Whenever someone needs to resign his or her job and find a new one, it’s always a good idea to leave the previous job with a good impression.
When you need to leave a job, a formal thank-you letter to your boss will help maintain a professional and amicable relationship.
Reference Letter
You may need a reference letter from the boss for your next job, and even if you don’t, leaving your boss and colleagues with a good feeling is important.
Each person you encounter in your professional journey, including bosses, peers and colleagues will play a part in your career development.
When you tender your resignation, you may be tempted to add several sentences about how much you learned from your boss and how you benefited from his or her training and professional development.
Not A Good Idea
However, this is not a good idea. This letter should be brief and simply state your title or position, the department where you worked and the date your resignation is effective.
Once you have formally resigned, you can write a thank you letter to your boss in which you express how much his or her support meant to you and how it groomed you for your future career.
If your boss encouraged you to take extra training courses that have helped you get a better job, you can mention that in the thank-you letter.
Some guidelines for writing a thank-you letter to your boss after resignation are:
Sincerity – the letter is intended to express your feelings about your boss. It is your only opportunity to do so because your resignation letter expressed only the facts.
After all, you are expressing gratitude for help and support throughout your years at the company.
Feelings should always be genuine, so the letter should be a true expression and not appear stilted or fake.
Addressed to the boss – the letter should be a personal letter to your former boss, but it is a nice touch to send a copy to any colleagues or team members with whom you worked under the boss.
Some people like to hand write the letter for an even more personal touch, but this is not essential.
Mention details – the letter should mention at least one example of how the boss helped you. It may appear false if it is a general overview without even one detail that shows you remember the support.
It may be an anecdote of how your boss encouraged you or it could be a chance for improvement your boss gave by sending you for further training.
Use names – the letter is not a For Whom It May Concern letter. You need to mention your bosses name and the name of any colleagues you would like to include in the letter.
Proofread – as with any professional document, proofreading is very important. Proofread the letter to make sure all the names are spelled correctly, there are no grammatical or punctuation mistakes and that it sincerely expresses your feelings.
You can hand-deliver the letter to your ex-boss, and at that time make sure you also mention how much you appreciate his or her support and how it was through his or her help that you grew as an employee to qualify for your new job.
If you plan to give copies of the letter to other supervisors or members of the team, they can be sent by post.
Here is a sample thank-you letter to a boss after resignation:
Sample Thank You Letter To Boss After Resignation
Your Name
Your Address
City, State, Zip Code
DATE
Name of Boss
Name of Company
Address of Boss at the Company
City, State, Zip Code
RE: Thank you for your support and encouragement
Dear Name of Boss:
I am writing this letter to formally thank you for all the encouragement and support you gave me during my 10 years at Name of Company.
Since I am obliged to move across the country to look after my aged parents, I was forced to resign my position.
I was the manager of several major projects, including the waste management project for the city, at Name of Company and you always gave me the guidance and confidence I needed to do an outstanding job.
I believe you not only made me a valuable employee but a better person. You taught me how to be an effective team leader, which will help me in any future endeavor.
You taught me how to balance my work and family life, and how to handle pressure without blaming others. Through your encouragement, I learned how to encourage my team members and make them happier and more productive.
I have applied for several jobs in Name of State or City and know that my resume is better because of your help.
If you hadn’t encouraged me to take the six-week leadership-training course, I would never have had the confidence to go for it.
If there is ever anything I can do to help you or your team, please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Thank you once again for your guidance and encouragement.
Sincerely,
Signature
Your Name
