Changing workplaces is a frequent practice. However, at times, the reason for changing a workplace is because you got fired from the previous workplace. What is more important on getting fired from a company is not to get any hard feelings for the employer. On such occasions, you must thank your ex- employer or boss for employing you and being associated with you. This will also increase your chances of being rehired.
If you do not wish to be rehired, you may want to get a positive recommendation from your former employer. This positive recommendation will also help you get a new job and create a good impression on your new employer. A good way of maintaining cordial relationships with your ex- employer is by writing a thank you letter to them. Through this letter, you can thank your employer for letting you work for the company and show gratitude for your time with the company. However, as this is not a regular thank you letter that we might write regularly, we need to be mindful of a number of things.
It is important that you write this letter in a soft tone and do not express any harsh feelings towards the company or your ex- boss. You should be mindful of every word you write in this letter.
To help you with writing a thank you letter after benign fired, we have prepared this writing guide. In this article, we will talk about what a thank you letter after being fired is, when we need it and how to write it. Further, in the next part, we have listed some sample letters for your use.
What is a Thank You Letter After Being Fired?
A thank you letter after being fired is an explicit document written for a very important purpose. It is a formal letter written for a specific purpose. The purpose of this letter is to thank the ex- employer and maintain cordial relations with him. It is a letter written with an aim to show gratitude towards the ex- boss and the former company. In this letter, you should thank the former employer for giving you an opportunity to work for them and share the same workplace as them.
A well- written thank you note after being fired can help improve your chances of getting rehired by the company. It is also a good way of asking for a recommendation from the former employer. We all know the importance of positive recommendations in getting a new job, so it is important to maintain cordial relations with your former employer. Your future employers might try to contact your previous employers when you apply for a job. So having cordial relations with your ex- boss will also make sure that it does not affect your next job. This letter can be very helpful in doing so. It will reflect your positive attitude and spirit towards the company and the employer.
You can send this letter through an email or can hand it over to your ex- employer yourself. You may choose to give them a handwritten letter or a typed letter. Though handwritten letters are preferred for personal relationships, you may opt to write a typed letter or an email to your former employer. However, sending the letter physically will show that you have invested some amount of time and effort in it. It will also reflect your respect towards the former employer.
When is a Thank You Letter After Being Fired Needed?
This letter is needed only in case you get fired from your job due to any reason. This letter is written by the employee who gets fired by the former company or boss. It can be addressed to the boss, manager or the Administration department. Irrespective of the reason for getting fired you should write this letter to your former employer to thank them for employing you. It is needed when you want to improve your relations with your former boss and show gratitude towards him and the company.
Tips for Writing an Effective Thank You Letter After Being Fired
As we have learnt what a thank you note after being fired is, let’s see some tips that will be helpful in writing it. Writing this letter might be a horrific task for some, but following these tips will ease it for you.
The first thing to take note of while writing a letter is the format. A thank you letter after being fired is a formal letter, so you should write it in the format of a formal letter. A simple format of an official or formal letter is given below for your reference.
Address of the Sender
Email Address of the Sender
Date
Name of Receiver
Address of the Receiver
Subject: Thank You Note
Dear ______ (Name of the Recipient)
(Body of the Letter)
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Sender’s Full Name
- Take care of the salutation and address your former employer respectfully. You can use Mr/ Ms or Sir/ Madam.
- Write the letter only after you have positively accepted the situation and have realised that you have been fired. Do not let your emotions get over your words. Do not write any harsh feelings in this letter.
- The tone of this letter should be positive. You should take the decision of your employer positively and thank them for giving you a chance to work with them.
- Write it in a professional tone and avoid having any casual communication with your former employer. Maintain the dignity of your formal relationship through this letter.
- Address the main subject of your letter directly and also talk about the reason that you were fired for. You can let your employer know how you are working on your shortcomings and improving upon them.
- Express your gratitude to the employer for giving you the opportunity to serve the company. Your letter should reflect your positivity and appreciation towards the employer.
- Keep the letter short or brief. Stick to the point and avoid writing unnecessary details. Keeping this letter short will reflect your respect for the recipient’s time. So it is a good idea to limit the letter to two paragraphs.
- Sign off the letter respectfully. You can use ‘Sincerely’, “Respectfully’, ‘Regards’, etc. as the ending note.
Following these tips will ensure that your thank you letter is well written and effective. To learn more about this letter, you can check out our next section that has a few sample letters.
Sample Thank You Letter After Being Fired
Listed below are a few templates for a thanks note after getting fired. You can download these templates and send them to your ex- employer or you can take reference from these templates to write a customized letter.
Template 1
Address of the Sender
Email Address of the Sender
Date
Name of Receiver
Address of the Receiver
Subject: Thank You Note
Dear ______ (Name of the Recipient)
I wanted to thank you for providing me with an opportunity to work for the _____ Company (Write the name of the company). I have gained immense experience and skills from my co- employees at the _____ Company. The skills I have learnt during the past 3 years of my association with the company will be helpful for me throughout my career.
I understand that my failure to meet the deadlines and manage work according to time led you to the decision of firing me. I appreciate that you gave me an opportunity to work on my shortcomings but it was my failure to comply that led you to the decision. I hope to learn from my experience and not repeat my mistakes. Once again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve for the _____ Company. I will be taking the experience of the past 3 years with me forever.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Sender’s Full Name
Template 2
Address of the Sender
Email Address of the Sender
Date
Name of Receiver
Address of the Receiver
Subject: Thank You Note
Dear ______ (Name of the Recipient)
I want to take a moment to thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Human Resource Department Manager at the ______ Company. (Write the name of the company) I am grateful for having the chance to serve one of the top companies in the country. I understand that my work style was not suitable for the company and it was not adding to the company. I accept your decision to fire me.
I have gained immense experience and learned a number of skills from you during the last 4 years of my association with the company. I hope to carry these skills forward and put them to a positive use in the future. Even though my position became unsustainable at the ____ Company, I will keep this experience with me and learn from it. I want to thank you once again for giving me this opportunity.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Sender’s Full Name
Template 3
Address of the Sender
Email Address of the Sender
Date
Name of Receiver
Address of the Receiver
Subject: Thank You Note
Dear ______ (Name of the Recipient)
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work as the Sales Manager at the _____ Company (Name of the Company ) for the past 2 years. I have learnt a number of things in these 2 years. Your work ethics are something I appreciate and hope to adopt in my professional life. I wish to carry these skills and learnings with me and apply them to my work in the future.
Though I was not the best fit for your company, I thank you for giving me the chance to fix the shortcomings. Now that I have been given the termination letter, I would like to move on with my career and start looking for another suitable job. I would like to confirm if I can take your name as a reference for my job application to another company.
I wish you and the ______ Company good luck for the future. I hope the ____ Project gets confirmed and the company manages to reach the Top 10, this year.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Sender’s Full Name
Template 4
Address of the Sender
Email Address of the Sender
Date
Name of Receiver
Address of the Receiver
Subject: Thank You Note
Dear ______ (Name of the Recipient)
I want to express my thanks and regards towards you for giving me a chance to serve as the Accounts Executive of the _____ Firm (Write the name of the firm). The past 2 years of my association with your firm have been enriching for me. I have gained a lot of experience and skills from you and my colleagues at the firm. However, I understand that my work ethics did not suit the firm and I was not a good fit for the role.
I would like to express my thanks to you for giving me the opportunity to work on myself and suit the requirements. But my failure to do so led to the decision of my termination. I would like to take this decision positively and move ahead with my career. Before ending my association with the firm, I wanted to thank you and the colleagues for your support through the past 2 years. I will carry this experience with me.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Sender’s Full Name
Template 5
Address of the Sender
Email Address of the Sender
Date
Name of Receiver
Address of the Receiver
Subject: Thank You Note
Dear ______ (Name of the Recipient)
I am writing this letter with the aim to express my thankfulness to the _____ Firm for giving me a chance to serve as the Operations Manager. The past few years have been enriching for me. However, I accept that my work style was not appreciated by my colleagues and their complaints led to the decision of my termination.
I accept my termination and wish the best to you and the ____ firm for all the upcoming projects.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
Sender’s Full Name
