Why Is It Important To Know How To Turn Down A Job Offer You Might Want Later
It’s important to know how to turn down a job offer politely in case you might want the job later. This is because the timing isn’t always right for a job offer, even if it’s your dream job. Crafting the right job declination letter can allow you to leave the possibility open to get a job with the company in the future.
Related:How To Decline a Job Offer
Provide A Reason For Your Decision
Briefly explain why you declined the job offer.
You may be tempted not to provide any reasons for your decision, but the company deserves to know why you turned them down. Provide, a brief and honest explanation without being too personal.
Example:“I have accepted a senior managerial position at a different organization.”
Thank Them For Their Consideration
The best way to be courteous when declining a job offer is to thank everyone involved in the hiring process.
It shows respect for the company, and can also be the thing that sets you apart from the other candidates.
If you want the hiring manager to remember you, the best way is to express gratitude for their careful consideration of your application as well as acknowledge that you respect their company and the work they do.
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Sample: Declining A Job Offer After You Already Accepted It
This is a tricky situation, but it happens, thats life. Before sending an email check your contract to make sure you can legally decline. Heres an example of what to say in an email:
Dear ,
Thank you so much for offering me the position of at . It has been a pleasure speaking with you and learning more about and your team.
After careful consideration, I have decided to ultimately decline the offer. I have given it much thought and reevaluated my current career goals. . This is in the best interest of me as well as your company, I sincerely believe.
I am very sorry for the inconvenience my decision may cause.
You have my best wishes in finding the right person for the job at , and, once again, thank you for considering me as a candidate.
Sincerely,
Choose The Medium That Makes You Most Comfortable

The first thing you need to figure out is how youll break the news.
Different communication methods have their benefits and drawbacks, but this is the golden rule to follow when turning down a job offer: use the same method they used to extend it.
If they called or left you a voicemail, then it shows the most professionalism to return their call. But, if they sent the offer via email, then its perfectly copacetic to type out a thoughtful message for your rejection.
Ultimately, when declining a job offer, its up to you to consider your unique circumstances and find the method that suits you best. If youre convinced youll become too panicked on the phone, for example, then a polished email is probably better than stammering through a painful phone conversation.
Its worth noting that if you decide to turn down a job offer through a call, sending an email may be requested so the company has something written on file. Even if thats the case, youll know that the email is just a formality and that youve done your best to handle the rejection politely and personally with a call.
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Thank Them For The Offer
Being sincere and showing appreciation for the job offer is a great way to ensure that you keep the professional relationship. Networking is one of the best ways to get jobs. And you never know how you’ll interact with this manager in the future.
Be thankful for any and all opportunity that was given to you.
Emails To Reject A Job Offer Without Destroying Future Prospects
Business and Career Discussions, Email and Letter Templates
Getting a job offer is an exciting opportunity. But sometimes, it comes just at the wrong time. You might have already had a better offer from another organization, your circumstances could have drastically changed, or the offer might not be exactly what you were hoping for in terms of role or remuneration.
Its easy to say No, thanks. But how do you make sure you leave a door open with that company, should you ever be interested in any of their future positions? We explain how to tell an employer that the job just isnt for you, without damaging future prospects with that employer.
Here are 3 Polished Email Templates to Reject a Job Offer Without Destroying Future Prospects, which you can use as a reference to turn down a job offer the right way.
Illustrations courtesy of Shutterstock.
Illustrations courtesy of Shutterstock.
This article was originally published on . If this article appears on any other site other than without clear referencing it is a violation of the copyright owned by .
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When You Decide Not To Leave Your Current Job
Here’s a sample email you can send to the hiring manager when you have decided not to leave your current job:
Dear Hugo,
Thank you so much for choosing me for the position of Project Manager at Max Group. However, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline regretfully. While I’m extremely flattered that your team picked me from a group of talented candidates for this role, I have decided to stay for a while longer at my current job. I believe I can learn and accomplish more at this point in my career with my present position.
It was such an honour to meet you along with the rest of the hiring team. Everyone made me feel extremely welcome. I would love to stay in touch and hopefully collaborate professionally in the years to come. I wish you good luck in all your endeavours.
Best wishes,Vivian Lo
Warning: The Decision To Turn Down A Job Offer After Accepting Is Permanent
Turning down a job is almost always permanent and irreversible. You can keep the door open with the company in the future, but theyre going to find someone else for this particular opportunity.
And this is especially true any time you turn down a job offer after youve given your acceptance. You can be almost certain that the opportunity will be gone permanently when you decline a job offer in this scenario.
Even if they dont have a second candidate in mind right away, theyre not going to consider you again after you decline a job offer in this situation.
Theres no such thing as backing out of a job youve accepted, rejecting the offer, and then keeping the door open.
So be certain that the new opportunity youre going to pursue is finalized before you decline the other job. Sign the paperwork. Get a start date for the position.
Dont reject your previous job offer until youre 100% certain that the new job offer and opportunity is yours.
That said, dont let this warning discourage you from doing whats best for your career and job search.
There are times when you may be looking at an opportunity from your dream company, and the offer simply came in later than the first offer you accepted. This has happened to me personally, and I did go to that new company.
So in certain cases, you should decline your offer from the first firm and take the dream opportunity.
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Why Are You Declining The Job Offer
It is important you are clear about your reason for declining a job offer before sending the email. This is particularly important when you are in a difficult economy or if the type of job you are seeking for is scarce. As a professional and a responsible person, ensure your reason can be explained in simple words without appearing to be unprofessional or downright lazy.
How To Turn Down A Job Offer Over The Phone
As mentioned before, sometimes its necessary to decline a job offer over the phone. While its definitely a lot more stressful to do this, or anything, over the phone, following a few simple steps may save you a sleepless night.
One thing to ease your nerves is the fact that youre not alone. According to Glassdoors 2020 Job Rejection Analysis report, in the US over 17.3% of job offers are rejected. So remember, youre not offending anyone by declining an offer. It happens all the time.
Here are 5 steps to help you decline a job offer over the phone.
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Example Emails To Decline A Job Offer
We are now going to go over a few different reasons you may have for turning down a job offer and how to tailor your communication.
Use the email examples provided below or use the words in the examples to decline a job offer over the phone.
We have summarized our tips to politely turn down a job offer for you. Use these tips and the examples below to easily write your job offer rejection letter.
Regardless of your situation, there is always a way to conduct yourself in a graceful manner.
Doing so will be better for you in the long run.
So how does it look in practice?
Carry on reading to see how to decline a job offer samples.
How To Politely Decline A Job Offer

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Provide A Reason But Dont Get Specific
Your reasons for not accepting the offer could be as simple as the company didnt offer you the compensation you were seeking. Perhaps you werent sure youd work well with the hiring manager, or maybe you werent excited about the company. While these are all justifiable reasons to decline a job offer, you should not include them in your rejection letter. It is sufficient to say that youve accepted a job offer elsewhere or simply that this job offer isnt the right fit.
Reasons For Declining A Job Offer
Alright, before we take a deep dive into how to decline a job offer, lets take a moment to talk about why you may want to do that in the first place. After all, if you have an offer in hand, theres a good chance youre looking for something new, and likely for a good reason.
While the idea of rejecting a job offer may seem odd, first, understand that you arent necessarily alone if you do. In high-demand industries think tech and finance, for example 49 percent of job seekers have turned down an offer at some point due to a bad recruiting experience. And that doesnt cover who said no for other reasons.
The thing is, there are plenty of times when rejecting a job offer is a smart move, including financial, professional, and personal reasons.
On the financial end, if the compensation isnt right , then the job isnt a good fit. A too-far commute can lead to monetary concerns, such as paying for gas and the impact of more wear-and-tear on your vehicle maintenance.
Professionally, maybe the role wasnt what you expected when you originally applied. The duties might not be a great match, or you may not have a chance to take on the kinds of projects you thought were available.
As for personal reasons, not feeling like you fit into the companys culture is a big reason to turn down a job offer. Not meshing with your prospective manager or coworkers is another one.
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How To Turn Down A Candidate: An Email Template
The great thing about hiring is that youll soon have that extra set of hands on your team.
The not-so-great thing? That you have to turn down the other candidates you liked, but who just werent quite the right fit.
While you might be tempted to take the easy way out and go radio silent, its the professional thing to do to let them know they wont be moving on in the hiring process. To make it easier, weve whipped up this email template you can easily adapt.
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Job Offer Rejection Email Message Examples
Have you received a job offer and decided not to take the position? When you decide to reject a job offer, its a good idea to let the employer know that you’re declining as soon as possible.
Nowadays, many employers are relaying job offers via email. As such, its perfectly appropriate to respond to the offer over email, even if you have decided not to accept the job. It is possible to be brief and to the point over email while remaining cordial and polite.
A professional email will help you maintain a positive relationship with the employer.
Its important to stay on good terms. You never know when you might want to apply for another job at the company.