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Exit theory: Learn what to avoid in resignation letter

Following the Rahul Yadav resignation controversy, three HR consultants tell Roshni Nair what to avoid in a resignation letter

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If words were people, 'quit' would be a pariah. Even its gaudier four-letter counterpart – read: the f-word – enjoys a comparatively-hallowed place in our lexicon. 'Never give up', they say, for quitting is a sign that (a) you're weak (b) you're a loser, or (c) you're both.

Of course, there's merit in perseverance. But one can argue it's not quitting itself, but how one quits that matters. And nowhere does this ring truer than in the art of resigning (whether it's to your fate or from your job is for you to decide).

Last week, two people jousted for the mantle of 'most theatrical and/or comical resignation'. They were housing.com CEO and co-founder Rahul Yadav, and Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) member Juhi Khan.

The former, an IIT-B alumnus, left no stone unturned in showcasing his IIT-level math skills. "I had calculated long back (by taking avg life expectancy minus avg sleeping hours) that I only have 3L (hours) in my life," he wrote in his April 30 letter to the housing.com board, which went viral on social media on May 5. "3L hours are certainly not much to waste with you guys."

More sides were split the same day, just hours after Yadav's letter had gone public. Drama unfolded at a DCW press conference called after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas didn't respond to a summons due to his alleged 'illicit liaison' with an AAP volunteer. DCW chairperson Barkha Singh looked on, horrified, as Juhi Khan accused the commission of framing Vishwas, then stormed out and announced her resignation in full media glare.

Although claws are still out in the DCW, it didn't take time for Rahul Yadav to sheepishly apologise for his faux pas. But PerfmanHR director Sonal Aurora reckons that if it was up to her, she wouldn't recommend him for a senior role. "My takeaway from his letter is that he's got a lot of ego and attitude," she says. "How are you going to mentor your team if this is what you do?"

Strongly-worded letters aren't wise even if a resignee wants to highlight a company's ills, says Teamlease co-founder Rituparna Chakraborty. The same goes for 'public' resignations. Case in point: former Goldman Sachs executive director Greg Smith's explosive 2012 op-ed in the New York Times, titled Why I Left Goldman Sachs. "If a regular employee's eccentric resignation gets leaked, it can dent future prospects as everyone would think twice before hiring a volatile personality," Chakraborty underlines.

There are controversial (and no-no) letters, and then there are nonconformists in the republic of resignations. In 2009, graphic designer Cat Sacdalan signed off from her company on a Technicolor note. Her instrument of choice? The crayon, of which she used eight different colours to communicate her desire to leave. For added flourish, she added a doodle of a dog.

One would think such goodbyes spell harakiri for future prospects (and they usually do), but Sonal Aurora puts it in context. "People from creative fields and those who aren't in 'senior' positions can take some liberties, especially if they're leaving on a good note. It's all about intent," she says. "But this should be avoided in professions like law, finance and medicine." A fitting example is Kiwi attorney Sam Blackman, who, wrote a farewell limerick to colleagues in law firm Chapman Tripp, in 2013:

A young clerk was fed up with the law. So he packed up and went for the door. Said his colleagues to him, 'This decision is dim!' He replied: 'You just wait what's in store'!

That this wasn't his official resignation letter didn't matter. It didn't take long for influential legal blog Above The Law to tut-tut Blackman's play with words.

Resignation letters may not carry as much weight as a resume and how one fares in an interview. But since background checks are conducted at the snap of a finger, it's best not to try your luck, feels Angelo Lo Vecchio, Country Manager & Managing Director, Adecco India. As for one's chances of getting hired after resigning from a previous job on a bitter note: "What constitutes the bitter note is important. Theft/code of conduct violations are a sure no-no. However, if there may have been relationship issues, these need validation," Lo Vecchio says.

No matter how turbulent one's time in a company or how incompetent a boss, don't put frustration to paper, as doing so can make one look like an imbecile. "Burning bridges is never wise. Appropriate feedback should be given to relevant stakeholders during review sessions rather than letting it fester and providing expression while resigning," stresses Rituparna Chakraborty.

As the saying goes: Khud ke pair pe kulhaadi mat marna (don't axe your own foot).

Minimalist Resignations

In 1976, Neil Young exited from folk group Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young with this telegram to fellow musician Stephen Stills: 'Funny how things that start spontaneously end spontaneously. Eat a peach. Neil.'

Chinese schoolteacher Gu Shaoqiang's resignation note from Henan Experimental High School created ripples online last month for its brevity and inspiring message, which read: 'The world is big, and I want to go out and see it'.

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