Leaving a job? Here are tips for writing a farewell e-mail from workplace and business etiquette experts Donna Flagg and Colleen Rickenbacher:

• Be graceful, positive and appreciative. Thank everyone for the experience. "I realize a lot of people aren't happy to be writing these e-mails," Flagg says. "Suck it up and find something positive to thank people for. These things follow you. You want to remain the consummate professional."

• One size does not fit all. Think strategically about who you're sending it out to and what's appropriate for that audience.

• Avoid sharing too much information. Don't feel like you need to explain what happened or what went wrong.

• But it's OK to explain why the position was eliminated if it is not performance-based.

• Write the e-mail when you're in a good frame of mind then think about it overnight. "If you read it five years from now, you don't want to wonder what you were thinking," says Rickenbacher, author of "Be On Your Best Business Behavior."

• Keep it brief. If you have someone particular to thank, send them an individual note or e-mail. Don't include a long list of thank yous in the group message.

• Use humor only if it's appropriate to your personality and the organization.

• Avoid emoticons or pictures.

• Avoid cliches like "The time has come" or "It is with a heavy heart."

• Looking for a new job is a different issue and is inappropriate for a mass departure e-mail. Network separately.