Resignation Letters Don T Let Yours Backfire

Resignation Letters: Don’t Let Yours Backfire

Copyright © Shaun R. Fawcett

It turns out that “tips and templates on how to write resignation letters” is among the most sought-after information at my Writing Help Central Web site.

So, when I looked into the subject more closely, I was surprised to find that there is not a lot of guidance available in guide book form on how to write a proper and appropriate resignation letter. In fact, a recent visit to the world’s largest bookstore www.amazon.com revealed that there are no “how to” books available there that deal with the art of writing resignation letters.

Surprising, but true.

This is interesting, because when you really look into it, you realize that whether you leave a job gracefully and appropriately will almost certainly have career and personal implications, and can be almost as important as writing a resume/cv or a cover letter.

THE EMOTIONS BEHIND RESIGNATION LETTERS
A resignation letter will be one of the most emotionally- charged business letters that you will ever write. The sentiments behind it are invariably volatile because of what it represents. In fact, studies have found that leaving a job can be almost as stressful as the breakup of a marriage.

Nevertheless, it is highly advisable that not too many of those emotions, especially any negative feelings, get transferred to the written page. As much as possible, a resignation letter should be treated as a business letter, just like any other business letter.

There are a number of reasons why resignation letters have more emotional implications than most other personal or business letters. Here are the obvious ones:

• They are highly personal because they normally mark the severance of both professional and personal relationships, sometimes of a long-term nature.

• They typically signify the end of a period in a person’s professional and/or personal life.

• They represent the beginning of a new period or phase in someone’s personal and professional life, conjuring up the fears that often arise with an uncertain future.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF RESIGNATION LETTERS
Following are a number of primary characteristics that are unique to resignation letters.

Not Just Job-Related
Mention “resignation letter” and 99 of 100 people will think exclusively about job-related situations. In reality, there are a number of areas and circumstances for which resignation letters can be required. For example, in addition to leaving jobs, resignation letters can be required for such situations as: stepping down from a committee, opting out of a course at school, leaving a club or fellowship, and others.

Sensitive and Delicate
When you submit your resignation letter it will have implications for you, the organization you are leaving, and the colleagues and friends you are leaving behind. You must realize that regardless of the real reasons behind your departure, the message received by many will be that you’re leaving because the organization and/or people just don’t measure up any more. This is a natural human reaction for many people and can’t be entirely avoided. Just be sensitive to it and don’t say, do, or write, anything that unnecessarily aggravates such feelings of abandonment.

Simple Formality or Big Surprise
A resignation letter can simply be the formalization of a conversation that already took place with your boss, or an announcement you made in a meeting. On the other hand, a resignation letter can be tendered completely unannounced, as a total surprise. In fact, this is often the case in the real world. If this latter case applies in your situation, you will have to be prepared to deal with any one of a number of possible reactions from the organization and your colleagues, ranging from total acceptance, to anger, bargaining, and resentment.

Positive Beats Negative
The way in which you resign from an organization can have significant implications, both career-wise, and personally. Regardless of the circumstances and/or atmosphere surrounding your departure, you will be well-advised to take whatever measures you can to neutralize any negative factors that may be in play. The approach and wording used in the resignation letter can go a long way towards achieving this aim.

Always A Balancing Act
Writing a letter of resignation can be a bit of a balancing act. You want to be honest, clear, and firm regarding your intentions to leave, while at the same time you don’t want to alienate the employer you are leaving. It would be nice for that door to remain open, or at least ajar, just in case you want to enter it in the future. After all, you never know what may happen down the road. For all you know, your current employer could end up buying the company you are moving to. So be careful about limiting your future options.

Backlash Can Be Swift
Negative impacts from a poorly written or inappropriately worded resignation letter can be almost immediate. For example, if you are hoping to get a good recommendation or reference from the employer you’re leaving, a negative resignation letter can only hurt your letter of recommendation/reference. Also, even if you don’t request a recommendation letter there is nothing to stop potential future employers from checking back with organizations you have previously worked for.

So here's a word for the wise. Before you blindly jump into writing a resignation letter, you might want to spend some time thinking about it and finding out how to write one that is proper and appropriate -- so that it won't come back to haunt you.

BONUS : Resume Writing - Get That Job

Looking for a new job, whether it is with a new company or a promotion within your own organisation, requires time and effort. To make your job search more effective you need to take five fundamental steps on the road to success:

· Analysing your skills

· Writing a winning Resume

· Managing your job search

· Coaching for interview success

· Negotiating your job offer

Step 1: Analysing your Skills

The most crucial step in the job search process is to assess what skills you have to offer to your future boss. At an interview you will have to tell your story. An interviewer will not remember your precise details, but they will remember your story, once it is filled with practical examples.
This means that you have to be able to explain the four 'what's' of your job:

· What do you do?

· What skills do you require to successfully carry out your role?

· What have you achieved?

· What benefit did your company get from employing you?

The answers to these questions can be used to draft a one-minute sound bite of the skills that you have to offer to your future boss. This sales pitch should incorporate details about your role, your achievements and your personal qualities and should be tailored to the position you are applying for.

For example, 'experienced Software Engineer who has worked in a multinational telecommunications environment; part of a team that developed an innovative process for a groundbreaking platform; proficient in all aspects of the development life cycle; used a variety of languages particularly C++ and Java; excellent organisational skills combined with a practical and resourceful approach to problem solving'.

Step 2: Writing a Winning Resume

This summary of your skills becomes the cornerstone of your resume. Your resume must be tailored to the needs of your future boss so customise it accordingly.

Here are some guidelines to assist you to write a winning resume:
Aim for a two-page resume - page one should be devoted to how your skills match the position with a emphasis on your recent career details. Page two to your less recent career history, education, training and relevant personal details. Decide on your key selling points. Provide evidence of this experience. Include quantification - reduction in costs, increase in efficiency, improvement in processes, saving in time, etc.

Use simple, jargon free words - if techno speak is required, explain it! Decide on the style after the structure and content have been finalised.

Step 3: Managing your Job Search

The third step to securing your job search success is to manage the process. There are three elements to effectively managing your job search process:

· Controlling channels

· Analysing jobs

· Constructing compelling cover letters

Controlling channels

There are four distinct job search channels. Draw on all four to maximise your success:

1. Contacts - use (in a positive sense!) all of the people that you know, both professionally and personally.

2. Media - this includes newspapers (both national and local) and professional/trade magazines.

3. Agencies - access both online sources and the more traditional recruitment agencies.

4. Direct approach - get in touch with companies that require your skills set.

Analysing jobs

Each job that you apply for is different, so you have to analyse its requirements to ensure a match between you and the role. This entails assessing the job description, the person specification and the environment within which the role operates. Draw up a checklist of the skills required for that job. If you have at least a 60% match, apply!

Constructing compelling cover letters

Your cover letter (typed!) should contain three paragraphs:

· Why you are applying for the job

· How your skills match the requirements of the position

· What outcome you want to achieve (an interview!)

Step 4: Coaching for Interview Success

Your interviewer wants to know two things - can you do the job and will you fit in. Your RESUME prompts the interviewer's questions in relation to 'can you do the job'. These questions revolve around the who, what, when, where, how and why of your current job (the technical details of your job).

The issue of whether you will fit in is crucial to your interview success. You may be technically superb, but if your interviewer believes that you will 'upset the applecart', he/she will not hire you. This means that your interview preparation should also concentrate on the non-technical aspects of your role. For example, how you relate to your colleagues and boss, how you have contributed to your team, how you have resolved potential interpersonal difficulties, etc.

Regardless of whether you are talking about the technical aspects of your job, or the non-technical elements, use real life examples to illustrate your point. Provide a picture in the interviewer's mind of the competent, capable person that you are.

Step 5: Managing your Job Offer

Following a successful interview, build on your success by negotiating an attractive job offer. This involves maximising your remuneration package and ensuring that your contract of employment exceeds the legal minimum.
Know what you own requirements are but make sure that they are in line with the reality of today's labour market. You also need to ensure that all of your referees give you a glowing reference and that they emphasise the skills that you want highlighted.