One of the best pieces of advice I pass along to clients is, “Don’t burn bridges.” When you change jobs, you have an opportunity to build bridges. I’m talking about staying connected to former contacts, colleagues, clients, and employers.
One way to initiate the bridge-building is to send a thank you letter to the people you are leaving behind. Because you really DON’T want to leave them behind.
Here is a sample thank you letter to these people. It will do the job for you. Tweak it. Use it. Email it or snail mail it, depending on the nature of your relationship and the style of your industry.
From: [That’s You!]
Date: [Do it soon after your departure]
Subject: My appreciation
Dear [Make it personal]
I just wanted to take a minute to thank you and let you know how much I value our relationship. I have enjoyed my [number of] years as part of the [company name] team and I’m truly grateful for everything we have accomplished together through all these years. My success has been largely due to your success.
Now I feel it is time for a new challenge. I am excited to let you know that on [date], I will embark on a new journey in my professional career. It has been a privilege to have worked with you over the years. I will always be a friend to you.
Let’s keep in touch. Please connect with me at LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/
I hope to see you again soon. [Depending on the nature of your relationship, you might get specific, such as, “I’ll be seeing you at the next XYZ Industry Convention,” or “Why don’t we meet for lunch next Friday?”]
To your success,
[Your name, be informal here]
My new phone: 123-456-7890 | my email: namewithheld@gmail.com
[photo source: geeksdreamgirl.com]
