How to Decline a Job Offer (4 Examples) - Career Sidekick

How to Decline a Job Offer (4 Examples) - Career Sidekick How to Decline a Job Offer (4 Examples) After Your Interview / https://www.edenscott.com/blog If youre looking for how to decline a job offer, then youre in the right place.Turning down an offer can be intimidating, but its an entirely normal part of job searching whether youre joining another company or just didnt feel their position fits your career goals.And employers will understand as long as you handle it professionally. In fact, you can even decline a job offer and keep the door open with that employer for future opportunities (but you need to deliver your message in the right way!)So in this article, Im going to give you 7 steps for turning down a job, and 4 example emails you can copy and send. Lets get startedHow to Turn Down a Job Offer in 7 StepsContact the person who informed you they were offering you the job (usually HR or a hiring manager)Tell them, thank you very much for offering me the opportunity. You always want to show gratitude first.Tell them that unfortunately, you wont be able to accept their offer, and that you decide d to go in a different direction.If youre accepting another offer instead, you can tell them that another opportunity came up that you felt was a slightly better fit for you right now. However, youre not obligated to inform them of this.If youre declining for another reason, you can inform them of the reason, but it is not required. This is your decision.Conclude by thanking them again for their time and wishing them luck in finding the right person for their job. Express gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity they gave. Tell them you appreciate the time they spent interviewing youNever badmouth the company. Its okay to reject a job because you had a bad experience with the employer, but its best just to let it go. Decline it and move on.Next, were going to look at 4 samples of how to reject a position without burning any bridges.Well look at examples of how to tell the employer youre accepting another offer, and examples of how to decline the job without telling them the re ason. (You dont need to share a specific reason for declining. Thats up to you.)4 Example Emails for Turning Down a Job OfferExample Email/Letter 1:Hi NAME,Thank you so much for offering me the Job Title position.After careful consideration, I have decided to accept a different position and wont be able to accept this offer.I appreciate the time spent interviewing me and introducing me to your organization throughout this process, and Company Name sounds like a fantastic company.It was a difficult decision, and I wish you success in finding the right person for your role.Thank you again for your time.Best regards,YOUR NAMEYou always want to show gratitude for an offer before responding with any requests or final decisions.So this sample email includes that in the first line.Of course, if you already thanked them for the offer and have taken a few days to think, you dont need to thank them again when you follow up. You can simply deliver the news and inform them that you decided to t urn down the offer.So the next few sample emails get to the point faster.Example Email/Letter 2:Hello NAME,I hope youre doing well.Im circling back regarding the Job Title job offer.Unfortunately, I have decided to pursue another opportunity rather than accepting this offer.I appreciate the time you and your team spent meeting with me and putting together this offer, and I wish you luck in finding the right person for the job.Best regards,YOUR NAMEThis email is a way to turn down their offer politely without naming the reason. You can simply say youve chosen to pursue a different opportunity or direction.Whereas, in the first sample email above this, we shared a more specific reason the fact that we have decided to accept a different position.So you can decide how much or how little to share. Sometimes youll reject a position even if you havent accepted another offer yet, so you can use this template in those cases.Now lets look at two more rejection letter examplesSample Email/Let ter 3:Dear NAME,I hope all is well.I wanted to follow up regarding the Job Title position, as Ive come to a decision.Unfortunately, I have decided to pursue a different opportunity and must decline this offer.I wish you luck in finding the right person for this role, and I appreciate the time and effort that you spent interviewing me and extending me this offer.Thank you very much for the opportunity.Best regards,YOUR NAMEThis email example is very similar to the previous example. However, the wording is slightly stronger and more formal.You can choose what type of wording and what level of formality you want. Well talk more about customizing these email templates in the next section. First, one more exampleSample Email/Letter 4:Dear NAME,I wanted to follow up regarding the Job Title position.Thank you very much for the opportunity. However, I was offered another opportunity that I feel is a slightly better fit for my career goals, and Ive decided to accept it instead.This was not a n easy decision, and I hope you and your team are successful in finding the right person for your role.Thank you again for the opportunity; I appreciate your time and effort throughout this process.Best regards,YOUR NAMEThis last rejection letter template includes a bit more detail than those above it.If you had a really great experience interviewing with a certain company or hiring manager, it can be a nice touch to tell them that this was a very tough decision and you appreciate them.Never feel pressure to include this level of detail when you turn down a companys offer, but its an option available to you and can help you keep the door open with that hiring manager in the future.If something stood out to you while getting to know them like their great work culture, their professionalism and kindness, etc. its nice to tell them you appreciate this.Email vs. Phone for Declining a Job OfferIf youve been speaking with the hiring manager on the phone, theyll respect you a lot more fo r calling them when you turn down their job. An average message delivered over the phone will often earn you more respect than a perfectly-worded email declining the job. So keep that in mind.However, the choice is yours. And the examples of how to reject a job earlier in this article will work for both phone and email.When to Tell the Employer Youre Declining Their OfferYou should inform an employer as soon as youre sure about your decision. However, you shouldnt rush yourself. For example, if youre waiting for news from another employer or would like to discuss the decision with your family for a few days, thats entirely normal and you should ask for the time you need (within reason).An employer should understand that choosing to accept or reject their position is a huge decision.And just like they took their time interviewing candidates and choosing who should receive a job offer, you need time to determine if their company is the right fit, too.And if youre declining a job offer to accept another one, be 100% sure that the other offer is finalized before you turn down the other offer. Sign the physical papers, fill out your tax paperwork, etc. Everything.Heres a LinkedIn comment showing what can go wrong if you reject one offer without being 100% sure about the other one:Next, Ill share a couple of examples of how to ask for additional time to consider your decision. You should NEVER accept a position on-the-spot. So get comfortable using the scripts below to thank them for their offer and ask for some time to review everything at home.You can either ask for a certain amount of time, like this:Thank you so much. Im very excited about the opportunity. Can I inform you of my decision on Monday? I like to weigh important decisions like this carefully and discuss them with my family.Or you can ask when theyd need an answer:Thank you so much. Im thrilled about the offer. I always weigh important decisions like this carefully and discuss them with my family, tho ugh. When do you need my decision?Conclusion: How to Reject a Job Offer Politely and ProfessionallyIf you follow the steps and rejection letter examples above, youll be able to politely turn down a job offer without ever burning bridges. Youll also keep the door open for future opportunities at that employer in case they have another opportunity thats the right fit in the coming months.Just make sure youre 100% certain of your decision before delivering the news.If youre going to reject one job offer to accept a different role, be certain that everything is finalized for that other position (start date, paperwork, etc.) Declining a job offer is usually final and the employer will quickly move on to other candidates after hearing the news.