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With any job that we have, there comes a point in time where we simply need to move on and find something new. Maybe you have a bad boss, maybe the work is not interesting or stimulating enough, maybe the work isn't challenging enough, maybe you just want to make a change... whatever the reason, the times comes where you need to resign from your job. One way that you will do this is with a resignation letter. Writing a tactful resignation letter is important, because it's very likely that you will want to use the job on your resume, or use your employer as a reference. If you write an inflammatory resignation letter, then that will decrease the chances of those things happening.

If you're writing a resignation letter, keep it simple, keep it brief, and keep it to the point. You might be angry with the company that you're quitting from (which may be the reason you're resigning in the first place), but it does no good to write a scathing resignation letter. What if you need to use someone from there as your reference? Then people will just remember the letter you sent when you left.Forgive and forget, and try to move on. There are no benefits to writing an angry resignation letter, as that can only come back to hurt you. Be as cordial as possible when explaining why you are resigning.

In general, I try to remember that it's a pretty small world out there, and you have no way of knowing who knows who and who is friends with you. So one day you might be applying for a job, only to find out that your hopeful employer knows your current employer, and then all of a sudden they find out what you did when you left. All of a sudden, you won't be getting the job you hoped you might be getting. With so many jobs dependent upon networks and the people that you know, you don't want to run the risk of making the wrong person dislike you, as that can have affects for a long time that you wouldn't have foreseen.

So keep things simple and courteous. It might be more fun and satisfying to bash the company as you leave them, but in the end it doesn't really do any good for anyone. Stating a reason for your departure is OK, calling everyone there idiots is not OK. In the end, it's still important to remain professional. It may feel better in the short-run to write a long-winded, angry letter, but in the long-run it can do nothing but hurt you. Stay courteous and complimentary, because people will remember that.

Learn more about this author, Juan Leer.
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