How To Write A Two Weeks Notice Letter (Sample Template Included) (2024)

By Jeff Gillis

A job offer is often accompanied by a giddy moment of exhilaration – they chose you!

Of all the applicants, your star burned the brightest and has been plucked from its relatively lowly heights to take its rightful place much higher in the sky of this new company. Pull out your disco pants, holler a shout of joy, and let candy fall from the sky!

When you’ve finished singing Staying Alive and when you’ve eaten all the candy, take a moment to appreciate the path. Your current employer played a role in securing this job offer, and they’re owed some love.

This is where the two weeks notice letter comes into play.

What is a Two Weeks Notice Letter?

A 2 weeks notice letter is a respectful, formal announcement that you will be leaving your current position. This should give your employer time to make arrangements.

They may ask you to weigh-in on your replacement or have you sit in on interviews.

They may ask you to train a coworker in your more vital tasks before you leave.

Your notice letter allows them the time to create and execute a plan of action so that they are not scrambling to fill your tasks on the day of your departure.

When Is A Two Weeks Notice Letter Used?

A two weeks notice letter, as the name suggests, should be delivered a full two weeks before you intend to stop performing your current roles.

Though you can ask to leave earlier, you should expect to spend two weeks after submitting your notice working full-time.

Your new employer will be glad that you are treating your previous employer with respect, as it is an indication of how you will deal with them when the time comes.

Many employers are willing to give you three or more weeks before starting if you need some time to arrange a move or prepare mentally for the transition.

Give two of these weeks to your current employer and ensure that you will have a positive professional reference for years to come.

Best Format For Your Two Weeks Notice Letter

You can write an email. Many people do. A quick tap, tap, tap of the keyboard and you can be all done.

If, however, you want to end your time at this company with as much star-power as you hopefully exhibited throughout your time at the position, you’ll type up a letter, print it out, and sign it. Then you’ll follow it up with an email.

I can hear the collective sigh.

Printing? On real paper? Using a pen to scribe my name? What century do you think we’re living in?

Well, young Skywalker, we are living in a shared century.

We share it with older millennials who navigated the turn towards our digital age. We also share it with the generations before them, who saw digitization happen as adults.

If your boss is older than thirty, a note on paper will mean something. Even if they’re not, there is a very real and rational reason older people prefer a written and signed letter. A signed note on paper is more caring, considerate, and thoughtful than an email. Take the time to be caring, considerate, and thoughtful.

Step By Step Guide To Giving Two Weeks Notice

Without further ado, here are the steps you want to follow if you want to ensure you leave your old job at the highest standing:

1) Write a kind, informative, gracious letter. It should be addressed to your direct supervisor and include the specific date of your last day of work. Leave a space at the bottom for your signature, preferably with a signature line that contains your name underneath.

2) Print and sign your letter. Fold it business style – two folds dividing the letter into three, equal, horizontal slices – and place it in a business envelope.

3) Bring it, in person, to your direct supervisor. Thank your supervisor for their management, verbally inform them that you are turning in your two weeks notice letter, and hand them the letter.

4) That same day, send your direct supervisor an email reiterating your intentions and thanking them for their time and support. Attach the letter.

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Two Weeks Notice Letter

These are the mistakes that you need to make sure you avoid if you are going to walk out that door without burning any bridges or leaving a bad taste in anyone’s mouth:

1. Handing In Your Letter Without a Conversation

Leaving a position can be awkward. It is tempting to just avoid the situation entirely and leave your two weeks notice letter on your direct supervisor’s desk.

Don’t do this.

You have every right to leave your place of employment; it doesn’t need to be awkward. Acting as though you are unsure or feel that you’ve done something wrong is not appropriate. Your boss may miss you, but they will understand.

If they don’t, you have dodged a more lethal bullet than you knew by leaving.

2. Not Putting Your Notice In Writing

As we mentioned earlier, though not classy, a short email is an appropriate way to deliver your two weeks notice letter. An email with an attachment is actually quite classy, though not quite as good as the physical paper.

What you can’t do is to tell your supervisor of your plans verbally, without any written account. This can end poorly for everyone.

Your boss may forget to tell their boss on that day. They may forget exactly which day it was that you spoke to them. If they are a little evil they may try to bamboozle you into working longer than you should.

Avoid all these problems by making sure your two weeks notice letter is given in written form.

3. Not Being Kind, Gracious, or Professional

If your job has been frustrating, you may be tempted to leave in a storm of theatrics. Or, at the very least, you may want to walk out without notice. This is a sure fire way to turn what could be a fantastic reference into a mark of scarred land on your resume.

Instead, leave with grace and secure your deserved reputation as a lion tamer who rides winged horses through rainbows, gifting happiness and glory at every turn.

Sample Two Weeks Notice Letter Template

Putting It All Together

Once you’ve drafted your two weeks notice letter, the celebration can continue. After all, you were able to secure a new job in a very difficult job market and you did it without leaving a disaster behind you!