Whenever you’re leaving a job regardless of the circumstance or simply moving on from where you once were, it is standard practice and good nature to send a farewell letter.
A farewell letter is not only for when you’re quitting a job, it’s valid for when you’re leaving anywhere with people. A Farewell is defined as “an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting.” A farewell letter is a perfect opportunity for you to thank co-workers, customers, or anyone you interacted with for the opportunity and the experience you had working together.
A farewell letter is also a great opportunity to build a connection one last time with the people you’re parting with.
Who Should Receive a Farewell Letter?
Deciding who should receive a farewell letter is something you should decide on your own. Not everyone you worked with should receive a farewell letter from you. If you work in a small company, you should inform everyone of your departure. If you work in a large company, it may be best if you sent a farewell letter to just the immediate members of your team.
Also, your farewell does not have to be a letter, it could be a face-to-face conversation, a call, or even a voice message. Letters are a favored option as it is easier to mass send, especially if they’re not going to be personalized.
It is standard practice to send in your letter on the last day of work or the second to the last day. This way, you have the opportunity to say goodbye, especially if you’re not working remotely.
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What to Include When Writing a Farewell Letter
Regardless of the reason you’re leaving, there are things you must include in your farewell letter. In this section of this article, we’re going to take a look at all of them.
- Express Your Gratitude. This might be tricky to do, especially if you were treated unfairly at your job (and it’s the reason you’re leaving). Even if you weren’t necessarily happy with your experience, it is still standard practice to express appreciation for them. This is important as it helps you keep the relationship you have with them, and this relationship may come in handy for personal or professional reasons.
- To personalize or not. This is a question you’re going to have to answer yourself. If you work with a large team and did not generally have a nice experience, you may want to send a general email. But if you had a close relationship with your colleagues, going the personalized route is the best option. The letter should be addressed to them, and if you can include an experience specific to each individual, it would take your farewell letter to the next level.
- Stating Where You’re Going Next. If you don’t feel comfortable stating where you’re going next in your farewell letter, then don’t. No rule states you have to express your plans. But if you do feel comfortable about sharing these plans, make sure to keep the details to a minimum and do not draw any comparison between your current workplace and where you’re leaving for.
- Keep it positive and keep it short. As said earlier, a farewell letter is not an opportunity for you to air out your grievances. Your letter should be positive and concise. Anything that’s not needed in a farewell letter should not be in it.
- Include Your Contact Information. One of the major reasons for writing a farewell letter is to keep a line of communication with your colleagues. Including your contact information makes this a lot easier. When doing this, remember to include your personal email and not your work email. Also, remember to include your social media handles.
Read More: Guidelines on How to Quit Your Job Responsibly
How to Write a Farewell Letter
Writing a farewell letter is like writing other letters. There’s a set of guidelines and principles that make it effective. In this section, we’re going to write a farewell letter on a step-by-step basis.
- Address and Header
This section of your letter should contain your address and other information on the left-hand side of your letter.
- Subject.
The subject of your letter should be simple and straight to the point. A simple, “Your name – Farewell/Moving on/ Goodbye” works perfectly as the subject.
- Body
The body of your letter should be broken into segments, after addressing the recipient, typically by their first name, “Dear FirstName,”
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The First Paragraph
This is where you tell your coworkers that you’re leaving the company. As stated earlier in this content, you can decide whether or not to let them know where you’re going. If you do decide to tell them, make sure you do not include any negative comparisons between them.
The Second Paragraph
In this paragraph, thank your coworkers for the experience you had working with them. If you don’t have to send this letter to a lot of people, you can decide to personalize each to the recipient. If you’re sending the same letter to multiple people, personalizing your letter may not be the best option as you may not be able to mention everyone in the letter and that may lead to people feeling left out.
The Third Paragraph
This paragraph should only include your contact information. If you’re sending this letter from your company email, ensure to remember to include your personal email as well. If you’re on social media, also include your social media handles. Generally, the more handles you include, the better.
The Last Paragraph
The last paragraph should reiterate your thanks and gratitude. And sign out. A simple, “Yours truly,” including your name is enough to sign out.
NB: While it is optional to personalize your farewell letter to your colleagues, it is not the same for other forms of farewell messages. If you’re sending a farewell message to your friends, it must be personalized.
Farewell Letter Sample
Subject: Henry Maguire - Moving On Dear John, I'd like to inform you that I would be leaving my position at ABC Tech on the 30 of August. You've been an incredible part of my experience at ABC and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to work with you. Thank you for always checking up on me and making sure I had everything I needed. All the experience I gained from ABC will be invaluable in this new phase of my career, and for that, I say thank you again. Please keep in touch. You can reach me on my personal email at (Harryhogwarts@email.com), or on my cell at 123-456-7890. Also, you can connect with me on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/harrymaguire). Yours truly, Harry Maguire
Farewell Letter Sample Two for Relocation
Subject: Jim Blessed - Farewell Dear Harry, I'm writing this letter to inform you that I have accepted a job offer from Disney Inc. and I am required to relocate to Florida. Thank you for all the professional and personal support you rendered to me in ABC Tech, I can't forget all the times I called you at inappropriate hours for assistance. You made my stay at ABC a memorable one and I cannot thank you enough. Please keep in touch. You can reach me by email at (Jimblessed@email.com), or my cell at 123-456-7890. Also, you can connect with me on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/jimblessed) Yours truly, Jim Blessed
Conclusion
When you’re leaving a job or a location, it is important to send a farewell message. This informs the people you’re leaving behind of your departure and also offers them some form of closure. Everything you need to know to write the best farewell message has been included in this article.