Resignation letters are the most plain-vanilla pieces of literature. Whether you use Comic Sans or Times New Roman, whether you write like Shakespeare or Chetan Bhagat, whether you print it in glossy or recycled paper, the impact is always the same. It’s read for precisely 30 seconds by the Hari Sadus of the world and filed in a forgotten folder somewhere. No one stops to congratulate you for penning a masterpiece. No one even thinks of awarding you a Man Booker. All you get for your efforts is the same sweet nothings. But things are changing now. A few good men have invented some bold new ways of saying ‘I Resign’ that’s caught the imagination of the Internet. Check them out if you need a little inspiration for your parting shot.
Say it with a cheesecake
Like most of us, Chris Holmes was bored to death with life. When his 31 came calling, he decided to call it quits. His plan was to join his family’s bakery business. Just when he was wondering as to how to break the news to his boss, a thought struck him. Why not bake a cake and script the ‘relieve me’ request on top using the icing? His brainwave worked. Not only did his supervisor like his resignation letter, he ate it too!
Sing it on YouTube
Kevin Nalty, a consumer product director at Merck, was tired of his pedestrian work. His heart was all for switching careers. The dream of becoming an online celebrity appealed to him more. So he took a bizarre step. He uploaded a YouTube video of himself singing, stripping and revealing the words ‘Do what you love’ written on his bare chest. The lyrical way of delivering his resignation struck a chord with 7.4 million viewers. Instead of facing the music from Merck, Nalty left on a high note.
Flash it with an error message
A zillion software guys may have put in their papers, but none can match the deed of an anonymous programmer. The day he wound up operations, Mr. Cool Dude left behind an error message on his computer. It read: “The designer you treated like sh*t has quit, click Renegotiate to discuss terms of new contract. Or click HR to find out how badly you mucked up”. Needless to say, the message went viral. And the shellshocked boss rebooted his career.
Deliver it with a band of brothers
When all you have is a routine epistle, you might as well do it like Joey DeFrancesco, the Rhode Island based room service attendant who took the unprecedented step of marching into his hotel with a music band and handing the ‘This is it’ letter to his superior. Predictably Joey’s departure created a racket. And boss ki band baj gayi.
Announce it on radio
When Greg Stepp, the RJ at Cox Radio in Jacksonville, heard that his management was contemplating firing him, he just went on air and announced that he was giving his company ‘the big middle finger’ and famously declared: “Kiss my rear, Cox Radio! Rot in hell. And thanks for nothing!” Predictably, the company tuned out on Greg but his rant is still making waves.
Tweet it as a haiku
Jonathan Schwarz happens to be the first Fortune 200 CEO to tweet his resignation. What makes his attempt even more novel is the poetic element to it. He actually wove an insipid haiku and tweeted: Financial Crisis/Stalled too many customers/CEO no more. As a wise man in New York Times commented, Sun should have perhaps replied: “Severance Package/Board votes no compensation/Next time write letter!”
