Resignation Letters - A Dying Custom?

TearTaylor

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	Did you ever mail your resume and cover letter into a company that was supposedly hiring and then you waited weeks to hear back from them? Not until several long months had passed, without one single word from the company still, did you finally accept the souring fact that they weren't going to bother mailing you a miniscule update letter. It wasn't like you expected a lengthy letter or anything. It could've definitely been something simple, perhaps something along the lines of the following: Dear Jobseeker: Thank you very much for submitting your resume to the ABCD company. We are still assessing candidates for our open position. If we determine that your skills and experience depth match what we are seeking in an employee, we will be sure to notify you by mail. In the meantime, however, we wish you the very best of luck in securing employment elsewhere. Now, how simple and uncomplicated is that? Too simple, right? Well, many companies admit it is indeed a simple letter to whip out, but collectively, say for instance if they need to generate a hundred or more letters, they could definitely eat up a major chunk of their clerical staff's time and not to mention the fact that the amount of postage required to send so many letters out on a regular basis could definitely send their postage costs through a thin roof. Well, as much as we hate to see companies abandoning practices that we believe benefit jobseekers, we can unfortunately witness the same thing happening on the other side of the employment fence. These days' employees are also starting to abandon practices that were traditionally welcomed by their employers. This can be witnessed as employees occasionally opt not to give their employers the customary two-weeks notice along with a resignation letter. One employee that had gone this dangerous route, jokingly told me, "I figured my boss would catch on when he hadn't spotted me at my desk for a couple of days. Besides, he was a jerk. He needed to suffer for a little while without an assistant." As tempting as it may be not to give your ogre of a boss a resignation letter or two weeks notice, please don't consider doing it. It could definitely hurt you in the end. If you later decide to use your former boss as a reference you'll be extremely glad you gave your resignation letter and left on a pleasant note. Your former boss will be a lot more willing to give you a positive review if you made sure your exit from the company was a smooth and professional one. Now, if you're contemplating pulling together one of these letters in the next few weeks, be sure not to use your letter to slip any unkind remarks in about your employer. Don't consider using it to badmouth a boss that might've had too short of a fuse, or to speak ill of lazy coworkers, or to gripe about the long hours that you put in regularly, or to gripe about the promotion you were unfairly passed over or to complain about the raise you deserved and never got. Don't consider putting any of this probably true information but definitely damaging stuff in your letter. Instead, keep your resignation letter short and sweet. Your letter should be used to convey three pieces of information, the first two being key: 1) Declare resignation from the company, 2) Explain why you're leaving and 3) Express enjoyment or pleasure in having worked at the company. Now, to make sure you get the picture on how to put one together, I've provided a sample resignation letter just below. Feel free to modify it to fit your needs. Dear Mr. Washington: It is with great regret that I submit this letter of resignation to you, effective October 13, 2003. I have accepted a position with another company, which will provide me with an opportunity to further my career goals and achieve professional growth in a managerial capacity. It has been a pleasure working with you these last two years. I have learned a lot from you and contribute much of my career growth to your wise guidance. I will miss you and the other employees of Buford Medley, and I wish you and the many other employees of Medley much continued success in your different endeavors. Sincerely, Seneca Langford ________________________________________________ This article is © 2003-2004 by Tracy Miller and may not be reposted without written permission from the author and may not be reprinted for profit.