Letter notifying two weeks notice 3

[antd15]

For those of you familiar with my other thread "work after having baby" I have decided to go back to school part time and move back to my home town. (I didn't mention that I am in new city with very few friends and no family with 14 hours of me).
Anyways new issue: I have to write my letter of resignation and wanted to know how into detail or what info needs to be inlcuded. I put my boss in tough position so I didn't want to ask too many questions.

 

[COEngineeer]

google "letter of resignation". A lot of examples. Good luck!

 

[dtn6770]

thread731-178435

Recently discussed topic....don't burn bridges, be appreciative, personal reasons, etc. but don't feel obligated to go into uncomforable detail.

Stay in touch.

 

[ctopher]

I agree.
Maybe mention something positive you come away with from the company.

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 02-10-07)

 

[UcfSE]

You want to state your last day of employment, and thank your boss for the opportunities you've had while working there, even if you didn't have any. Short and direct and nothing else. They don't need any explanations, why's, thank you's, pros, cons or advice. You want to leave contact information for things like W-2's. I would leave an address, perhaps a phone number or an email if you feel so inclined.

 

[prohammy]

From previous thread 731-178435 (well worth the read) google Richard Nixon letter of resignatioo. Brevity is key



Kevin Hammond

Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK

 

[tygerdawg]

my "best ever" resignation happened when I asked my boss for a couple of minutes' time. I told him we need to work out a transition period and plan because I would be leaving the company (for whatever reason). He was completely positive and appreciative for the fact that I didn't dump a surprise on him. I was ready to leave on a moment's notice if they chose to do so, but they kept me there for another month to smoothly transition away from the company. No bad feelings, etc., on either side.

TygerDawg

 

[sbozy25]

I actually just recently resigned from my job for another one. I decided in my letter to first open saying I was leaving the company for xyz reason. I then expressed my sincere appologies, but explained that my life needed to take the next step. I then mentioned the good things and people I worked with and how they influenced me while there. I then went into detail as to what drove me away. Finally I ended with a generic best wishes message. I would be happy to send you a copy to read if you would like.

 

[JoeChem]

I do not understand the reason for all the verbiage. A resignation letter is simply a notification of intentions. Only two complete sentences are necessary - one stating your intention to leave to pursue other "things" and a second stating the last date of employment. No lit torches here. Why all the blah blah blah. The party is over. Get on with it.

 

[sbozy25]

I think that it is only respectful and polite to explain to your employer what drove you away so they might try and improve on that for the next person. Granted, it is to late for you, but there is no sense for someone else to suffer. Besides, you never know when you will run into the person again in life, and they might remember how cordial or how short you were with them. I think that something that short could be viewed as rude... But, hey a resignation letter is meant to be a reflection of you, so if you are a short and to the point person, then a short letter is for you.

Ultimately it is up to you...

 

[michfan]

I would never put anything in writing in a resignation letter that you wouldn't want posted on a billboard along the freeway.

Engineering companies, in most towns, have a lot of in-breeding...anything you put in that letter that is negative or that could even remotely be construed as negative could easily be seen by a future employer, so why chance it?

Plausible deniability is my motto...if you don't write it down, they can't prove you said it. If you really hate your boss that much, or if the conditions of the job were really that bad, then have the courtesy to talk to your boss, or the HR department, and let them know that you just didn't fit into the environment -- you don't even have to tell him he's the problem...heavy turnover rates will let him know eventually something is wrong.

The last place I worked was awful. I loved the work but engineering management was the worst I've ever seen. I let him know that I was leaving because I wanted 40 hour work weeks instead of 50 (routinely, workload wasn't that high...) and that his suggestions to work thru my lunch each day probably weren't legal (unpaid lunch hour mandated by the company).

The job I left has been on multiple websites, along with another position they can't fill, since October (5 months now and no takers!) so I'm fairly certain they can figure out on their own that isn't the most desirable working conditions for prospective employees... it doesn't take me putting it in a resignation letter to make it clear, and if that management ever leaves the company, I'd be happy to return because I truly loved the work, so why burn a bridge?

I recently looked at the website for that company and lo and behold - my old manager is no longer the engineering manager! He's now just the sales manager, and one of my ex-coworkers is now the engineering manager.

And that proves to me that Earl is right, there is such a thing as karma...

 

[kchayfie]

I think that the letter should be succinct - the fact that you're leaving and when you plan to do so. Everything else can be said in person when you hand over your letter and contact details can be left on a post-it on the bosses desk on your last day if necessary. There is no real need to include those things in the letter.

 

[antd15]

Thanks everyone for your input. I just wasn't sure how much into detail I needed to get into.

 

[Ashereng]

metgirl05,

All of my notice letters have been about a brief as Richard Nixons.

I usually state in a sentence that I am resigning, and when my last day is (usually from the employment contract).

I also make 2 copies - depending on the firm - one to my HR guy, and one to my immediate boss.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[KENAT]

If in doubt keep it brief per the earlier thread.

ShawnBozarth, I think you're more likely to get yourself in trouble saying too much than too little.

If you feel the need to be more verbose do it verbally, perhaps it's more likely to be forgotten then or at least there wont be any evidence.

Personally I'd still keep it brief. They may not appreciate being told what you think they aren't doing well.

 

[Ron]

A letter of resignation should be very short! Don't dwell on anything...don't offer explanations...just say goodbye!

 

[dik]

short and sweet... you might want to highlight the great time and experience you had... and also ask for a letter of recommendation... since you will be moving away from the area.

Dik

 

[dpc]

Tell them as little as possible. All they need is proof that you left voluntarily so they can avoid paying unemployment.

Any extra info can only make things worse, not better.

 

[mshimko]

Say as little as possible in your letter.

"I'm providing notice of my intent to terminate employment at XXX, with my last day being YYYY. Respecfully, yourname". Nothing more is necessary.

You can always say more if/when asked verbally, but even then be cautious not to burn bridges.

BTW, I'm speaking as a manager who would be on the "other end" of your letter.

 

[MissouriPE]

Just turned one in a couple weeks ago myself and after a little fretting on what I should include (and did Google for some ideas) I decided the high road was a better place and it was exactly as others have described here: two sentences. "The purpose of this letter is to notify you of my resignation. My last day will be March 22." It was in a memo addressed to my supervisors and copied to HR. Enough said.

Onward and upward - they won't ever change (part of why I chose to leave) for you or for anyone else. You are under no obligation to tell them why and probably shouldn't. You are under no obligation to thank them unless you really want to (I did thank my first employer for all the learning I did at his company my first 5 years out of school). Agreed that the rest is just a waste of ink.

Best of luck to you.