Odd request really-
I find myself having to resign a job to take up a better offer elsewhere. Being a relative 'newbie' to the so called 'professions', I've never had to write a formal letter of resignation. But I have to write one tonight, handing my notice in tomorrow. The only jobs I've ever quit before were minimum wage manual shite where I took great delight in saying:
"Take this job and shove it...!"
I can't burn any bridges here, as I'll still be working for the same company one day a week in another post, and I have no idea what a letter of resignation should be like. Can anyone offer any advice?
You want to keep it simple and straightforward. Don't go into the whys and wherefores of your leaving and don't say anything that could be seen as snidey or misinterpreted. You want to keep them onside for references if nothing else. A small smidgen of buttering up never goes amiss. Something like...
Dear Mr Jones,
Please accept this letter as formal notice of my intention to resign my position with the company from today's date.
I will of course work the mandatory four week notice period and thank you for the assistance and guidance you have given me up to now.
Yours Sincerely...
PS Shove your job up your arse.
Cheers Buttonman, I've been stressing all day about having to write this, as I say, I haven't got a clue about all these formalities- most contracts I've had have been verbal agreements and I've just walked away with a spring in my heel and never a look back.
If you want to keep those bridges unburnt, buttonman's format is spot-on, but as an employer myself, I can tell you there's no harm in a little flattery - "I have enjoyed working with this company over the past XXXX, but feel that I now need to move on to develop my long-term career goals"... or some such crap. You'd be surprised how much employers like to think they're appreciated, and there's a legitimate reason you're moving over to the competition - even if they 've done nothing to deserve it. We're a needy bunch of friendless egotists, basically.
Cheers again, I have enjoyed working there, and my boss is generally ok, if a little bit of a stickler. It's a simple matter of having to drive 67 miles of shitty roads to get there (with no travelling expenses/ time paid) vs travelling 4 miles to get to my new job. Money's the same, jobs the same, holidays are better.
does this sound ok?
"
Dear XXXX,
Please accept this letter as formal notice of my intention to resign my position as Art Tutor from today's date.
I will, of course, be happy to work the mandatory four-week notice period and would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for the assistance and guidance you have given me up to now.
I would also like to express that I have very much enjoyed my time here at the LSE centre. Experience gained here has been very useful in my professional development and I wish all of the staff and students the very best regards for the future.
Yours Sincerely,
"
I think that ticks all the boxes Dog, and importantly doesn't leave you open to interrogation - why aren't you happy? What can we do to keep you etc.
Just make sure you deliver it in the style of the Prisoner opening credits!
Cheers lads, very much appreciated!
(Maybe it should be The Prisoner closing credits.)
Only one point to add to the excellent advice offered already.
There may be an exit interview. Some employers do this, some don't. Usually a few questions about why are you leaving, what could we have done to make you stay, that kind of thing.
Like the letter, best to be polite, tactful but honest. Most employers worth their salt appreciate the feedback.
Cheers, Dounray, where I work is in Aberdeenshire, and my employer is in Lanarkshire so I doubt this will be too much of an issue- at worst it might be done by my manager, who I get along with quite well- although I suspect my next 4 weeks will be filled with pissing and moaning about it! Time to cash in those holidays accrued to ease the burden, I think!
Of course it depends if they want you to stay of course - you might hand it over and the boss bursts into a chorus of Zipity-doo-dah!
Do you mean the end creits where the bars fall down? Or are you planning on making off on an oversized penny farthing.
I've only resigned once but that was just a verbal 'I won't be in again, thanks' to the pleasant enough Mrs Dunsmuir, manager of Poundstretcher Coatbridge.
When I was resigned by my employer of 17 years I scanned over all the bullshit and waffle and went straight to the details of the pay off package. Your boss will probably be the same, scanning it to see if 'sexual harassment', 'wanker' or 'pissed in the kettle' are mentioned.
I don't think he'll want me to leave, it was hard enough trying to get a reprobate cunt like me to fill the post, never mind somebody desirable (in the employment sense!). He's always been very complementary (to my face) and I understand he's sung my praises to his bosses, but budgets are budgets, and the only things which would make me stay are travelling expenses (I've used up one perfectly good car already) and/ or the invention of teleporter devices (or body swaps, like in Bison/ Xchange).
Because of the distance between employer and workplace, 'Continuous Professional Development' has been virtually non-existant except for mandatory self-defence. My new employer promises much, including the possibility of TQFE's and Masters. Can't sniff at that.
I don't think he'll want me to leave, it was hard enough trying to get a reprobate cunt like me to fill the post, never mind somebody desirable (in the employment sense!). He's always been very complementary (to my face) and I understand he's sung my praises to his bosses, but budgets are budgets, and the only things which would make me stay are travelling expenses (I've used up one perfectly good car already) and/ or the invention of teleporter devices (or body swaps, like in Bison/ Xchange).
Because of the distance between employer and workplace, 'Continuous Professional Development' has been virtually non-existant except for mandatory self-defence. My new employer promises much, including the possibility of TQFE's and Masters. Can't sniff at that.
Most employers worth their salt appreciate the feedback.
Exit interviews are one of the most useful company development tools there are, even if they are a bloody pain for all concerned. People have a tendency to be brutally honest about problems they've encountered, things that they might not tell you in any other 'review' format.
As the employer/manager, you find yourself sitting there thinking (and even saying) "why the fuck didn't you tell me that months ago, that's appalling!", and then realising it's because you're making inadequate attempts to get feedback with / maintain communication with your staff - it's a fucking pisser when it happens, but can be a hell of a wake-up call.
I've no time for most management bullshit, but I'd encourage anyone to give exit interviews a go, and far more importantly make time to source honest opinion from your colleagues before they decide to walk.
Well, there are one or two things I found extremely frustrating, although I've pointed these out before- I've never been able to 'haud ma wheesht' about things that need to be addressed...
Thanks everyone, and I hope this thread is useful for other boarders who may, at some point, be in need of similar advice.
One more reason to love this board!
Cheers
I found my exit interview in my last job very satisfying. I had no bridges to burn, so I decided to go for broke and list every single damn thing that had been wrong with the job and the employer. The human resources manager was very sympathetic, knew almost everything I was going to say before I said it, and pretty much said "yes, we hear that a lot", and tutted at the really stupid everyday annoyances peculiar to my line manager and the suite of offices I worked in, which he agreed were indicative of standards well below those of the organisation I worked for, which itself didn't give a shit about me or any of its other employees, most of whom were regarded as interchangeable and replaceable.
I never have and never will understand employers who dont treat their employees well .It doesnt make sense.A happy workplace is a productive workplace and all that.But having said that a lot employers and people are tossers anyway so wheres the surprise that workplaces can be awful . Inadequate bosses and their petty power trips . To give a really good example of this i used to know the boss of an IT recruitment agency . This agency was the most popular it agency in the area but the boss treated employees like rubbish . One particular employee was a temp receptionist.On one occasion she was not allowed to leave the desk to have lunch.So she had to eat at her desk.The boss then complained that there were crumbs on the floor and sacked her there and then.In the end all the employees left the company and started another elsewhere and stole all his clients meanwhile the bosses company folded.
I did some building work for this idiot once and he pulled the plug on the project 2 weeks before christmas. He ended up owing me money at that point as well. I lost patience at this point with him and had a word with him along the lines of : " I want the money i am owed right fucking now.No excuses ".I did my best to intimidate him and it worked.Then everyone else in the team got their pay as well.
sound advice from the hive mind.
Good luck Dog, hope it brings the stress levels and travelling time down.
Huff
Best of luck with the new job.
And now, I'd like to hijack the thread if I may. Rather than start a new thread, could the hive guide me to the title of a CD containing:
Metallicas Greatest HIts; and, separately
AC/DCs hits.
Do such things exist? Mrs X wants them, and what Mrs X wants Mrs X gets (if the good Doctor is to have a quiet life, that is)
Think I heard somewhere that AC/DC are famous for refusing to produce a greatest hits album
Good luck with the new job Dog!
Bolt-01
Cheers everyone!
Went fine- boss sorry to see me go, turned out I only have to give them a weeks notice, not four- I agreed to work the four anyway to allow them time to get someone else, and get some of the students who are close to finishing courses right through to the finish line. And the company agreed to 'buy' my outstanding holidays (which they don't normally do) in recognition of my consideration, so I'll be laughing all the way to the bank. I'll be working less hours and be better off and it's not often in life you get to say that!
He liked the letter too (I had the cheek to ask him!)-
"The sentiments are much appreciated, now fuck off and get some work done, leaving me short-staffed like that you bastard!"
AC/DC and Metallica's greatest hits?
Not sure DocX, but they must have these in the bargain bins in ASDA?
;)
Hey, Dog - well done!
And it's always nice to see the board help someone out.
- Trout
Knew he'd be glad to see the back of you! ;0)
As for AC/DC and Metallica your best bet would be to do a custom job off iTunes or similar meaning she can handpick the ones she wants and doesn't want. Only know Metallica's 'Black' album but you will need 'Enter Sandman' and 'Nothing else matters'.
As for AC/DC you must get 'Dirty deeds done dirt cheap', 'It's a long way to the top', Thunderstruck'and 'Back in Black'.
Looking at itunes they don't have AC/DC but I'm sure other licenced sites exist as well as your friendly neighbourhood bootleg emporium.
There is a best of Metallica: it's called "Master of Puppets." Digitally add on "Seek & Destroy", "One" & "Peace Sells" and you've got all the 'Tally you'll ever need.
Peace sells? That's a Megadeth track. And a bloody good one at that.
Peace sells? That's a Megadeth track. And a bloody good one at that.
Ha. I wondered if anyone would bite.
It's the only Megadeth song worth mentioning and as Dave Mustaine started out playing guitar in Metallica I like to think of them all as one big happy family...
Do Metallica sanction downloads ? They were very anti download at one time with all that Napster business.I daresay they have changed their attitude now as they probably charge for them like everyone else does.
I am sure Mtallica said they would never do a greatest hits compilation.
AC / DC have done a box set but i thinks its all early material up until Bon Scott died and nothing later.
Do Metallica sanction downloads ? They were very anti download at one time with all that Napster business.I daresay they have changed their attitude now as they probably charge for them like everyone else does.
I am sure Mtallica said they would never do a greatest hits compilation.
AC / DC have done a box set but i thinks its all early material up until Bon Scott died and nothing later.
Peace sells? That's a Megadeth track. And a bloody good one at that.
Or as I've always called it: Pete smells, but who's Brian?