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PEOPLE FEATURE
The Farewell E-Mail: How to Avoid Big Blunders
By Jackie Noblett March 25, 2013
It is never easy to say goodbye, but when it comes to sending a farewell e-mail to
colleagues, fund professionals suggest keeping it short, sweet and somewhat personal.
There is no shortage of examples of unusual or outlandish farewell notes, such as a
former Yahoo CEO’s letter that aired some dirty laundry. In it Carol Bartz disclosed to the
entire staff that she had just been fired over the phone by Yahoo’s chairman. The
goodbye e-mail ended “sent from my iPad.” [See box below for more creative resignation
letters]
But while it may be tempting to sound off with acerbic humor or outright frustration, the
close-knit nature of the fund industry means you never know how that farewell will affect
your future career prospects, according to fund executives, recruiters and career
coaches.
Furthermore, executives stress that a farewell e-mail may not be sufficient if you want to
nurture the relationships with former colleagues after you walk out the door.
“Keep it very professional and keep it positive. If it’s going to be emotional, make it
emotional from the benefits you’ve received from the firm and the industry, because
certainly it’s a very rewarding industry but a very tough industry,” says Bruce Johnston,
president and COO of marketing software firm CaptureTrackConvert and former CEO
of Old Mutual Investment Partners.
“You may be exiting stage left for whatever reason, but sometimes we forget that the
beat goes on, circumstances change, and you may want to step back into the industry,”
he adds.
The most difficult goodbye e-mails to draft are usually when the employee is not leaving
the firm voluntarily. Consultants say the key to those is keeping them short and focused.
“I don’t think a farewell e-mail ever has to be all that long,” says Connie Thanasoulis-
Cerrachio, partner at career consultancy SixFigureStart and a former recruiter at Merrill