There comes time in most people’s working life when they decide a job is no longer for them and they want to resign. If you’ve been unhappy in your work for a while this can be a very emotional time, but it’s also a time when you need to keep calm and composed. Try not to get angry no matter how unhappy you are, keep it professional – you never know when you might come into contact with your former employers or colleagues again.

Do:

• Tell your line manager informally, face-to-face, before handing in a formal letter
• Give constructive criticism if necessary, but avoid being personal
• Be prepared to consider a counter-offer from your employer
• Do as much as you can to facilitate a smooth handover for your successor
• Remember that colleagues could be future contacts
• Choose referees carefully and brief them on why you think you’re right for your next job

Don’t:

• Hand in your notice when you are feeling angry
• Focus solely on negative points
• Feel obliged to give specific reasons for your resignation If your employer tries to tempt you to stay
• If you are offered a pay rise, consider why it took the threat of leaving to bring it about
• Your boss may promise to remedy any problems within the company, but can you be sure they will be dealt with effectively?
• If you do decide to stay, remember that your boss may see you as ‘the one who nearly left’ and you may find yourself having to prove your commitment to the organisation

Your Letter of Resignation

A resignation letter is a fundamental part of your resignation, but don’t use is to air your grievances – you may commit something to paper that you will later regret. Write your letter then sleep on it and return to it in the morning. You can then re-write it if necessary. The letter needs to include only the basic details of your resignation i.e. the position from which you are resigning and your intended leaving date. If you want to add more, keep it positive and don’t get personal. If you haven’t had the chance to sit down with your employer, you could include constructive criticism in your letter to explain your reasons for leaving.

Notice Period

Your notice period is usually stated in your contract of employment, if not, you should allow between two weeks and a month. Normally you have to work your notice period, in which time you can hand over your duties and responsibilities to someone else. However, sometimes there will be reasons why you or your boss will want to make the notice period shorter. If you want to leave more quickly try to negotiate an acceptable solution with your boss.