A Comprehensive Guide on How to Resign from a Job

Do not be afraid to admit it. Most of us have been in a position where we struggle to decide if staying at a job is the best option. Resigning from a job is never easy. Let us venture together on this journey on how to properly resign from a job.

There are several reasons for resignation. Maybe you want to leave a company to accept a better opportunity, move out of the area, or bravely become an entrepreneur. Alternatively, perhaps it was Covid that pushed you to spend more time with your loved ones and become a freelancer. Whatever your reason for resignation is, learning how to tell your manager you're quitting gracefully and respectfully is important.

Gracefully quitting a job allows you to maintain professional relationships. Moreover, it helps you avoid your ex-employer and ex-coworkers fostering negative feelings when you quit a job. Given how connected recruiters are nowadays, you want to avoid potential future employers hearing negative comments about you.

Therefore, read on to learn how to quit a job in a manner that works for you and your soon-to-be ex-company.

It is in your best interest to provide a two weeks notice to leave your job. It is the standard time employers ask. Unless your contract states a different timeframe, at least give them the minimum. 

Giving notice and formally leaving a post requires you to talk with your supervisor or manager. It is as nerve-wracking and bound to be chaotic as ending up a romantic relationship. However, the best thing you can do is to schedule a time to have a face-to-face meeting and discuss your resignation in person.

❗️ Why quitting a job in person:

• Showing respect to your company

Almost no one tends to stay in the same job position forever. It is normal that sometimes, an employee will quit work. However, that does not mean that you can leave as you please. Be respectful. It might help you get a positive reference from your employer.

If you disappear from your job, it kills any chances of getting any help when applying to a new position and leaves the company in a tight spot. Once again, quitting a job wrong raises negative feelings from the team and managers, which could harm your career. 

• Allowing a conversation

You will give the company enough time to do things right (Posting the job listing, settling your account, etc.) If you give them proper notice to leave the job. 

Moreover, it will go to the company’s archive and become valuable feedback on how to retain talent. The reasons to quit a job you provide can help them improve and increase the positive impact you made before leaving. 

❗️ How to give your notice in person:

You should not provide detailed information on the e-meal or message regarding leaving the company. Just keep it for the in-person meeting. We also recommend preparing as much as possible, like you would for an exam. 

• Write a draft first

Write down an outline of your reasons, your thoughts, the gratitude you want to express, and every important detail before you tell your boss you want to resign from the job. 

Having a clear manuscript of what you intend to go through can be the difference between an easy transition and an awkward process when you quitt work.

• Rehearse

Just like preparing for an interview, the best way to resign gracefully is to practice a few times until you feel comfortable presenting the outline you previously drafted. 

It is even a better idea to ask a friend to help you practice how to leave a job. Do a few rounds of role-playing. Ask them to throw some follow-up questions at you to see if you are ready.

An important part of how to resign from work is to present a formal letter (or at least an email) explaining the situation. It allows to company to keep a file for further reference. Let us take a look at the proper steps you should follow when writing a resignation letter when quitting a job:

📝 A subject line

Whether you are wondering how to write a resignation email or a letter, the first step is the same. Write a clear subject line that expresses that you are leaving the company. As this letter will go to the HR department, your supervisor, or manager, try to do your best to make it clear that you are resigning from the job.

📝 The purpose of the letter

Similar to the subject line, the content of your notice of resignation letter also needs to be crystal clear about your intentions to quit work. Do not make it too long. The shorter and clearer, the better.

📝 The effective date

For most people, it is not clear how to give 2 weeks’ notice verbally. Therefore, adding it to your letter is a feasible option. It is best to specify the date on which you present your resignation letter as well as the day when you intend to quit work.

📝 Reasons for your resignation (optional)

Keep in mind that it is not necessary to provide any reasons to quit a job. The intention of your letter will remain the same whether you explain them or not.

However, if you decide to provide one, you can be as vague or specific as you wish. It is entirely up to you and not a requirement when you give a company a notice to leave your job.

📝 Offer to help with transition work

Formally leaving a post intends to foster a positive feeling even after leaving the company. Therefore, it is a professional move to offer assistance with any step of the process when quitting a job.

It is proof of your professionalism, even if your manager nor the HR department might need any help. It is all about leaving a company on the best terms. 

📝 Contact information

Once you quit, it is more than possible that you will lose your company’s email. Therefore, you can provide them with your personal information if they need to contact you to discuss the offboarding process after leaving the company. 

Meeting in person with your manager or the HR department when you quit a job is an excellent opportunity to discuss matters that require more interactive communication than just a letter or email. 

Perhaps you can schedule the meeting to give them your resignation letter to HR as well. It would make a better impression than just sending an email saying that you are resigning from a job and disappearing. 

There are several discussion points you will have to go over with them when quitting a job. Here are some of the matters that are best to discuss face-to-face:

✅ Company-issued equipment

You will have to return your equipment before leaving a company. Having a face-to-face meeting is an opportunity to discuss the procedure. You might get in trouble if you leave the company without returning everything. Take the chance and discuss this clearly.

✅ A transition plan

After handing in your notice to leave your job, you will most likely have a couple of weeks before you part ways with the company. Keep doing your best until your last day.

During the meeting, you can discuss with your supervisor and determine who will take over the projects you will not be able to finish before leaving the company. You might also offer to create a guide for the person who fills in for you, detailing daily operations and vital information. 

✅ Asking for a reference letter

If you performed timely and delivered efficient results, you can take the chance to ask for a reference letter before you leave. Quitting a job is very stressful, but it is a normal practice. So do not feel intimidated to as for something you deserve.

If you wait until you have left the company to make it less awkward, the sense of responsibility of the HR department will have diminished. Therefore, if you are sure you have done a satisfactory job, ask for the letter before leaving the company.

On the note of leaving everyone in the company with grace when you resign from a job, you should show your politeness and gratefulness, too. 

Begin and end your resignation by showing your appreciation. After all, in most cases, a job is more than a mere exchange of money for a service. You tend to develop interpersonal relationships. It is great to show that the decision takes a toll on you, so you create a better impression when quitting a job.

Even if you have nothing but negative feelings for your time in a company, you still want to remain a sensate person. It softens the negative impact of formally leaving a post.

There is no perfect guide for quitting your job that works for every situation. However, saying thanks is always important. It is just good etiquette. Manners matter. We also recommend you take the time the write an email to your soon-to-be ex-coworkers. It is polite but also helps you maintain a good network even after exiting the company. 

Just write a short, well-mannered, and friendly email to end your time with them. A positive interaction like this one is a plus for your professional brand. Even if you are leaving a company, you might still meet your coworkers in the future. You will want it to be under a more light-hearted scenario. 

It is already hard to resign from a company. Now imagine quitting a job you just started. On the good side, at least you would be leaving a company before things get too complicated. Moreover, it would be easier to exit before developing any emotional attachment. 

However, regardless of the reasons for your resignation, keep in mind the possible repercussions you might face after such a quick exit. Companies could blacklist you and cause you to lose any chance of working with them in the future. Such an infamous state could even reach its partners. Thus, reducing your chances of scoring a job. 

Moreover, it would probably take a while before you find a new job unless your reason to quit is a better offer. Keep it in mind if money is tight before you make your decision.

So, is it bad to quit a job after a week? Not necessary, it comes down to how you manage it. Here are some tips to resign from a job gracefully.

💡 Keep it positive

As we said, you do not have to explain your reasons to quit a job. Nonetheless, resign in person. Try to keep the tone of your letter and interview positive. If the manager tries to push you to answer, go for something vague like saying that you feel it is in the company’s best interest as your path are not aligning. 

💡 Do your best at work till the last day

Quitting a job is no reason to start lazing around and wandering off. You need to work hard and show professionalism to leave the best possible impression. Keep doing your best during your last days to exit with your reputation intact. 

💡 Give at least two weeks’ notice

Once again, even if you want to run away, the most sensible thing is to respect the standard time most companies ask for when an employee is quitting a job. Remember that two weeks is the most accepted timeframe if your contract is not specific.

💡 Be ready to leave immediately 

Nonetheless, no matter how good of a job you do when resigning from a job, sometimes employees would still want you to leave immediately. So be mentally prepared to pack your things and leave. Do not take it personally.

--- Originally written by Roger Rene Ortega Figueroa ---