How to Write a Farewell Speech

Writing a farewell speech may seem like a challenging task. It's often difficult to find the right words on your last day at work, whether it’s for a graduation, retirement, or any other special occasion. You should try to reflect on your experiences, express gratitude, send good wishes for the future, and present it all in a way that is both polite and engaging. While this task may seem tough, with careful thought, you can craft the perfect farewell speech.

Create an outline. Once you have ideas for your content, it's time to organize them so that your speech flows smoothly. Writing an outline is an excellent way to achieve this goal. It helps you arrange the content in a logical order so that your audience can follow along easily.

• The outline can include as many details as you want.
• The outline should have sections for the introduction, body, and conclusion in a well-structured manner.
• An outline does not contain the full content of the speech. It only includes bullet points and summaries for each section.

Start your speech in an engaging way. A speech that begins with a joke or a witty remark immediately grabs the audience's attention. In the case of a farewell speech, the audience may think it will be dry or heavy. Even if the occasion is slightly formal, try to begin with a lighthearted approach. This will set an optimistic tone and help the audience stay attentive for the rest of the speech.

• The introduction could be a meaningful joke or a collective song that everyone knows and enjoys.
• If one of the stories you've written is particularly funny or uplifting, it can also serve as an effective opening.
• Sometimes a quote or an inspiring message can be helpful in the introduction, although you might reserve it for the conclusion.

Write the body of your speech. The main section of your speech is where you can share stories and summarize your time there if it’s appropriate. You can talk about specific individuals and experiences, as well as general feelings about the people and place.

• When speaking generally or summarizing, remember to 'speak specifically, not broadly.' This means it's more convincing to talk in detail and provide examples, rather than making sweeping statements.
• An example of 'speaking specifically, not broadly' would be, 'On my first day at work, I noticed that half of the employees stayed half an hour after hours to finish the reports,' rather than, 'Everyone here works extremely hard.'

End with a quote or a funny remark. How you end your speech will be what people remember for a long time after. Decide whether you want to conclude with a joke or something more serious. Even if your speech has mostly been formal, ending with a joke is a great way to bid farewell. It's an excellent way to relieve tension.

• You can search online for great quotes on the topic. There are many quotes that are suitable for almost any occasion.
• If you're quick-witted, you can end with a funny remark, paired with a joke or story that you told at the beginning of your speech.
• For instance, if you began your speech by saying, 'I will never forget my first day here. I thought I had ruined everything when I walked in 20 minutes late,' you could end it with, 'Well, I guess all I have is time. Look at this, 5 years later, and I'm still 20 minutes late.'

Summarize your experiences. Think about the shared experience you've had at the place you're saying goodbye to. It could be a job, school, a volunteer organization, or a place you've lived for a long time. You can reflect on what you've accomplished and how you might tell the story of your time there, from beginning to end.

• Try writing a narrative of your time there. You don’t need to list every detail relevant to the speech. Just write it down to help yourself remember everything you’ve done, and to recognize what matters most to you.
• Your narrative might start something like, 'I started working at the company right after college and had never lived on my own before. I was too shy to make friends for the first 9 months. A year later, I got promoted and built strong relationships with my new team.'
• Don’t hesitate to write down any difficulties. You can always edit them later. For instance, the line 'I didn’t like having to move to the new office' can turn into a humorous story, or you can say, 'Even though we had to move to a new office, I can’t deny that my colleagues were incredibly helpful during that difficult time.'

Select the stories to share. When writing a summary, consider whether you recall any specific stories from your time there. These stories can be humorous or touching, but they should be brief and specific to help paint a picture of daily life and convey your thoughts or feelings overall.

• A simple story might start like this: 'I’ll always remember the third day at school. Son and I were assigned to sit next to each other on the bus, but on the third day, my grandmother followed me onto the bus and declared she needed to talk to Son...'
• A small story can be a great way to show appreciation for a particular person or highlight something you love about the place. For example, the story above might end like, '...and of course, from that moment on, he never left my side,' or, '...that was how I realized that this school would ultimately feel like home.'

Mention something serious or heartfelt. While you want to keep your farewell speech mostly upbeat, you should also take a moment to reflect on what you’ve accomplished during your time there and what you’ll miss. People will appreciate it when you take a thoughtful pause and share your emotions on this occasion.

• Think about what you are grateful for or the moments that helped you become your true self. For example, 'When Hung supported me during my first year' or, 'When my boss even brought my proposal to the board, I realized that my opinions mattered.'
• Think about the reasons you feel sad about saying goodbye. For example, 'I know that a group of people coming together like this is a rare occurrence,' or, 'I have learned so much from everyone here, and I’ll be truly sad to continue on my path without all of you.'

Offer your best wishes. Assuming the others will stay behind after you leave, give your well wishes to those remaining. Be sincere, though it’s fine to include a joke or two, as long as it doesn't undermine the spirit of the moment.

• You might offer a general wish for the group, such as, 'Of course, next year, I’m sure all of you will achieve your goals even without me on the team.'
• You can also send best wishes to individuals, like, 'Xuan, I hope you'll be promoted to vice president this year; I know you’ll do an amazing job. Bao, good luck as you take over the entire department.'
• You can also express your own hopes and wishes for yourself, such as, 'I don’t know what’s next, but I certainly hope to meet people as great as all of you.'

Read through your speech. Writing a speech is just one part of the process. You also need to read it out loud. The reason is that often the way you write doesn’t flow as easily when spoken.

• Review any sections that might seem unclear or awkward. Rewrite the notes or make changes that would help when delivering the speech.
• Time your speech as you read it aloud.
• Practice speaking in front of a mirror to get a sense of how often you rely on the paper without stumbling.
• You can also practice in front of a close friend and ask for their feedback.

Keep your speech brief. You may have a lot to say, depending on how long you’ve been at the place and how much it has meant to you. However, this is not the time to go into every detail. Remember, people will need to get back to work or focus on other tasks. If you keep it concise, you can deliver an impactful speech in a short amount of time.

• A typical farewell speech lasts around 5 minutes. In some cases, 10 minutes is acceptable. Anything longer should be reserved for extremely special occasions, such as when a head of state resigns.

Speak with confidence. Many people feel nervous when speaking in front of an audience. There are plenty of techniques to help you overcome this fear if necessary. Make sure to practice your speech several times and mentally prepare yourself to speak in front of a group.

• Understand that mistakes may happen. Be prepared for them. Don’t beat yourself up if it happens. Acknowledge it and move on. You might even laugh it off to put the audience at ease.
• Focus on those who seem engaged with your speech. If they nod, smile, or maintain eye contact, focus on them. Their energy will help boost your confidence.