How much notice should I give when I resign?

Two weeks is the standard minimum in the US for individual contributors. Senior roles, managers, and specialized positions often warrant three to four weeks as a courtesy, and some employment contracts specify a longer notice period, so check yours first. If your role has no contractual notice requirement, two weeks is professional and sufficient.

Should I say why I'm leaving in my resignation letter?

No, you don't have to, and usually you shouldn't. A resignation letter is a brief formal record, not an exit interview. Keep the reason vague or omit it entirely ('to pursue a new opportunity' is plenty). Save any detailed feedback for a separate conversation or the formal exit interview if you choose to give it.

Do I email my resignation letter or hand it in person?

Best practice is to tell your manager directly first, in a live conversation (in person or video call), then follow up with the written letter by email so there is a dated record. Leading with the letter and no heads-up can feel cold. The conversation softens it; the written letter makes it official.

Can I resign effective immediately?

Yes, you can resign without notice, but understand the trade-offs. You may forfeit accrued benefits, burn the reference, and in rare cases breach a contract. Reserve immediate resignation for genuine situations: an unsafe environment, a serious ethical issue, or a personal emergency. Otherwise, give notice.

Should I mention my new job in the resignation letter?

No. There is no upside to naming your next employer in the letter, and occasionally a downside (an awkward reaction, or pressure to leave sooner). Keep it neutral. You can share the news verbally with people you trust once your departure is settled.

How to Write a Resignation Letter (Templates and Examples for 2026)

You already decided to leave. Now you just need the words. A resignation letter is one of the simplest documents you'll ever write, and people still overthink it into a stressful mess. Here's exactly what to put in it, what to leave out, when to hand it over, and four templates you can copy, fill in, and send today.

What a resignation letter is (and isn't)

A resignation letter is a short, formal written notice that you are leaving your job. Its only jobs are to state that you are resigning, name your last working day, and create a dated paper trail. That's it. Most good ones are four or five sentences long.

It is not a place to explain why you're really leaving, to air grievances, to renegotiate, or to write a heartfelt goodbye to the whole team. Those belong in a conversation, an exit interview, or a separate farewell message on your last day. The letter is a record, not a speech. When in doubt, make it shorter and more boring, not longer and more emotional.

What to include

A clear statement that you're resigning. Use the word "resign" so there is no ambiguity. "I am writing to formally resign from my position as..."
Your role and the company. So the letter stands on its own in an HR file.
Your last working day. Be specific with a date, and make it consistent with your notice period. This is the single most important line for HR and payroll.
A brief, gracious thank-you. One sentence. You don't have to mean every word, but it costs nothing and protects your reference.
An offer to help with the transition. Optional but classy: "I'm happy to help train my replacement or document my work before I go."
Your signature and the date. A dated, signed (or e-signed) letter is what makes it official.

What to leave out

The real reason you're leaving. Even if it's positive. "To pursue a new opportunity" or nothing at all is enough.
Complaints, criticism, or feedback. Nothing in a resignation letter should ever read as a complaint. It lives in your file permanently.
The name of your new employer or your new salary. No upside, occasional downside.
Conditions or demands. If you want to negotiate a counteroffer or an earlier release date, that's a separate conversation, not a clause in the letter.
Excessive emotion or long stories. Warmth is fine; a memoir is not.

Tone: warm, brief, professional

Aim for the tone of a polite, confident professional who has already made peace with the decision. You are not asking permission and you are not apologizing. You're informing. Keep it positive and neutral even if you're leaving an awful job, because this document outlives your feelings about the place and a future reference check can quietly depend on it. The phrase to keep in mind: gracious but not gushing, firm but not cold.

How and when to deliver it

Tell your manager first, in a live conversation. Before any letter goes anywhere, have a short direct conversation (in person or on a video call). Springing a letter on your boss with no warning reads as cold and can sour an otherwise clean exit.
Send the written letter right after. Email is fine and standard in 2026. It timestamps your notice and gives HR what they need. Address it to your manager and copy HR if that's your company's norm.
Time it for a clean two weeks. Deliver on a day that makes your last working day land neatly, and avoid dropping it right before a major deadline or holiday if you can help it.
Keep a copy. Save the email and the attachment for your own records.

Four resignation letter templates you can copy

Copy the one that fits your situation, swap in your details (the bracketed parts), and you're done. Each one is deliberately short.

Template 1: Standard two weeks notice

The default for most people. Professional, warm, complete.

Dear [Manager's name],

I am writing to formally resign from my position as [job title] at
[company name]. My last working day will be [date, two weeks from today].

Thank you for the support and opportunities I've had during my time here.
I've genuinely valued working with you and the team. I'm committed to making
this transition as smooth as possible and am happy to help train a replacement
or document my current projects before I leave.

I wish you and the company continued success.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Date]

Template 2: Short and simple

When you want the bare minimum done correctly. Nothing wrong with this.

Dear [Manager's name],

Please accept this letter as formal notice of my resignation from my position
as [job title] at [company name]. My final day of work will be [date].

Thank you for the opportunity. I'm glad to help ensure a smooth handover over
the next two weeks.

Best regards,
[Your name]
[Date]

Template 3: Immediate resignation

For when you cannot give notice. Use sparingly and stay neutral, even if the circumstances are not. No notice means no need to over-explain.

Dear [Manager's name],

I am writing to inform you that I am resigning from my position as [job title]
at [company name], effective immediately, as of [date].

I understand this is short notice, and I apologize for any inconvenience. Due
to personal circumstances, I am unable to provide the standard notice period.
Thank you for the opportunity to have worked here.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Date]

Template 4: Grateful, with notice

For a job you actually loved and a manager you respect. A little more warmth, still professional.

Dear [Manager's name],

After a lot of thought, I've decided to resign from my position as [job title]
at [company name]. My last day will be [date, at least two weeks out].

This was not an easy decision. The past [number] years here have shaped me as a
professional, and I'm grateful for the mentorship, the trust you placed in me,
and the chance to work alongside such a talented team. I'll do everything I can
to wrap up my work cleanly and hand off my responsibilities thoughtfully before
I go.

Thank you for everything. I hope our paths cross again.

Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Date]

Common mistakes to avoid

Burning the bridge. The tech world and most industries are small. The manager you vent at today can be the reference, the colleague, or even the hiring manager you need in three years.
Resigning before the offer is fully signed. Don't quit on a verbal promise or a contingent offer. Wait until your new role is confirmed in writing.
Over-explaining. The more reasons you give, the more questions you invite. Keep it brief.
Getting the last day wrong. Double-check the date math so your notice period and final day actually line up.
Sending it before talking to your manager. The letter should confirm a conversation, not replace it.
Promising more than you'll deliver. Only offer transition help you'll actually follow through on.

You're writing this because you landed something better

Here's the part nobody tells you about resignation letters: the hard part was never the letter. It was getting the offer that lets you write it. Dozens, sometimes hundreds, of applications stand between "I want to leave" and "I'm resigning effective the 30th."

That's the slog Lentra removes. It's a free Chrome extension that autofills online job applications in about 20 seconds each, across Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, iCIMS, and the long tail of company careers pages. You save your profile and resume once (sign in with Google), and Lentra fills the standard fields, work history, education, and even drafts the free-text "Why this role?" answers from your real resume. You review every answer and submit on the company's real careers page yourself, so it looks exactly like a careful manual application. Free, with no quota for the rule-based fills. A lot of people wrote their resignation letter sooner because applying stopped being the bottleneck.

Install Lentra

Free, takes one minute.

A quick sanity check before you hit send

Did you confirm your new offer in writing first?
Is the last working day correct and consistent with your notice period?
Did you keep the reason vague or out of it entirely?
Is the tone gracious, even if the job wasn't?
Did you talk to your manager before the letter landed?

If you can answer yes to all five, send it and don't look back.