by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: April 09, 2009   Last Updated: March 05, 2011

When leaving your current job, it would be easy to spout out a tirade on the many reasons you have chosen to leave the company. This isn't a wise way to handle your exit from your current employer. Your letter of resignation will be placed on your permanent files at your place of employment. That means that any future employers calling for references may hear exactly what you had to say.

Proper way to handle writing your two weeks notice:

Keep it Businesslike

Following a form letter might be your best bet. Write the letter as you would any business prospect. Formality is very important in this task. You want to reflect yourself in the best possible light for future purposes.

Putting Down Your Boss

When people choose to leave their jobs, it often has to do with the way the management has treated them. It is very important not to reflect bad feelings towards our employer in this way. Future employers may see this as you not being able to get along with managers. This will cause them to overlook you in their hiring process. The same can be said about putting down the company itself or your co-workers.

Give a Solid Reason for Departure

If you are leaving to work in another company, state that you have found a position that suits you better than the position that you currently hold. If it is because you truly can't stand your boss or co-workers, simply state that you have found a better position. If you are leaving because you are starting a business of your own, it is perfectly fine to establish that fact in your letter.

Be Thankful

Nothing will look better on you than if you state in your resignation letter that you appreciate the opportunity that you have had while working with the company. You may not feel that you were fortunate to work there, but you probably truly were. You probably at least learned some things while you were there. Always thank the company you are leaving for the chance to work there.

Keep it Short

You don't have to write a three page letter explaining why you are leaving. Stating the reason you are leaving will suffice. You don't have to go into detail about it. The more you write, the more chance there is of you saying something that will reflect poorly on you.

Closing

State that you are glad that you had the chance to work with such a great group of people. This is true even if you don't completely believe it. Chances are that you worked with people that you did enjoy getting to know. You spend more time with the people you work with than you do your own family. You don't have to leave them feeling bad about the ways things happened.

Leaving a good last impression is just as important as leaving a first good impression. You not only want to leave a good impression for potential employers, you want to keep the door open in case you ever choose to go back to work at the place you are leaving. Writing a two week notice isn't that difficult if you follow these simple guidelines.

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