Resignation Letter: 5 Templates and How to Resign Well

Resignation letter templates

Pick the one that fits, replace everything in [brackets] and send it as an email right after you’ve told your manager. If your company asks for a signed letter, attach a PDF with the same text. Keep the structure, but let the thank-you line sound like you; it’s the one part people remember, and a real, specific sentence in your own words means more than a polished stock one.

1. Standard resignation letter

Subject: Resignation: [Your name]

Dear [Manager's name],

Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from my position as [Job title] at [Company]. My last day will be [date].

Thank you for the opportunities I've had here, especially [one specific thing: leading the spring campaign, building the content team, learning paid search from you]. I've learned a great deal and I'm grateful for your support.

Over the coming weeks I'll make sure my work is handed over properly. Please let me know how I can help most.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

2. Short resignation letter

For when the conversation has happened and you just need the record.

Subject: Resignation: [Your name]

Hi [Manager's name],

As we discussed today, I'm resigning from my role as [Job title]. My last day will be [date].

Thank you for everything. I'll have a handover plan to you by [day].

Best,
[Your name]

The two weeks notice letter guide has more short versions if you need a different tone.

3. Resignation letter with gratitude

Use it when you’re leaving a manager or team you genuinely liked. Keep the thanks specific; a vague “it’s been a great journey” reads as filler.

Subject: Resignation: [Your name]

Dear [Manager's name],

I'm writing to confirm my resignation from my position as [Job title]. My last day will be [date].

This wasn't an easy decision. You gave me [a specific chance: my first team to manage, the brand refresh, room to test new channels], and I've grown more here than anywhere else. I'll miss working with [team or people].

I'm committed to a smooth handover and I'm happy to help train whoever takes on [your main responsibilities]. I hope we stay in touch.

With thanks,
[Your name]

4. Leaving for a new marketing role

You don’t have to name your new employer. If you do, keep it to one line and make it about the work, not about what’s missing where you are.

Subject: Resignation: [Your name]

Dear [Manager's name],

Please accept this as my formal resignation from my role as [Job title]. My last day will be [date].

I've accepted a [new role title] position, where I'll be [one line: leading the brand team, moving into product marketing, working in a new category]. It's a step I've been working toward, and the experience I've had here on [specific work] is a big part of why I'm ready for it.

Thank you for your support. I'll make sure [main projects] are documented and handed over before I go.

Best regards,
[Your name]

5. Resigning mid-campaign, with a handover plan

Marketers rarely leave at a clean moment. There’s always a launch in flight, an agency brief half-written or a quarter’s reporting due. A letter that shows you’ve thought about the handover makes the news easier to take.

Subject: Resignation and handover plan: [Your name]

Dear [Manager's name],

As we discussed, I'm resigning from my position as [Job title]. My last day will be [date].

I know the timing overlaps with [the campaign or launch]. Before I leave, I plan to:

- Finish [the deliverable you can complete], due [date]
- Document [the campaign plan, channel settings, agency contacts, reporting dashboards] in [shared folder or tool]
- Introduce [colleague or agency lead] to [key partners] and walk them through [open work]
- Transfer ownership of [accounts, ad platforms, social logins, tools] to [the person you agree on]

Thank you for the last [time period]. I've valued [something specific], and I want the campaign to go well after I've gone.

Best,
[Your name]

Check the access list with your manager. In marketing roles it’s easy to forget that you’re the admin on an ad account, a social profile or the analytics property, and fixing that after you’ve left is painful for everyone.

How do you write a resignation letter?

Write it as a short letter or email in six parts: a subject line, a greeting, one sentence that resigns and names your last day, a line of thanks, an offer to help with the handover and a sign-off. Write it after you’ve told your manager, so nothing in it comes as a surprise.

For a printed letter, put your name, the date, your manager’s name and the company at the top, and sign above your typed name. For an email, the subject line does that job.

How to start a resignation letter

Start with the news. The first sentence should say you’re resigning and give your last day; an apology or a long lead-in before it only makes the letter harder to read. Any of these openings works:

Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from my role as [Job title], effective [last day].

I'm writing to let you know that I'm resigning from my position as [Job title]. My last day will be [date].

As we discussed today, I'm resigning as [Job title], and my last day will be [date].

What should a resignation letter include?

Include the fact that you’re resigning, your last working day and a line of thanks. Everything else is optional, and it isn’t the place to explain your reasons or settle scores: the letter goes into your file, and people you’ll meet again may read it.

If HR has a resignation form, fill it in as well as sending the letter.

How long should a resignation letter be?

Three short paragraphs is plenty: the resignation and date, the thanks, and the handover. Most fit in under 150 words; the extra lines in a longer letter are where people get into trouble.

When should you resign, and in what order?

Resign only once you have a signed offer from your new employer and any conditions, such as a background check, are cleared or close to it. Then tell your manager before anyone else, and send the letter right after that conversation.

1. Sign the new offer. Our guide to accepting a job offer covers what to confirm first.
2. Check your notice period. Look in your contract, offer letter and employee handbook. Two weeks is the custom in most US jobs, but your contract may say something different, and senior roles often ask for more.
3. Tell your manager in person or on a video call. Not by email, and not on a Friday afternoon if you can help it.
4. Send the letter the same day. It confirms what you said and fixes the date.
5. Agree on how the team will hear. Let your manager decide when and how to tell your colleagues.

If your notice period, bonus, equity or a non-compete clause is unclear, read your contract and handbook or ask HR before you resign. These are the details that cause trouble later, and they vary by employer and by state.

How do you resign in person?

Keep the conversation short and lead with the news. Your manager will remember how you said it more than what the letter said. Most people feel nervous before this conversation, and it’s usually over in a few minutes.

A simple version:

I wanted to tell you first: I've accepted a role at another company, and I'm resigning. My last day would be [date], which gives [two weeks / the notice in my contract].

I've really valued [something true: working on the relaunch with you, how much you've let me run the social program]. I want to leave things in good shape, so I'll put together a handover plan for [main projects] by [day].

I'll send you a short letter today to confirm.

Expect a few questions. Where are you going? You can say, or you can keep it vague until you’ve started. Why? A short, honest, positive reason is enough: a bigger role, a new category, a team you want to build. If you’re asked whether money would change your mind, decide your answer before the meeting, not during it. Use the script above as a guide and say it your own way; it should sound like you talking to someone you’ve worked with, not like a prepared statement.

What should you do after you resign?

Work the notice period as if you were staying: finish what you can, document the rest and hand over access cleanly. The last weeks shape your reference more than you’d think.

• Write the handover document. Open projects, deadlines, contacts, logins to transfer, where files live, and what you’d do next if you were staying. The two weeks notice letter guide has a handover table for marketing roles.
• Tell agencies and partners once your manager agrees, and introduce whoever takes over.
• Return equipment and clear personal files from shared drives.
• Prepare for the exit interview if HR holds one. Our exit interview questions guide covers how candid to be.
• Update LinkedIn near your start date, not the day you resign.

What if your employer makes a counteroffer?

Decide before you resign whether anything would make you stay, so you’re not deciding under pressure in the room. If the answer is no, thank them and keep your date.

Thank you, I appreciate it, and it means a lot that you'd want me to stay. I've made my decision and I've committed to the new role, so my last day is still [date].

If you would stay for the right terms, that’s a different conversation, and it’s better had before you’ve signed elsewhere. Our guide on how to ask for a raise covers how to make that case while you’re still in the job.

FAQ

Do I need to write a resignation letter?

It’s wise even if nobody asks for one. It gives you and your employer a clear record of the date you gave notice, which matters for your final pay, benefits and any notice period in your contract.

Should I email my resignation letter or print it?

Email is normal for most marketing jobs. Send it right after you’ve told your manager. If your company asks for a signed letter, attach a PDF or bring a printed copy.

Should I say why I’m leaving?

Only briefly, and only if it’s positive or neutral. “I’ve accepted a role leading a brand team” is fine. Detailed complaints belong nowhere in the letter; if you want to give that feedback, the exit interview is the better place.

How much notice should I give?

Check your contract and employee handbook first. In the US, two weeks is the common courtesy; senior marketing roles often agree to more, especially with a launch or budget cycle in flight.

Who should I address my resignation letter to?

Your direct manager. Copy HR if your company’s process asks for it, or forward HR a copy once your manager has the news. Don’t send it to the wider team; let your manager decide how they hear.

Can I resign without giving notice?

Sometimes, but read your contract and handbook first, since some set a notice period and tie final pay details or bonuses to it. If you have to leave at once for health, safety or family reasons, say so in one line and keep the rest of the letter as gracious as the standard version. Leaving without notice can cost you a reference, so give what notice you can.