HOW TO: Resign

"What should I put in a letter of resignation?" (Question from a DC Web Woman)

Almost no one gets a gold watch anymore.

Staying with a company for an entire professional life is unheard of in today’s world of business. Changing jobs invokes the personal emotions of change and disruption and adjustment. Everyone struggles with these invaders in a very personal way.

In addition, changing jobs also invokes a curious, contradictory business protocol of disengagement. The rules of disengagement are counter-intuitive, leaving many women wondering what to do, and how to do it effectively.

Here are the basics.

Women quite often think that when they leave a job they are under some moral obligation to right what is wrong with the now-former employer, or at a minimum, to make the wrongs known. As odd as it may seem, any real explanation (orally or in writing) as to why you are leaving, even if solicited but most emphatically if unsolicited, will not benefit you or the company.

The proper time for such an exchange is while you are an employee, and the proper vehicle is your company’s resolution structure. Outlining the company’s deficiencies as you resign just makes you look bad.

Reign in your natural inclination to tell your friends or peers that you are resigning before you tell your supervisor. It is unprofessional, and a breach of etiquette.

Do not give in to the compulsive need to tell your friends or peers the "real truth" about why you are leaving. You can not handle dirt without getting dirty yourself.

A resignation letter will be filed and may be looked at in the future, by people who never knew you, for reasons you cannot now imagine. Keep that foremost in mind when you craft it. These are the conventions:

• Date on the letter
• Date and day of the week the resignation is effective
• Title of the job from which you are resigning
• The length of the transition period (2-weeks, 3-weeks etc.)
• Wrap the facts in warm appreciation. Every job gives you something and every company prefers affirmation to grief.

• Any reasons for leaving
• The name of your new employer
• Any bad reference to the company

January 1, 1999

Ms. Joan Smith
Director
ABC Company
1234 Main Street

Anycity, ST 12345-6789

Dear Joan: (or Ms. Smith, whatever you call the person)

This letter tenders my resignation as Technical Support Specialist for ABC Company, effective at the close of business on Friday, January 14, 1999. During the following two weeks I will work with you and others you designate to transition my work as smoothly as possible.

Thank you for the many opportunities ABC Company has provided me during my tenure. Please accept my best wishes for the continued success of the company.

Sincerely,

Your Full Name

Follow business letter writing guidelines. Use plain paper (no company letterhead), no return address, typed not hand written, signed in ink, folded and put into a plain, unsealed, #10 (letter size) envelope. Make several copies for yourself.

Be pleasant, smile, and relax.

As you hand the letter over, say, gently: I am submitting my resignation, and I want to thank you for all the opportunities I have had here at ABC. Re-state the promise to effect a smooth transition.

If you are asked why you are leaving, respond with "for a better opportunity" "better commute" or some truthful banality. Never, ever say bad things about the company. This is business and you do not owe explanations. You owe professional notice, courtesy, and cooperation for transition of the work you do.

Managers generally ask where you are going. Be forthright. Nothing is gained by not disclosing this. If it is to a competitor be honest. It will surely come out and if you lie or hedge you will look foolish and guilty.

Ask when the manager will announce your leaving, so that you will not tell people before she does. Commit to what she asks regarding telling others.

Not every disengagement is pleasant. Be prepared for an employer to say that they do not want your notice and prefer that you leave now. Control what you can, which is yourself. If asked, leave graciously, promptly, and with good cheer.

Let go of all resentments and disappointments. They belong to the past.

Focus on the work, and how to ensure that it is carried out effectively in your absence. Demonstrate positive initiative. Produce documentation, file papers, and generally create an environment that you would like to inherit at your new job.

When women leave one job for another they are looking for closure to that chapter of their lives, and they are seeking to build a firm bridge to walk over into a new future. Bridges are important.

Use these tools to build a good one. You may one day have to use an old bridge you built, but never thought you would need again.

Copyright © 1998, 1999 by D.E. Summerville. All rights reserved.

The advice and suggestions in the Women in Business column are solely those of the author. DC Web Women assumes no responsibility for its content.

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