Many people change jobs at some point in their careers whether it’s a relocation or getting better working conditions, a better offer, or simply being miserable at work every day. The process of quitting is a little daunting and may feel scary. However, leaving your position in the organisation gracefully is essential for your career as it creates a great final impression. You can easily get two weeks’ notice online from CocoSign download, customize, sign and share it with your soon to be ex-employer.
Once you’ve made the decision to leave the job, you are left with the decision of how you’ll go about it. It all starts with a professional two weeks’ notice letter delivered at the right time. Why should I waste my valuable time and energy writing a letter when they’re quitting anyway? You may ask! Simply put, because it isn’t a waste.
What is two weeks’ notice?
Despite various reasons why you may want or need to leave your current job when you leave, it is customary to give your employer at least two weeks’ notice concerning your coming exit. The two-week notice gives you time to complete your pending work obligations, show your managers and coworkers how to carry out some of your specific tasks once you’re gone, and an ample chance to say goodbye to your colleagues in a professional and positive way. Additionally, the period gives your employer time to open a role to fill your job or to make other arrangements.
Before writing a two weeks notice, it is important to review your employment contract in case your company has other guidelines around resigning. In most cases, a two weeks’ notice letter may be required to formally resign your position.
There are different types of two weeks notice, for various situations. Let’s look at them:
1: Simple Two Weeks Notice Letter
This document can be applied in the situations where:
You’re not that familiar with your manager
- You don’t want to explain the reason for your resignation.
- You prefer using a neutral tone.
You don’t know how to write the two weeks notice in a neutral tone, don’t worry. If you visit the CocoSign website, you’ll find multiple types of two-week notice templates written by legal experts easy to understand and customize.
2: Formal Two Weeks Notice Letter
The formal two weeks notice letter is used in the following cases:
- The company where you want to quit prioritizes professionalism and formality.
- It is a way to show respect for your manager even though you have a formal relationship with him/her.
- You don’t plan to reveal the reason for quitting.
3: Professional Two Weeks Notice Letter
A professional two weeks notice letter is preferred where:
- You prefer to keep your professional associations.
- You want to show a positive attitude towards your employer, and
- You don’t want to unfold the reason for resigning.
Reasons to Write a Two Weeks Notice Letter?
Some companies financially penalize employees who fail to give two weeks notice before quitting, but more often, it’s simply common courtesy. Whether you’re planning to leave a job for good reasons or bad, you should never burn bridges in professional relationships.
Writing a two-week notice letter keeps you professional and shows how much you got great respect for your employer. With a positive exit, your employer is more likely to say good things in your reference letter someday.
Secondly, an official, a physical resignation letter acts as a reference for business records and even legal records sometimes. Having one in place no one will ever question or doubt, when, or how you left your position.
Thirdly, writing a two weeks’ notice gives everyone time to adjust to your upcoming absence. It allows you to finish up any open projects you may have before leaving, at the same time, it gives your employer ample time to initiate a formal offboarding process, creates a transition plan and begins the search to fill your position.
When should you give notice?
Giving two weeks notice can help make your departure more amicable, but it has to come at the right time.
Only issue out a two-week notice letter at your current position once you have signed your offer letter with your new boss. If you act too soon, and something happens down the road, you may find yourself unemployed.
Try and hold off on quitting on your company until you’ve finished any big projects or assignments. If not, the remaining milestone might inadvertently overburden your teammates and colleagues.
However, if your current business environment is toxic and you urgently need to exit the door, there’s no shame in just focusing on what’s best for you.
How to Write a Two Weeks Notice Letter
Writing a two-week notice letter can be a bit daunting, especially if it’s your first time quitting a job. As you begin to draft the document, consider the following guidelines:
Formatting
To keep it professional, you must follow a basic format. Your letter should start with a heading that includes the following:
- Date
- Supervisor’s Name
- Company Name
- Company Address
You can then begin the content of the letter with a professional introduction: Dear Mr Smith”. In the body, start by including your name, date, address and subject line. State your intentions to resign and the date of your last day in the job.
Provide a brief explanation of your resignation, you can go into details or not, it’s up to you. In the letter, don’t forget to display your heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity. Go ahead and point out something specific you enjoyed about your time with the company to leave a good impression.
Offer your next steps. It can be in the form of volunteering to help smooth your leaving process by training the new employee or answering a few questions from your colleagues and employer.
Once you are done with the main part of the letter, close it with your signature. CocoSign offers electronic signatures, that will allow you to sign and send the document via online channels.
Stay Positive
While each resignation letter is different, and often viewed as a negative task, it’s best to keep the two-week notice letter as positive as possible. Your aim here should be to leave your employer feeling appreciated. Wite the letter in a positive tone and with tons of gratitude. You may have resentful feelings towards your employer or a company, but now is not the time to air them.
Conclusion
If you’ve decided to resign from your company, writing a two-week notice is a professional way to let your employer know about your departure ad be prepared for it. If you are having trouble drafting one, CocoSign offers two-week notice letter templates that are easily editable and customized to your suiting.
