Focus on the positives you’ve gained through your current position.

Hopefully, if you get on well with your manager you can talk about how you feel, so your letter needn’t be over the top. Keep it to the point, but take the time to explain that you have enjoyed your time and your experience working there, and that you appreciate any support they have given you, etc.

make sure you put that you have learned many useful things thru this job and appreciate all they’ve done for you, like the person above me said, focus on the positives.
My letter was something like, To whom it may concern, I am putting my two week notice in to resign from ____company. My time here has been a great experience and i appreciate all you have ever done to help me succeed. I have gained many experiences from this job that I will use for the rest of my life. (Then I went on about how the details in my job (me working at anursing home i said i would miss the residents, etc) and closed it up by offering if they were in a bind I might be able to come in and help them out). Then i said something like best wishes or something…and that was that!

If you get on good with your manager you shouldn’t quit in a letter. Ask your boss for a private meeting and then tell them in a very nice way why you need to leave the company. Be sure and let them know how much you like them and appreciate them as a boss. Let your boss know you will write a formal letter just for paperwork reasons and then give them a short, formal notice. If you talk to your boss in person and leave on good terms you should be able to get a good reference out of them.

I agree with Rhiana ~ absolutely best to talk to your boss face to face.
My boss was horrendous, but even then I tried to talk to her first ~ in the end she received my resignation letter before I could do so.
I felt empowered by that letter, as I could calmly and unemotionally set out my exact reasons for leaving in the exact way I wanted to and, even though I hated my job, added a paragraph highlighting the positives and wishing everyone well. It was definitely an aid to swiftly moving on, to closure.
Good luck!!

the letter is a formality. (in a really small organization not even necessary)
one hopes you’ve already talked to the people who will be directly impacted.

Your letter need not be any different if you like your job or not. I’d leave the reasons for leaving out as those stay on file forever…

To whom it may concern. I hereby tender my resignation. As such, my last day will be XXX.

In gratitude for the time,
ME

The last 3 replies got it right… Formalities are formalities, people are people. The letter, should be short and sweet, no reason given, or due to personal reasons, that’s always a favorite.

But before any formal resignation, you must talk with your boss, try to explain your situation. He might or might not understand you, but you have to try to present your case as clear as possible. No BS like “this has been a great opportunity for me…”, unless you really mean it… But those kind of things are usually decided on and spoked off on the spot. At least, in my case. I can only prepare myself with the first line, something like “I believe we should talk about something…”. From there it’s free fall, but that usually turns out ok. Again, this is my case.

So, concentrate, prepare to be under a terrible stress(aka do nothing), but realize that this is something that is unaviodable and needs to be done.

I can always feel myself blushing whenever there is something sensitive to talk about, and unless you’re a stone cold killer, you’ll probably have the same problem. But, again, try to realize that you must get through this. Somehow.

Again, I wish you only the best. I hope the meeting will turn out ok.

The letter should always be professional first and foremost.

I personally always try to keep mine short and sweet. A line or two saying how great the opportunity to wortk there was and a sentence stating my timeframe.

On occassion I have added a couple of lines stating my secific reason for leaving, but I only do that if it can be positive for both me and the company and if in 10 years I won’t be eating crow on the reason.

Notice letters follow a pretty standard format. State the purpose of the letter, when you’re last day will be, and thank whomever the letter is being sent to for the time you’ve been with the company. Thats it.

If you have a good relationship with your manager or supervisor, then just speak to them in person, or write them a short letter thanking them in particular for their friendship.

Its really pretty cut and dry. Feel free to stray from the usual format but the bottom line is you’re leaving. That’s it.