Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with resignationletter

How do I resign politely?

Brittanie — Sat, 03 May 2008 06:30:58 -0800

Writing a resignation letter and quitting gracefully in a slightly slippery situation I am a part-time temporary employee who was hired for a project that wraps at the end of June. The job has not been as flexible as I was led to believe it would be, and I would like to quit at the end of May, a month before I am expected to leave.

I plan on writing a resignation letter and giving them two-weeks notice. There is some possibility I may be interested in a full-time position at this place of business sometime in the future, so I don't want to burn any bridges. However, I have a feeling my boss will not take my early departure as very good news. I am *not* under any kind of contract to stay there. Here are my questions:

I have never written a resignation letter before. Any advice? Do I have to say why I'm leaving? i plan to make it as polite and gracious as possible because in general I have enjoyed this job.

How does one deliver such a letter. I ask because I am not very good at confrontation and would like to avoid it if at all possible while still maintaining my dignity.

How do I respond if my boss makes my last two weeks unpleasant? I have a feeling this could happen but I am going to do my best to take the high road from the start and I hope she does too.

How do I gracefully quit this job?

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:48:56 -0800

I need help with formatting a resignation letter. It's a bit complicated. I work for a major medication corporation as an IT geek. I've been working here for a few months, after graduating from school this past year. It's a good job with a good pay, far higher than other companies offered me, but it's almost time for me to leave.

I've always wanted to have my own business, and I've finally hit upon an opportunity that I've grabbed that will let me make about 2/3 of what I'm making now, with only 1/2 of the work (officially). Unofficially, I'll be working a few hours a week, and the rest will be free for me. It's an IT contract with an old client of mine, and very lucrative and an awesome opportunity. Between that, my other IT work and a writing business that I'm starting to be overwhelmed with work in, I'm finally in a position to quit my job and make as much and more money than I'm making working my current 8-5.

So, Hive Mind, tell me, how do I write a letter to these nice people who gave me this job? It was a real blessing, and I would have been out on the street if not for it. But I'm through with it. I want my last day to be on or close to January 1st, and I want to draft a letter to give to them in a couple of weeks to prepare for that date. My trouble is that I've only worked here for a few months, we're going through performance reviews/next year's goals and I do, to tell the truth, feel a little bit bad for being here for such a short time and then leaving. But it is a big place, and though the IT department doesn't have a huge turnover, the place as a whole does, I'm sure.

What do I say? Do I tell them thank you for the job? Do I tell them about my businesses? Do I ask them to keep me in mind if they have any contract work they need done? This is my first *real* job, and my first resignation letter I'll be writing, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

(Note: Please don't suggest I stay here any longer. I really hate working for a company, I can't stand working under unnatural light and looking at a grey cube all day and I've worked my arse off the past few months every spare moment I've had to make myself opportunities to get out of here, and I'm not staying any longer than I have to. I *love* working for myself and I'm so excited about doing it. I just need help figuring out how to write a resignation with these slightly odd circumstances in mind.)

Resignation letter for a job I don't want to leave

waywardgirl — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 22:06:19 -0800

I want to write a resignation letter that essentially says, "I am quitting because I am taking a full-time job elsewhere, but if you ever post any full-time jobs here, please call me!" Is there a way to do this without sounding sort of strange or desperate? I have had the most wonderful job for three years. They love me, I love them, but unfortunately, the job is only part-time and I cannot afford to live off of my pay. I got a full-time at another institution, and I hate it, and I would like to be considered for any full-time positions at my part-time institution that may open up. Is there some tactful, professional way to say this in a resignation letter?