Knowing what to say to a colleague that’s leaving can be tricky to figure out, but it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of potential goodbye messages you can use in an email format. Let’s start by looking at future endeavors and how we can use them in an email.
What Does Future Endeavors Mean?
The meaning of “future endeavors” is that someone will be taking on new challenges and will attempt to achieve something new. An “endeavor” is a way to attempt something new and potentially achieve something you didn’t know you could before. Saying that these endeavors are in the “future” means that they will happen later on (basically showing that they will start after the colleague has left your job).
It’s a formal way to say goodbye that really means a lot to a lot of colleagues. If you’re serious about wishing them luck in whatever they’re going off to do, then you should consider using “future endeavors” to do so. Of course, you couldn’t just say that phrase on its own. You’ll want to say something like “good luck in your future endeavors” if you’re going to use the phrase properly.
Typically, on its own, “future endeavors” mean something that someone will attempt later in life. It doesn’t suggest that you’re proud of them for trying these things out or that you wish them luck and all the best in doing it. We include that afterward in a business email format to let our colleagues know that we will miss them and wish them all the best in the future!
Is The Correct Spelling “Future Endeavors” Or “Future Endeavours”?
There are some very notable language differences between the two main forms of English. You have American English (spoken in the US) and British English (spoken in the UK and the rest of the world). Because of these two variations of English, it’s important to know which spellings and words work in one language that might not work all that well in others. That’s where the spelling for “endeavors” comes in.
In American English, the “u” is left out at the end of the word. This means that “future endeavors” is the correct spelling. It is left out because American English took a step in the past to simplify their language and tried to remove as many redundant letters as they could from words that they didn’t believe needed them.
However, British English stays true to the original spellings (which mostly come from the Latin roots of the language). This means that you need to keep the “u” in British English if you want to write “future endeavours” properly. This same rule applies to multiple other words in American and British English. For example, the “u” is removed in “colour” and “favourite,” which are both words in British English. In American English, they use “color” and “favorite.”
Example Goodbye Emails Using Future Endeavors
Now that we’ve got the spelling and meaning sorted, it’s time to look through some examples of using the phase. Of course, the most common time to talk about “future endeavors” is when we’re writing a send-off email for a work colleague or somebody we know. As we’ve mentioned, it’s a formal saying, which is why it’s most common to use it in a business environment. You typically don’t want to use it when one of your friends is trying something new.
- Good luck, Paul, in all your future endeavors. We will miss you.
- Here’s to all your future endeavors! Good luck!
- Best of luck with your future endeavors. I can’t wait to hear how you get on.
The implication behind wishing someone luck for their “future endeavors” is that you don’t generally expect to hear back from them. That’s part of the reason why the phrase doesn’t work well with friends and family. If you’re saying goodbye to a colleague, you won’t hear from that former colleague again more often than not. We say “good luck on your future endeavors” to leave the future ambiguous.
Also, the exact occurrence or event considered the “future endeavor” doesn’t have to be specific. It’s often meant that the “future endeavor” is the new job that the colleague is moving to. However, it’s also a blanket term that covers everything else that comes after that new job in the future.
For example, if the new job doesn’t work out for the former colleague, they might find another new one more suited to them. Rather than wishing them luck for just the one job that didn’t work out, you can wish them luck in general for the future!
Example Goodbye Emails Without Using Future Endeavors
So, how do we write a goodbye email without using future endeavors? There are plenty of potential choices for saying goodbye to colleagues. Each one uses a different tone, and you should use them based on how well you know the colleague you’re writing to. We’ll cover a few of them here and explain a little more about the meaning behind them so that you can see which one might work best for you.
Best of luck with everything that’s coming up for you. We can’t wait to hear how you get on.
Rather than talking about future endeavors in this example, we wish the leaving colleague luck on everything that will happen in their life. Also, setting them up by saying, “we can’t wait to hear from you” is a good way to encourage them to stay in contact. They might not choose to, but it’s worth mentioning if you want to stay on good terms with the colleague after they leave.
Congratulations on your new job!
This one is a great way to show someone how much you care. You’re congratulating them on finding a new job, which is why they’re leaving the company in the first place. If you want to stay friends with your former colleague, then this is a great goodbye email to start with. Of course, you’ll only want to start the email with this. What you include after this sentence is entirely up to you!
Don’t forget about us and don’t be a stranger.
Instead of worrying too much about future endeavors, some people like to remind their former colleagues to stay in touch. A good way to do this is to encourage them not to forget about you. The phrase “don’t be a stranger” is a colloquial phrase used to say that we don’t want to lose contact with our former colleagues or coworkers. It’s a good one to use if you’re close to the coworker and want them to pop in and visit now and then.
Here’s to you in your new job! We knew you could do it.
“Here’s to you” is another celebratory phrase used to say you’re happy for someone doing something. In this case, we’re talking about finding a new job and starting a new chapter in their lives. It’s good to say this to someone that you’re previously close to. If you want to keep close with them, chances are an email starter like this in their goodbye email is a good way to do it.
Hopefully, one of those goodbye email starters will work a little better for you if you’re not too sure about “future endeavors” as an option. Either way, we’ve covered plenty of examples for you here, so you should have plenty of options to work with! Make sure you know your audience and use a goodbye email based on what you know about your colleague. You don’t want to use a formal format if you’re really close friends with them, but you don’t want to use an informal one if you don’t know them very well.
Why Future Endeavors Is So Popular In Goodbye Emails To Colleagues
Future endeavors are probably the most popular choice in goodbye emails to colleagues. Why? Well, it mostly comes down to the versatility of the phrase. When talking about “endeavors,” we’re grouping them all together and not being specific. Because of this, we don’t have to wish them well in only one thing in life. Instead, we can wish them well in whatever comes next.
Also, it’s worth noting how easy it is to use future endeavors in both a formal and informal format. It is so widely accepted as a kind way to say goodbye to coworkers and colleagues that many people will enjoy reading it no matter what. That’s where most of the versatility comes from. You can use it for all sorts of situations and all kinds of people.
The popularity mostly comes from the generalization, though. Most people are hesitant to say, “good luck in your new job,” just if the new job doesn’t work out for the person leaving. “Good luck in your future endeavors” has been around for so long and has been tried and tested, so people know it always works. Even if the new job falls through, at least you still mean them well with whatever comes next in their life.
You may also like: 8 Better Ways To Say “All The Best For Your Future”