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Lauren Barber About the Author Lauren is a Senior Content Manager at VidCruiter, with expertise in technology and human resources. She is celebrated for her contributions to Forbes, Fast Company, Meta, Lyft, and McCain.
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Last Modified
Mar 25, 2024
Resigning from a job in a professional manner is importantfor future references and job opportunities. Here are thesteps to resign professionally:
- 1. Provide a respectable reason
- 2. Provide a formal resignation letter
- 3. Be prepared for situations that may arise duringyour resignation
- 4. Keep it positive
- 5. Resign in person
- 6. Give a reasonable amount of notice
- 7. Offer to train your replacement
- 8. Let your close coworkers know personally
- Chapter 1:Make your resignation a smooth transition
- Chapter 2:What should and shouldn’t you do when you’re thinking ofresigning?
- Chapter 3:How can you resign professionally?
- Chapter 4:What should you do after you’ve handed in yourresignation?
Make your resignation a smooth transition for yourself (and yourcoworkers)
When you decide it’s time to move on from a job, you’ll probablyhave a mixed bag of emotions. Make it an easy and smoothtransition for yourself (and your coworkers), by quitting yourjob in a professional manner.
A professional approach not only makes your two weeks noticeeasier, but it also helps to keep your future career prospectsintact. Below is advice on what to do before you resign, thesteps to take to resign from your job professionally, and whatyou should do after you’ve handed in your resignation.
How many jobs does the average person have?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker will have 12 jobs in their lifetime.Even if some of those job changes are due to promotions orterminations, it’s likely there will be many resignations inthe mix.
What should and shouldn’t you do when you’re thinking ofresigning?
Do ensure you’re resigning for the right reason
Really think about why you’re looking to quit. If you’vehad an amazing job offer, it’s probably going to beworth the leap. If you’re feeling burnt out, stressed, or anxious from your work and you just want to quit to get away fromit, it might be best to speak to your manager first.
Don’t talk to colleagues about your decision before yourmanager
Your manager should always be the first to hear aboutyour departure. Don’t let them hear about it through thegrapevine – this could seriously jeopardize yourrelationship with the company.
Do talk to family and close friends about your thoughts
It’s always a good idea to talk about big changes withthose who have your best interests in mind.Additionally, discussing the situation can help you toclarify your own thoughts and move you towards a finaldecision.
Don’t act on a rash decision
Think about your decision for a while. Sleep on it.Whatever you do, don’t leave a job based solely off ofan impulsive decision.
Do make sure your new job offer is finalized first
There’s nothing worse than handing in your notice onlyfor a job offer to fall through. If you’re leaving foranother job, it’s best to hand in your notice afteryou’ve received a signed written offer letter first.
Should you leave your job before you get another one?
Every situation is unique and personal, so there isn’treally a right or wrong answer. It’s always a saferdecision to leave a job with another one lined up due tothe risks of leaving spontaneously. That being said, ifyou’re financially prepared to take some time off, itcan be a good idea to step back to focus on your nextmove.
How can you resign professionally?
1. Provide a respectable reason for leaving
It’s highly likely you’ll need to share a reason for yourresignation. Your boss will probably want to know why you’reresigning and your future employer will be interested inwhat motivated you to look elsewhere. You should always betactful when speaking about your decision to leave yourcurrent position. Doing so will help you remain on goodterms with your soon-to-be previous employer.
We’ve listed out some of the best and worst reasons togive when you’re resigning.
‘Good’ reasons for resigning
While quitting any job can be hard, these are sometotally acceptable reasons to move on and help toaid a smooth transition.
“I’m changing career paths”
“I’ve been given a betteropportunity elsewhere”
“My job has altered due to organizationalchanges”
“I’m navigating family circ*mstances”
“I’m experiencing health issues”
‘Bad’ reasons for resigning
Even if they are true, you shouldn’t give a reasonthat might be offensive, or cause someone toquestion your work ethic or ability.
“I think I may be fired”
“I’m bored at work”
“I don’t get along with my co-workers”
“I don’t likeyour boss”
“The job is too hard”
“I haven’t beengiven a promotion”
“Friends/family have told me toquit”
Make sure your resignation story is the same for allparties.
It’s important to keep your story straight, especially asthere’s always a chance that a hiring manager could ask yourprevious employer your reason for leaving during theirreference check. If the reason they provide doesn’t matchthe reason you gave, it could be seen as a red flag.
2. Provide a formal resignation letter
During your resignation, you should provide your managerwith a formal written letter that reiterates yourdecision and the important elements of your resignation.Here are some of the most important components toinclude in your resignation letter:
- A short and clear statement expressing yourresignation
- The date when your resignation would becomeeffective
- The reason(s) why you’re leaving
- A mention of your gratitude for the time you’vespent at the company
- Your signature
Looking for a template? Here are some great examples of resignation letters.
3. Be prepared for situations that may arise during yourresignation
You may be escorted out after giving your notice
There are occasions when you could be asked to leaveimmediately instead of working through your noticeperiod, such as if you’re moving to a competitor. Beprepared – you may be escorted by security withoutbeing allowed to clear up your desk. If thishappens, remember, it’s not personal. Chances areyour manager is simply following corporate policy.
You may be given a counteroffer
While you’re making your resignation speech, you maybe surprised if your boss makes you a counteroffer.It’s a good problem to have, but it can throw youoff track. Before you discuss your resignation, makesure you know what it would take you to stay at yourcurrent job – if you’re thinking “nothing”, stick toyour guns. If you’d stay for a higher salary orbetter benefits, consider your ask.
4. Keep it positive
It’s worth it to be remembered in a good light, even ifyou’re leaving the company for negative reasons. Keep yourstory positive – be respectful of current employees andshare some of the things you’ll miss about working there.
Saying the wrong thing can hurt you in subsequent referencechecks –in the long run, it’s never worth it to lashout or say something in haste.
5. Resign in person
If it’s possible, it’s always better to resign in personrather than over the phone, or, worse still, via email.Schedule some time to speak with your manager so you cantalk about your decision face-to-face. If you can’t meet inperson, schedule a video call instead.
6. Give a reasonable amount of notice
The minimum amount of notice is generally two weeks, but besure to check your contract – it could be more. If you canstay longer than the minimum ask, your current employer ishighly likely to appreciate it – it’ll give them more timeto find a replacement. Your manager will remember you for itand you’ll be able to leave without causing too muchdisruption.
What if you can’t give 2 weeks’ notice?
Some job offers, or a personal emergency, may not allowyou to give much notice at all. In this situation, youshould apologize for the inconvenience, show yourgratitude for their (hopeful) understanding and try tobe as helpful as possible in the time you can give.
7. Offer to provide training for your replacement
Similar to providing adequate notice, offering to train yourreplacement will help support a smooth exit and take some ofthe pressure off of your manager and team. Make a list ofyour most important tasks and mention tips and tricks you’velearned along the way. This is something you can provide toyour manager to help with onboarding, or, if you’re stickingaround for long enough, you can share this advice directlywith your successor.
8. Let your close coworkers know personally
It’s always a shock when it’s someone’s last day and you hadno idea they were leaving. Be sure to let your coworkersknow about your resignation personally– after letting yourmanager know first of course. Ideally, you should speak withclose coworkers in person. Use these conversations as anopportunity to share your gratitude for getting to work withyour coworkers and exchange personal information with thoseyou’d like to stay in contact with. Later on, send out a“goodbye” email that includes anyone else who should alsoknow too.
Leaving a job is a great time to gain professional contactsand build up your network. Share details such as yourpersonal email and LinkedIn profile with those with whoyou’d like to stay in contact with.
What’s the best time and day to resign?
“There’s never a perfect time to announce yourresignation. I think as long as you do it privatelyand your manager is the first one to know, that’sall that matters.”
Max Chan, founder of
ChanWithAPlan.com
What should you do after you’ve handed in your resignation?
After you’ve handed in your resignation, you may wonder whatto do with yourself while you work through your noticeperiod. First and foremost, it’s really important to leaveon a positive note – this period of time will stronglyinfluence how you’re remembered by the company.
Keep working
Resist the temptation to take it easy – it’ll be far betterfor your reputation. If you decide to spend your timehanging out in the breakroom instead of tying up loose ends,you’ll be remembered for it, regardless of the hard work youcompleted during your tenure. As part of the steps on continuity in the resignation, work with your manager to determine which projects shouldbe finished up and remain focused on completing them.
Save your personal files
If you have a work computer, you might have some files thatyou need personally, such as contact information or photos.Consider saving these to a USB, or email them to yourselfbefore your last day.
Heads up!
Whatever you’re saving should be your own work thatdoesn’t contain any confidential information about thecompany. And before you take anything from your workcomputer check that’s it acceptable in your corporatepolicies – you could get into a lot of troubleotherwise.
Put yourself out there
Have you always wanted to connect with a specific executiveor someone else in the company but haven’t known how to ask?Now is a good time to put yourself out there and ask themfor a chat, or even invite them out for a coffee. If theysay no, never mind – you’re leaving anyway. But if they takeyou up on your offer, you’ll get a great opportunity to getto know someone you’ve admired.
Enjoy your last day
Your final day might be the last time you see many of thepeople you worked closely with, so make a great lastingimpression. Have a “goodbye” chat with your manager and yourteam about the good times you’ll miss, bring in cupcakes (orsomething fun) if you’re in an office space as a friendlyreminder of your nearing departure. And, if you’recomfortable doing so, organize an after-work gathering tocelebrate with coworkers outside of your formal worksetting.
Ending on a positive note
Leaving a job isn’t easy, but ending on a positive noteis the best thing you can do for a pleasant andprofessional send-off. It will allow you to feel morerelaxed about your decision and your coworkers willappreciate the smooth transition. People remember howyou leave a company, so hold your head high, keep asmile on your face, and focus on the good times. All thebest in your next adventure!
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