Best Resignation Email Message Example and Template

a picture of business person and resignation email

A resignation email either accompanies a formal resignation letter. Or acts as part of the resignation. The resignation email informs the employer of the final date of employment. And provides a two weeks' notice to the employer.

The resignation email should not act as the actual resignation letter in most cases. Only in special circumstances where the employer felt it's okay to skip the formal letter and resign via email. The reason for this is that Human Resource departments often rely on those letters. As part of the closing of the employment contract or agreement.

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How to Write a Resignation Email

To write a resignation email, follow the steps below.

Meet with your employer or supervisor

It's vital to first meet with your employer or supervisor. Never inform the supervisor that you plan to leave the company through this email. It's considered rude and could diminish the valuable professional relationship. One that could lead to letters of recommendation in the future.

During this meeting, tell the employer or supervisor that you'd like to leave the company. And have ample and professional reasons for why. Agree upon the last day of work with the company. And agree upon the final two weeks' goals. This is often referred to as a transition period.

Write your resignation letter

After meeting with the employer, write a formal resignation letter. Include the date that you met with your supervisor. And the last day of employment that you two agreed upon. Use a resignation letter template to make this process easier.

For assistance, use sample resignation letters as a way to learn how to both author your letter. And ensure it contains the right information that your employer will need.

Author the email

Write the email and include the resignation letter as an attachment. Use a subject line provided below. And be sure to include your contact information in the email. The email should be short. And when writing a resignation message, try to keep the note clear. And provide healthy amounts of respect and gratitude for the employment opportunity.

State the current date and last day of work. Include a brief message about the objectives for the following two weeks. Send the email to both your employer and human resources office.

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Template & Example

Below is a template and example to use when authoring the message.

Subject line: Resignation - Your Name

Dear Mr/Mrs Name,

Please accept this note as my formal notice of resignation. I am resigning from my position as [Job Title] at [Company] effective [Last Day of Employment]. It has been a sincere honor to work here. And I have learned so much in my current position. I can't thank you enough for giving me this opportunity. It has been an absolute pleasure working with the team, and I have enjoyed my time immensely. I have decided to move to a new position due to more upward mobility.

During the notice period, I plan to help the team transition. And complete the projects that we have in progress.

Please feel free to contact me regarding this transition. And please let me know how I can provide further assistance during this transition for the company. I would love to stay in touch. My letter of resignation is attached to this email.

Sincerely,

Your name

Your email address

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Another Resignation Email Message Example

Here's another example of a resignation letter email.

Email subject line: Resigning from my duties as Software Engineer

Dear Mr/Mrs Name,

It is with great heart that I must resign from my duties as Software Engineer at Apple, Inc. I want to express gratitude for this opportunity. And I want to provide as much notice as I can to assist in finding a replacement.

The reason for my leave is due to family circumstances. I will be moving across the country. I would be happy in helping to train the new employee who is going to replace my duties, return my computer, and ensure all personal data and professional data is transferred to a company database.

I will be proud to call you my former employer when on a new job search. Please feel free to contact me in helping to assist with this transition, further.

Sincerely,

John Smith

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Tips

When writing the message, keep it short. And to the point. There's no need to go into detail about the resignation. Be sure to include the notice period and transition period goals. This ensures that the resigning employee leaves the company on good terms. When quitting your job, it's best to transition out of a company with as much grace as possible. This can help in a future job search. When you may need the previous employer or supervisor to be a reference. It's a good idea to mention the upcoming request for a recommendation letter, too.

Always offer to help with the transition. And never resign abruptly. Provide two weeks' notice period when possible. Give your employer a clear picture of the resignation timeline. State the date that you intend to be the final day very clearly.

Use a clear email subject line that the manager will understand. Be sure they understand this is a soon-to-be resignation.

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Lastly, ask questions. How can I help? Or is there anything that would assist with the transition? Questions that the employer can use to gather ideas on how you might be more useful during the notice period.

Bottom line, you want to leave the company on a positive note. Do whatever it takes to achieve that. And write an email saying farewell to your coworkers toward your last day of employment.

Farewell Email

On the final day of employment, it's great to write a farewell email to your colleagues. This shows ample respect to the team. Below is an example message to use to write one.

Subject line: A sincere thank you

Dear Team,

It has been an absolute pleasure working with all of you. As some of you may know, today will be my final day of employment with the company. It was a difficult decision for me to leave this wonderful team and this wonderful company. It's bittersweet in many ways. And I will cherish the memories shared with each of you.

We have accomplished a great deal in the past two weeks. And I feel confident we are leaving on a high note. If there's anything I can provide in the coming weeks, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. This team means the world to me and I would be happy to assist you with anything you might be working on. Or picking up.

If you need me, I'm including my personal email address below. I would be happy to speak or set a time to help with any projects that you might be working on.

My email: [email protected]

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Resignation Letters

Learn how to write a resignation letter.

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About the author

Patrick Algrim is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), NCDA Certified Career Counselor (CCC), and general career expert. Patrick has completed the NACE Coaching Certification Program (CCP). And has been published as a career expert on Forbes, Glassdoor, American Express, Reader's Digest, LiveCareer, Zety, Yahoo, Recruiter.com, SparkHire, SHRM.org, Process.st, FairyGodBoss, HRCI.org, St. Edwards University, NC State University, IBTimes.com, Thrive Global, TMCnet.com, Work It Daily, Workology, Career Guide, MyPerfectResume, College Career Life, The HR Digest, WorkWise, Career Cast, Elite Staffing, Women in HR, All About Careers, Upstart HR, The Street, Monster, The Ladders, Introvert Whisperer, and many more. Find him on LinkedIn.

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Best Resignation Email Message Example and Template