Most of you are looking to get INTO investment banking, finance, and other business-related fields. But let’s face it: these days hiring is way down, and you’re more likely to get fired than you are to get hired.

And at investment banks especially, there’s a flood of junior Analysts leaving in July and August – and with that flood comes a ton of farewell emails.

But most of these emails are -boring- beyond all belief, and whenever I see them I mostly can’t believe my eyes.

“This is my last day at Goldman Sachs. The experience has been highly rewarding, both personally and professionally. I will be taking some vacation time, and then moving onto TPG next month. My contact information is below – I look forward to staying in touch.”

Most of what you see mimics the above letter. That translates to BORING.

So how -should- you write a farewell email? I would recommend “appreciative, with an edge.”

Here’s an outline of how you could entertain your colleagues without annoying anyone or burning bridges:

Your first paragraph should remind them that it is your last day, and that you did appreciate the experience – be courteous.

Next, go into some of the good and otherwise entertaining memories you’ve had – like the holiday parties, that closing dinner in Vegas, and your road show to Thailand. Don’t go overboard with listing inappropriate stories, but spend a few sentences reminding them of some of the fun times you’ve had.

Finally, tell them what you’re doing next – and try to inject some humor into it. Don’t just say, “I’m moving into private equity in August.” Make it a joke and write, “Just like everyone else, I had no idea what to do next so I settled on PE because all my friends were doing it, too.”

At the end, say that you look forward to staying in touch and give your contact information.

Having a strong “P.S.” is also quite important – many people skip to the P.S. and only read that, so make sure it’s good and re-states your overall theme.

Right before you hit “Send,” proofread your farewell email one last time and make sure there are no mistakes – and that you’re sending it to the right group. Sending the letter to your company of 50,000 would be a mistake if you’ve only worked with 30 people there!