By | Kat Boogaard | www.themuse.com
Breaking up is hard to do. And that sentiment doesn’t just apply to romantic relationships—it’s also true when it comes to leaving a job. What makes this different is that you likely will want to keep in touch with your favorite coworkers (and maybe even your boss!).
You’ve likely already had a lot of the potentially awkward “I’m leaving” conversations in person after you gave your two weeks’ notice (honestly, that’s the best way to do it!). But before you officially log off, you’ll also want to follow that exchange up with a friendly email that shares your well wishes and your personal contact information. Not only is this standard polite office behavior, but it also ensures that you end things on the most positive note possible and helps you keep in touch with your colleagues.
Like all professional communications, a personalized message is best, but coming up with a lot of individualized emails all at once can overwhelming. If you’re struggling to write those bittersweet farewell emails, follow these steps and/or use one of our seven different templates to help you along.
Keep these tips in mind as you write:
1. Time your farewell messages correctly.
Your email should always come after you’ve given your two weeks’ notice—when you’re ready to say goodbye. So generally, during your last day or two with the company. If you’re asking the recipient to let you know about any loose ends they need you to tie up before you go, however, try to get your email sent sooner.
Note that if you’re sending your goodbyes via a platform where you’ll get locked out once your account gets deactivated (for example, your company inbox or Slack) you’ll want to give your colleagues time to respond. So plan accordingly.
