How To Resign Professionally

Resigning from a job or a position is something you will definitely face at one time or another. Therefore, it is paramount that you are aware of how to tender that resignation with tact and diplomacy.
You might be tempted to jump or dance your way out of the door, or even get your own back by criticizing your boss to the entire office. But you should resist these temptations, by all means, when the time comes for you to resign.
Being cautious and submitting a polite resignation letter means you won’t burn bridges. You may not want to work for the same company in future, but remember, paths might cross with your ex-boss or other colleagues in a different company in the future. Trying to exit a professional manner will help you retain credibility – even if you’re leaving under a cloud. Below is a stepwise way of tendering that resignation letter.

1. Letting your manager know

It is courteous to tell your boss first. Request a meeting with him/her to say that you’re leaving, following up soon after with an official resignation letter. Do this before you blast out an office-wide email.
Work out how you can ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruption to your employer. There may be a range of things you can do to hand over professionally, such as completing projects, working out the priorities with your line manager,leaving clear documentation or training up your successor in processes or software.
Before the meeting with your boss, write a list of ongoing projects along with status updates and suggestions for completion.Use the meeting to clarify any other points, such as your notice period and leaving date, how you will inform others (colleagues or external clients, contacts and suppliers). Ask about references too; your employer may only supply the most basic type (including dates worked, job title etc) but your line manager might also give you a more personal reference.
Making sure you get a good written reference before you leave (or trying to agree the wording if you leave in less happy circumstances) can make subsequent job hunting less stressful.
 
2. The Resignation letter

Keep your letter short. You don’t need to give lots of explanations or justification for why you’re leaving, or even to say where you’re moving to. Don’t be tempted to address the failings of the company or your boss, either. Instead, thanking your employer for the job and mentioning what you appreciated about it is a graceful touch.

3. Letting others know

As well as telling your closest colleagues in person, you may also want to email others. Again, keep this short and sweet, such as: “As you may already know, I’ve decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities (in … ) /to take the next step in my career.
I’ve greatly enjoyed working with you all and hope that our paths will cross again in the future.”