help me with resignation letter?

[OhBuggerandArse]

I have just accepted a new job, and would be grateful for any advice you can offer on phrasing my resignation letter - all the samples I have found seem very business orientated and I want to make sure that I don't miss out something important. I've been at my current institution for the whole of my working career, so have never had to do this before!

Should I say what the job I'm moving to is? None of the examples I've seen do, but I am staying within the same field and want to put in something about looking forward to opportunities to work together in the future, and that seems a bit odd if I don't explain what I'm leaving to do.

And I've PhD students that I should continue to play a part in supervising - my new institution is fine with this. Should I raise this in the letter, or leave it to in-person conversations?

Would be very grateful indeed for any suggestions you can send my way.

[Nearlyalmost50]

I think the letter to HR and the discussion with colleagues about moving on aren't necessarily the same thing. I don't think everything needs to go in a letter and I would have a meeting or two with your current boss and agree how things like students/working together will be handled. I am no expert on this, however!

[geekaMaxima]

Keep a resignation letter brief but polite. It's just for formal paper trail purposes as you'll normally inform your HoD verbally that you're leaving before you send the letter. The conversation with HoD is where you'd raise things like PhD students, talk about where you're moving etc. If the dept is any good, you'll have a proper exit interview before you leave anyway.

I've written and seen a few resignation letters! Anything more than the below would be unusual in UK academia:


Dear HoD,

I am writing to confirm that I am resigning from my post of xxx effective from date, which fulfils the notice period of xxx months as per my contract.

[Optional: I would like to note xxx ... any other tricky bits that have been verbally agreed with HoD or HR, such as moving to an honorary position of xxx for xxx duration, or your last day present in work will be date because you're taking your accrued AL at the end, etc.]

Thank you for the opportunities you have afforded me in my xxx years at xxx University. [Something complementary about wonderful colleagues, career support, whatever you can dredge up ].

Sincerely,
Anne Academic.