Free Download Resignation Letter Template

A resignation letter is a letter that officially advises your company that you’re going to leave your position. A resignation letter is able to help you in maintaining a good relationship with your boss while flagging the way for you in moving on. You can use the letter in order to leave your employer with a good and constructive final impression.

A resignation letter is able to help you to keep a positive relationship with your old company or employer; even you decide to move on to another job.

You might resign from your job the right way so you can use your past company as your reference for your next possible job, so it is a good idea to take some time and write a refined and professional resignation letter before actually leaving your position.

The resignation letter can also provide official notice that you are ending your employment with your company.

At the last part of the letter, before you put in your closing signature, is where you have to repeat your positive approaches and goodwill to the company. Even though your experience with the company has not been very good, always try to think of something good to say. This will be a good resignation letter example for others.

The resignation letter is a formal quite request from the employee to the employer. Therefore, the resignation letter template usually contains three main parts, the reason for the resignation, the date of the end of the request and the thanks to the company for the employment provided so far. Under normal circumstances, the employer will accept the resignation letter and provide a final employment date to the employee. It is a good professional practice to request a resignation with a formal resignation letter.

If you don't know how to start your resignation letter, follow the guide here. We'll walk you through each part of a resignation letter — what to say, what not to say, and examples you can borrow for your own situation.

1. Greeting: Your greeting sets the tone. Keep it polite and professional. Start with "Dear [Manager's Name]." If you're going to submit your letter to a higher-level manager that you are not on a first name basis with, you should use his or her full name with address (Mr., Mrs., Ms., etc.). If you’ve had a close working relationship with the person you’re giving your letter of resignation to, you can skip using Mr. or Ms. And if you're addressing multiple people (e.g., your manager and HR), use your manager's name first, e.g., Dear Ms. Taylor and HR Team.

2. Statement of resignation: This is the heart of your letter. State clearly that you are resigning and mention the exact date that you are planning to leave. State the exact date that you are planning to leave. For most job contracts, you have to give your employer at least 2 weeks'notice in advance. Keep it direct and concise, and don't write emotional or vague phrases like "I think it's time for me to move on."

Examples

• ● I am writing to formally resign from my position as Marketing Coordinator at BrightWave Media. My last working day will be Friday, November 8, 2025.
• ● Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from my position as Customer Service Representative, effective immediately.
• ● I am resigning from my role as Project Manager at BuildRight Solutions. My last working day will be December 20, 2025, allowing a four-week transition period.

3. Your reason(s) for leaving (optional): You can include your resignation reason if you feel comfortable or if it helps maintain a positive relationship. Keep reasons general, such as "new opportunity," "personal reasons," or "relocation." You don't need to mention negative experiences or personal frustrations.

Examples

• ● I've been offered an exciting opportunity that aligns with my long-term career goals.
• ● Due to personal circumstances, I've decided to step away from my position at this time.
• ● I'll be relocating to another city and therefore will be unable to continue in my current role.

4. Offer help with transition: Offer to train a replacement or document your current projects. It helps your employer see that you care about a smooth handover, even as you leave, but don't overpromise.

Examples:

• ● I'm happy to assist in training my replacement or providing detailed handover notes to ensure a smooth transition.
• ● I will complete all ongoing design projects and prepare documentation before my departure to help the team continue seamlessly.
• ● Although my notice is short, I will do my best to wrap up urgent tasks and make the transition as easy as possible.

5. Thank your employer: Express appreciation for the opportunity and experience even if your time at the company wasn't perfect.

Examples:

• ● I'm grateful for the opportunities to grow and the support I've received from you and the team.
• ● I truly appreciate the experience and skills I've gained while working at GreenLeaf Studio.
• ● Thank you for the chance to be a part of the team and for all your guidance and time.

6. Leave your contact information: Include a personal email and/or phone number so your employer can reach you for final paperwork, references, or future networking.

7. Sign Off: You can use a friendly yet formal closing depending on how you usually communicate with your boss.

Is it okay to email your resignation letter? Yes. It's absolutely fine to send your resignation via email. An email resignation letter is also a formal way to notify your boss of your resignation. However, before sending out the resignation letter, consider having a conversation with your employer or HR manager in person. It's courteous to do so before you hit send.

To write your resignation letter via email, first pick a proper email subject for your resignation letter. Here are a few good examples for subject lines:

1. Resignation as of [Last Working Day]
2. Resignation – [Your Name]
3. Notice of Resignation – [Your Job Title]

When it comes to the body of your email, you'll want to cover a few key points. An email for a resignation letter should include:

1. A greeting / professional opening – Address your manager (or HR) by name, and open with a short polite line (optional).
2. Statement of resignation – Clearly state that you are resigning from your position and name the role/company.
3. Last working day / effective date – When your employment will end. Provide the date.
4. Optional: Reason for leaving – If you're comfortable, you can provide a brief reason (for example, "I have accepted another opportunity"). But you don't have to go into details.
5. Expression of gratitude – A short note thanking the company or manager for the experience, opportunities, or support.
6. Offer to help with transition – Mention you're willing to assist in making the hand-off smoother. Indeed lists this as one of the key steps.
7. Professional closing – Sign off with a courteous statement and your name.

Here's a template you can use:

Subject: Resignation – [Your Name]

Dear [Manager's Name],

I am writing to formally resign from my position as [Your Job Title] at [Company Name]. My last working day will be [Date].

I have greatly appreciated the opportunity to work with you and the team. During my time here, I have learned [mention one or two things you learned or value].

I will do my best to ensure a smooth transition of my responsibilities over the next [notice period, e.g., two weeks] and am happy to assist in onboarding a replacement or handing over my current projects.

Thank you again for the support and opportunities I've had while working at [Company Name]. I wish you and the company all the best for the future.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Optional: Your Contact Information]

So, after finishing your email, whom do you email your resignation letter to? A common approach is to send the email to your manager with HR CC'd. Before sending, it’s good practice to talk with your manager and follow company policies for resignation.

Yes, it‘’s absolutely okay to use AI to help write your resignation letter. AI tools like ChatGPT can be great assistants when you’re not sure how to start or want to make sure your letter sounds polished and professional.

You can think of it as a drafting partner, not your ghostwriter. Once you get your AI-generated version of resignation letter, you can personalize it with your tone and details (names, company, last working day) or add a sentence or two that reflects your genuine appreciation or feelings. Just remember: AI can help you write the words, but only you can make them feel real.

Here are two AI prompts you can copy and paste into your AI tool to get started.

1. Write a professional resignation letter for an employee leaving their job with two weeks’ notice. The tone should be polite, simple, and appreciative. Include sections for greeting, statement of resignation, last working day, gratitude, and offer to help with the transition.
2. Help me write a warm and respectful resignation letter where I’m leaving my job for personal reasons. Make it sound sincere but still professional. Include a short thank-you note to my manager and a willingness to assist with the transition.

Handing your resignation is not always easy, but by following these dos and don’ts, it might be a lot easier for you to do it:

DOs

1. Tell your boss personally. Sending them an email or simply leaving your resignation letter on their desk is very unprofessional. You need to be brave and show respect.

2. Always leave a constructive criticism if you need to, but keep the facts and make it relevant to the reason why you are going to leave.

3. Be ready: your boss may ask you to reconsider and offer you bigger salary or even promote you, know how your answers should be!

4. Be cooperative. Always leave your colleagues in the roll – present your work properly with clarifications about how you perform things and if there is anything unsettled things that they have to know about.

5. Select the people you would like to get a job reference from warily and tell them on why you think you are appropriate for your next position.

Don't

1. Present your resignation letter when you’re angry.

2. Focus only on the negative points throughout your job.

3. Feel like you need to provide them with reasons for your resignation if you want to keep it to yourself.

4. Refuse to work during your notice period. If it is in your job contract, then it is legally required.

5. Go straight on Facebook or Twitter and start posting negative things about your job.