all, it would be sent from the sender’s webmail directly to the recipient’s inbox, right?
Wrong. It is a matter of professional courtesy to submit the original hard copy of the resignation letter to your employer. It is protocol and has nothing to do with being efficient.
You can e-mail a copy to the addressee or to Human Resources after the hard copy has been signed and received.
Structure of the resignation letter is essentially the same as a regular business letter:
- Left Aligned is preferred although some use Justified for organization and overall better look.
- First section:
- Full Name
- Address: City, State, Zip Code
- Phone Number
- E-mail Address
- Second Section: Indicate the date written as Day- Month- Year or Month- Day- Year.
- Third Section:
- Complete Name of Recipient
- Designation
- Name of Company
- Address: City, State, Zip Code
- Phone Number
- E-mail Address
- Salutation: Always use a formal salutation such as “Dear”. It would always be advisable to address the recipient with the correct title and the surname. For example: “Dear Mr. Smith”. However some companies allow first name salutations such as “Dear Trevor”. It would depend on the nature of your relationship, the conduct of communications in the organization and your position with the company.
- Body:
- First paragraph- State your decision to resign and date of effectivity.
- Second paragraph- Extend your appreciation for the opportunity.
- Third paragraph- Inform recipient of the status of your work and scope of responsibilities.
- Fourth paragraph- Extend assistance during the transition phase.
- Fifth paragraph- Extend gratitude.
- Closing: Always use a warm closing such as “Sincerely Yours” or “Very Truly Yours”.
- Signature: Type your name with a space on top for your signature.
Font Style – The resignation letter should be readable. Avoid using fancy looking fonts. Stick to the accepted font styles such as Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial. Use size 12 for Times New Roman and size 13.5 for Calibri and Arial.
Lastly, make sure there are no errors in spelling and grammar. Yes, it will be the last letter or communiqué with the company but it should still be professionally crafted. Review the content thoroughly before submitting the resignation letter to your Manager.
Below are some samples you can use as guidance if you need to write a two week resignation letter. We have 20 more resignation letter samples and templates here.
Basic 2 Week Resignation Letter Sample
5 April 2016
Mr. Donald Blake
New York City, New York 11360
(212) 123 4567
[email protected]
Mr. Steven Rogers
General Manager
ABC Telecommunications Inc.
New York City, New York 11363
(212) 234 6789
[email protected]
Dear Mr. Rogers,
I would like to respectfully tender my resignation to your company effective 19 April 2016.
The five years I spent with your company have been a valuable experience. I am confident I have grown as a professional working with the amazing people at the IT Department and learning under guidance of Mr. Stanley Jackson. Thus, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for giving me the wonderful opportunity to work, learn and develop under your esteemed organization.
With regards to pending work, I only have the YYZ Company Project Proposal remaining. The major sections of the project proposal have been completed. Over the next 10 days, I will be reviewing the references and data with Mr. Jackson and Mr. Hugh Kelley who has been my indispensible assistant in this project. I can assure you the YYZ Project Proposal will be completed before my resignation takes effect.
If you need my assistance at any time during the transition, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Again, thank you for the wonderful opportunity and I wish your company continued success in the years ahead.
Very truly yours,
Donald Blake
2 Week Resignation Letter Sample with Job Opportunity
5 April 2016
Mr. Donald Blake
New York City, New York 11360
(212) 123 4567
[email protected]
Mr. Steven Rogers
General Manager
ABC Telecommunications Inc.
New York City, New York 11363
(212) 234 6789
[email protected]
Dear Mr. Rogers,
I would like to respectfully tender my resignation to your company effective 19 April 2016. I was recently offered a good position at another company which is located closer to home. After much discussion with my family, I have decided to take their offer.
I have enjoyed my time with your company and learning under the guidance of Mr. Stanley Jackson. I will certainly miss working with the amazing people at the IT Department where I spend some of the best five years of my career. To this regard, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for giving me the wonderful opportunity to work, learn and develop under your esteemed organization.
I have completed all pending works with Mr. Jackson but I believe he would need my assistance with the YYZ Project Proposal. I shall closely work with Stanley and my assistant, Mr. Hugh Kelley who has been extremely valuable throughout my stay with ABC. Perhaps, you would like to consider Hugh for my position.
If you need my assistance at any time during the transition, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Again, thank you for the wonderful opportunity and I wish your company continued success in the years ahead.
Very truly yours,
Donald Blake
2 Week Resignation Sample with Personal Reason
5 April 2016
Mr. Donald Blake
New York City, New York 11360
(212) 123 4567
[email protected]
Mr. Steven Rogers
General Manager
ABC Telecommunications Inc.
New York City, New York 11363
(212) 234 6789
[email protected]
Dear Mr. Rogers,
I would like to respectfully tender my resignation to your company effective 19 April 2016. My father was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and I have decided to find work much closer to home so I can attend to him over the next few years.
I certainly hoped circumstances of my resignation would be better. The five years I spent with ABC have been the most productive in my career. I will definitely miss working with Mr. Stanley Jackson and the amazing people at the IT Department. For this, I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation for the opportunity to work with your esteemed organization.
My only pending work is the YYZ Project Paper with Stanley and my assistant, Mr. Hugh Kelley who has been instrumental to my success with the department. With much respect, I believe Hugh would fill in my position quite nicely.
If you need my assistance at any time during the transition, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Again, thank you for the wonderful opportunity and I wish your company continued success in the years ahead.
Very truly yours,
Donald Blake
