Business 34: How to write the perfect resignation letter

Warm up

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[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]What industry do you work in and what is your role? [/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]What are the responsibilities of your role / position? [/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Can you describe the function of your workplace / company? [/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]How many departments, how many offices. National or International? [/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]What is the Minimum requirements for employment ie Education or Experience? [/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]How many opportunities are there for career growth / ‘move up the ladder’? [/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]What is the process for changing job roles ie Interview? Test? [/responsivevoice]

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[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]General discussion about your workweek: [/responsivevoice]

[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Current projects? Deadlines? Opportunities? [/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Anything of interest happening? [/responsivevoice]

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Script

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/24/success/how-to-write-a-resignation-letter/index.html

1.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]You found a new job, successfully snuck away for all the interviews and have accepted a job offer. Now you just have to tell your current employer you are leaving. That can be harder than you think.“Always leave on a high note,” said Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster. “You never get a second chance to make a last impression.” [/responsivevoice]

2.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Go straight to your boss. Your immediate supervisor should be the first person you tell about your decision to leave the company. Even if you don’t get along with your boss and they’re the reason you sought a new job, they should still be your first stop.

“Information like this is currency for people who like to gossip,” said Janel Anderson, a workplace communication expert. “The chances of the information getting into the wrong hands and then being leaked to your boss before you get a chance would make you look incredibly unprofessional.” Giving the news in person is your best option. [/responsivevoice]

3.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Request a quick meeting or pop into their office asking for a few minutes to chat.

If an in-person conversation isn’t an option, request a phone call or video conference. The main idea is to avoid giving notice over text or email.

Next should be the coworkers and clients who will be the most affected by your departure. You could also call a group meeting to get the news out all at once. [/responsivevoice]

4.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Avoid giving too much detail It’s up to you how much information you divulge about your new gig. But it’s usually best to keep it short and sweet.

Tell your boss that you have accepted a new position and let them know your effective last day of work. If you got along with your boss and enjoyed your time at the company, you can also share your gratitude or mention a positive memory like how much you’ve appreciated the opportunity, the mentorship or career development.[/responsivevoice]

5.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]This conversation can be awkward, so practice what you are going to say to stay on track. “Be prepared for how to answer,” said Salemi. “You don’t have to reveal anything you don’t want to.” Keep it very top level. If your boss continues to push and ask questions, you can broadly answer that it’s in the same industry or working with different types of clients. You can also politely say you’d rather not share any details, but plan to send out an email with your new information when you get settled in. [/responsivevoice]

6.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Offering up too much information can be risky. “It’s a very small world,” said Salemi. “Your boss may reach out to your future boss and bad-mouth you. You never know what is going to happen.” However, if you signed a non-compete agreement that stipulates you have to detail where you are going, then you must adhere to it.

“I can’t tell you how many people come to me swearing they didn’t sign a non-compete and they did,” said Donna Ballman, an employee-side employment attorney. “You better make sure you don’t have one.” Some agreements prohibit you from working for a competitor, a vendor or customer.[/responsivevoice]

7.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]It’s also helpful to have an exit strategy in place to help with the transition. Come up with a plan to provide an update to colleagues about projects you’re working on, hand off a list of applicable contacts and train someone to fill the gap in your absence.

“You want to be able to hand over work to someone who can keep it afloat until your replacement is brought in,” said Anderson. “You don’t want to cause undo damage. Think downstream to the clients and customers — you don’t want them unduly affected.” [/responsivevoice]

8.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Give adequate notice if you can Unless you have a contract that stipulates how much notice you have to give before leaving, you don’t have a legal obligation when it comes to your last day in the office. But it’s customary to give an employer at least two weeks notice.

“You can literally walk in and say, ‘I resign, and today is my last day,’ but that is not a politically savvy move,” said Alex Twersky, co-founder of Resume Deli, a resume and career services firm. [/responsivevoice]

9.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Get it in writing – Many companies require a formal resignation letter to have on file. It’s also good for you to retain a copy of the letter (or more likely email) to prove you weren’t terminated, should that ever become an issue.

So what do you need to say? Not much. State that you have accepted another job offer, and when your last day of work will be. If you enjoyed your time at the company, you can also add a line about how much you appreciated the opportunities, and that you will look back fondly on your time there.[/responsivevoice]

10.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]However, if you did not have a great experience and might have grounds for a potential lawsuit, keep the letter very generic, advised Ballman. “I can’t tell you how many people who have legal claims against a company had a gushing resignation letter,” she said. “You don’t think they will show that to a jury?”

She recommended saying something like: “I hereby resign, effective such-and-such date and I wish everyone well.” [/responsivevoice]

11.[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Be prepared to walk – In some circumstances, your employer might decide to make the day you announce your resignation your last day. Sometimes it’s confidentiality issues and sometimes it’s a vindictive boss. So be prepared. It’s illegal to take any company property, but if you kept any personal information on your work devices, make sure to clear it off before you give notice. [/responsivevoice]

Discussion

1. [responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Talk about the last job you resigned from, what happened?[/responsivevoice]

[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]What were your personal reasons for leaving?[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]What reasons did you give to you workplace?[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]How much time did you give in advance?[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]What was their response to initially hearing your decision?[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Did you do it in person or via email?[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]If in person, what interviews / meetings were you required to participate in?[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]If via email, what did you write?[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Was it difficult to leave? did you leave on “good terms”?[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Did you have a good relationship with your boss?[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]What was the most difficult thing about resigning?[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Any interesting stories you have heard from other people about resigning?[/responsivevoice]

2. [responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Have you ever had an employee or subordinate resign to you? What do you think are legitimate reasons someone should quit?[/responsivevoice]

Keywords

[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]snuck away[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]high note[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]immediate supervisor[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]sought[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]first stop[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]“Information like this is currency for people who like to gossip,”[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]into the wrong hands[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]leaked[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]pop into[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]giving notice[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Avoid giving too much detail[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]divulge[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]new gig[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]short and sweet[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]effective last day of work[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]got along with[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]gratitude[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]to stay on track[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]settled in [/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]bad-mouth you[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]non-compete[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]exit strategy [/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]fill the gap[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]cause undo damage[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]unduly[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Give adequate notice if you can[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]politically savvy[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Get it in writing[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]terminated[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]fondly[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]grounds[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]gushing[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]Be prepared to walk[/responsivevoice]
[responsivevoice voice = “US English Female” buttontext = “”]vindictive[/responsivevoice]