<date>
Dear <Name>,
Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from the position of <title> from <Company>, effective <date>, 2 weeks from above date.
As I reflect on my time over the past <#> years, I am both humbled and appreciative. I will take so many wonderful lessons and friendships will me, and will be forever grateful for the opportunities and experiences. Thank you for the opportunity.
Sincerely,
<Signature>
If I were giving a 2 weeks’ notice, this is probably what the letter would look like, generally speaking. Depending on which company, and the relationship I have with my leader, it would vary in ‘words of gratitude and sentiment’, but overall it would relay the same professional message. In two weeks, I am leaving. I have given a few resignations over the past 2 decades of living in the “adult world”. Each one came with different words and different emotions. Some I was excited about because it meant I was onto another grand employment adventure. Maybe one or two I was excited to just get away from that company. But…they all came with one thing in common…an opportunity to change something. To change my work functions, city, coworkers, desk decorations, and even what I got to wear everyday.
Today, August 3rd, marks 2 weeks. 2 weeks from the last Teams meeting. 2 weeks from the last email sent. 2 weeks from being able to say proudly “Yes, I work at Southwest Airlines!”. However, I am not submitting a formal resignation today. I actually did that several weeks ago when I clicked the submit button to except the Voluntary Separation Package that our company leaders so graciously offered.
I can hear you asking “why?”. You see…my family is hurting. No, not my mom or dad, or grandmother or sister, but my Southwest Family. Yes, they…we…are family. We look out for one another. When we are happy – we laugh and celebrate together, when we are sad – we cry and mourn together, and when we are hurting – we step in to save each other. There have been many of these occasions in my 5 years at Southwest. Even a time many of them stepped in to save me. So, when the world started crumbling and the airline industry began suffering, our leaders proposed several options to help out financially. I took the month of April off at a very small percentage of salary. I took almost every Friday off unpaid. And now, I will be leaving the company I LUV to help save a job or two.
It may not make much since to others (outside Southwest), but I know that by sacrificing, I am saving. I am saving a Co-Heart who cannot be without a job, due to a possible layoff or furlough. I am saving someone from having to make hard financial decisions. No this does not mean I will not have to tighten my purse strings (those are already being tightened), but I am blessed with other opportunities to help provide right now. Not everyone has those. I am just one of nearly 17,000 Southwest Family Members that elected to take a form of time off (either extended, or the permanent option). And if those combined employees had not made these sacrifices, I fear our family would soon begin to hurt much worse than we are today. Together, we are all saving our family!
“But you are leaving a paying job during a global economic disaster? Are you crazy?!” Yes, that is a question that I still wake up asking myself. In fact, last night I laid awake going back and forth between “What on earth have you done?” to “You did the right thing, that is what you’ve done. Now go to sleep, silly!”. I have been beyond blessed in life, and working at Southwest has been a huge part of that blessing. I have had so many opportunities others only dream of. I have had the privilege of not only attending University, but also obtaining Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. I have recruited for some Fortune 100 and 500 companies. I have lead teams. I have learned from some of the best Leaders in the world. I have built 2 decades of amazing experience, and will take with me so many more lessons from Southwest. I have grown in so many ways, been challenged in others, and flat out humbled as well.
“So what is next?” Another question that crosses my mind every hour. As I type, I am not 100%…or even 50% sure…or heck, let’s be honest, even 20%. There is a bingo cage of ideas rolling in my head and soon enough the right combination of letters and numbers will align, and I will yell “BINGO!”. Or at least that is how it is currently playing out in my head. So stay tuned for more on that.
I already miss Southwest, and will miss calling this company ‘home’ like so many others do. The grieving process has begun and will continue for sometime I am sure. However, I know there is a greater plan and purpose, and I am at peace with this.
Thank you for all of the LUV!
Sincerely, Kat
aKats9lives 