Goodbyes are hard. And it’s even more challenging when you have to say goodbye via email.
Recently, I left my full-time teaching position to pursue a writing career. Sending a farewell email to my close coworkers, unaware of my decision to transition to a new job, was bittersweet.
I would have preferred to say goodbye in person, but sometimes, time only allows a farewell email. And that’s okay.
If you want to protect your relationship with your coworkers or keep the lines of communication open, you’ll want to send a proper goodbye email.
I asked ChatGPT to help me write farewell emails to my coworkers. This is what I got.
What did chat gpt write to me
It’s easy to get caught up in writing the perfect farewell email.
Do you send heartfelt messages? How do you address the entire team? What about your customers? What do you say to them?
To answer some of those questions, I asked ChatGPT to write farewell emails to various colleagues and partners.
Here’s what ChatGPT wrote for me.
Farewell email to the entire team
Sometimes, it’s best to inform your entire team about your plan to leave your position. In my experience, emailing a listserv means no one will miss your important and exciting announcement.
Here’s the prompt you should use in ChatGPT to write a goodbye email to your team.
“I recently accepted a new position at another company. I am sad to leave my team. Write an email to my team expressing my gratitude and my departure.
Here is Chatgpt’s response.
ChatGPT’s response is a politely worded farewell email. Draft also takes into account your emotions while expressing your gratitude to your team. The response is not very long or disorganized as some ChGPT responses are.
You can use this response as a first draft of your goodbye message. And, if you want to make it more personal, add a delicious inside joke that will make your team smile.
Pro Tip: If you have a particular way to end an email, don’t end your email with “warm greetings.” Instead, stick to your classic email signature.
Farewell email to your best friend at work
Best friends at work, we all have them. And they may be the hardest people to break the news to that you’re leaving for a new opportunity.
If you can’t talk to your work friend in person, consider sending them a farewell email using this ChatGPT prompt.
At first glance, the ChatGPT response is quite long. But when you read it, the response does an excellent job of conveying the connection you’ve formed with your work friend.
If you send it to your friend without editing the post, your best friend will probably recognize the ChatGPT response. And although it’s a good draft of a goodbye message, it lacks the personal touch that can only come from you.
Pro Tip: Use this draft as a starting point for your goodbye message. Edit the draft so the message is shorter, and add your idea to the email.
Farewell Email for Your Boss
Emailing your farewell message to your boss can be the most challenging part of saying goodbye.
Depending on your relationship with your boss, you may need to write a more formal email than you would send to your team or work friend.
I used this prompt to write a farewell message to my boss: “Write a goodbye email to my boss, who is leaving for a new role.”
When you email your boss about your departure from the company, you’ll want to express your appreciation for your boss’s leadership during your time with the team.
Doing this helps maintain an open line of communication and protects your working relationship with your boss.
This ChatGPT response is a good draft of something I would send to my boss. It completely expresses gratitude and appreciation.
The overall response is a great starting point for your farewell email. However, once again, the draft is quite long, so you should shorten it for better readability.
Pro Tip: Read your draft out loud to help you better hear the tone of the email. You’ll want your boss to find your farewell message positive.
Farewell email to your customers
If you work in a capacity that allows you to work with and serve customers, you may not be able to talk to all of them in person about your departure.
Sending farewell emails to your subscribers is an easy way to make sure you don’t leave anyone behind. Plus, it helps open the door to future partnerships in other roles.
I used ChatGPT to draft farewell emails to clients. This is the prompt I used: “I’m leaving the company. In my role, I worked closely with customers. I want to keep the doors open for my working relationship with them. Write my goodbye email.”
Check out this response.
The feedback generated expresses gratitude for the customer and their business. It is also written in a way that lets the client know that you would like to continue working with them if the opportunity becomes available in the future.
Once again, the email is long. If I received this email, I would skim it and potentially miss an important detail like your contact details. If you use this prompt to draft your farewell email to customers, edit the draft.
You may want to include a personal anecdote to show how much you value the client’s relationship with you.
Pro Tip: Before sharing your personal contact information with your clients, double-check with your boss to make sure it’s okay.
It may appear that you are attracting clients from your former company, and you don’t want to inadvertently burn bridges.
Farewell email to your direct report
If you are in a leadership position, you will need to email your supervisors about your decision to leave the company. This is just a common courtesy. Also, your message gives your supervisors a clear, written plan for who they will report to.
Here’s the prompt I gave ChatGPT to write a farewell email to my supervisors:
“I am an observer. I have to tell my supervisors that I’m leaving. Please write my farewell email. “He will report to the department manager until a replacement is found.”
If you’re leaving your team, you’ll want to express your appreciation and gratitude to them for helping meet company goals. This ChatGPT response accomplishes that.
It also allows you to insert your contact information to continue the relationship with your direct reports.
Feedback also does an excellent job of explaining to your direct reports who they should report to after you leave. This is essential information that your supervisors need to know before your last day in the office.
Pro Tip: Bold or highlight your direct report’s temporary supervisor. This way, this important detail doesn’t get lost in your message.
Best Farewell Email Template
The responses generated to farewell email prompts tend to be lengthy. Long emails are fine, but your recipient will often scan or skim the email looking for important details.
It’s best to keep your farewell email short, concise and to the point.
Based on my experience with ChatGPT responses, I’ve created a perfect email template that you can copy, paste, edit, and save.
Essential parts of a farewell email
Subject
The subject line of your email is important. Consider this your opening line. You need this to convey your message concisely so that it doesn’t get lost in the recipient’s inbox.
To make sure your email will be read, you can say something like, “Important Update: Farewell and Thank You.”
Greetings
Start your email with a salutation. ChatGPT’s greeting is, “I hope you enjoy this message.” I think this is a suitable opener to use in any email message.
You can also say, “I hope you have a great day!” To express the same sentiment.
main message
The main message of your email should be brief. ChatGPT’s responses were lengthy. You can convey the same message but in fewer words. Keep the body of the message short – no more than three paragraphs.
Highlight or bold any important information, such as who your direct reports will report to in the future.
Alternative Contact Information
Leave optional contact information if you want to keep the door open for future relationships. It’s okay to skip this part if you don’t feel comfortable sharing your email address or phone number.
ending
ChatGPT usually ends with “Warm Regards”. This is a great response, but it may be considered too formal. If this isn’t your standard closing, choose something else that suits your style and voice.
Sign-offs like “Good luck” or “I wish you all the best for the future” are excellent closing statements.
a farewell email template
Save this template to your Google Drive and use it the next time you leave your current role.
Subject: An Important Update: Goodbye and Thank You
Dear [Coworkers/Team/Boss/Clients],
I hope this email finds you well. I have some news to share with you. I have accepted a new position [new company name] and I will go away [old company] But [date of departure],
I have really enjoyed working with you and have learned a lot while working here [company name], I will be forever grateful for your friendship, guidance and support during my time here.
Although it is bittersweet, I am looking forward to my new role. If you need to reach me after I’m gone you can email me [email address] or call me here [phone number],
Thanks again for spending my time here [company name] Specific. I wish you all the best for your future endeavours.
Best wishes to you-
[Your name]
said goodbye
If you need to write a farewell message to your team, ChatGPT’s farewell email responses are a great starting point for your draft farewell email. Or use the prompt I provided for you – simply fill it in with your company name.
Either way, include your side of the message to make it more personal for your team.
