Job offers can range from call-your-mom exciting to start-venting-to-the-group-text insulting. Regardless of your reaction, you still need to respond. Of course, it’s easier if you’re accepting the position, or just asking for more details or more time. But figuring out how to decline a job offer is a different story.
Whether you’re faced with an offer that you’d never accept in a million years or one that you actually would consider (if not for the other, better offer you also received), here’s a step-by-step guide on how to reject a job offer—plus, examples of gracious “thanks but no thanks” emails.
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How to politely decline a job offer in 3 steps
It can be tough to find nice ways to reject someone, especially a hiring manager whom you've convinced that you were the perfect fit for the job. But don’t obsess over it—recruiters understand that candidates may say no. If you're thinking about declining the job, that's totally fine—as long as you do it gracefully.
Follow these steps to craft your email:
Step 1: Show your appreciation
First and foremost, it’s important to thank the hiring manager for the offer and for their time. Yes, interviewing potential candidates is part of the job, but this person likely spent several hours reading your resume, trolling your social media profiles, and sitting down with you for one or more interviews. They also may have gone out on a limb to talk you up to other people at the company.
So a heartfelt—and specific—thank you for that time and effort will go a long way. Some examples:
- Thank you so much for the offer for the marketing manager position. I so appreciate you taking the time to consider me and for answering so many of my questions about the company and role.
- Thank you again for the interview last week—it was great to meet the team and see the offices. I enjoyed learning about the operations director position, and I appreciate this generous offer.
Step 2: Give a good, brief reason
Especially if you’ve spent a lot of time interviewing or the job offer is from a company you’d consider working for in the future, it’s right and respectful to not leave a hiring manager in the dark about why you’re declining the position.
That said, there’s also no need to go into detail about the red flags you saw in your would-be boss, spill about the amazing perks that come with the job you did accept, or moan that you’ve spent the past week agonizing over your decision.
The best approach is to be brief but honest about your specific reason for not accepting the position, saying something like:
- After careful consideration, I’ve decided to accept a position at another company.
- After much thought, I’ve decided that now is not the best time to leave my current position.
- While this position seems like a great opportunity, I have decided to pursue another role that will offer me more opportunities to pursue my interests in marketing and social media.
You can elaborate to the extent that it makes sense—for example, at one point, I was referred to a company by a friend and went through three interviews before getting an offer. As a result, I felt that I owed the hiring team a thorough explanation. I expressed how much I enjoyed getting to know the group and why the position was so interesting to me, but shared that I had another offer that ultimately would point me more in the direction of my career goals.
But if the position seems terrible and you’d simply rather stand in an unemployment line than accept it, a simple, “It’s not quite the right fit for my career goals at this time” will suffice.
Step 3: Stay in touch
The working world—especially in certain industries—can be surprisingly small. So offering some small pleasantries before you sign off is always a good idea. If you can reference something you discussed, like an event or conference you’re both attending, do so. Otherwise, you can make a simple mention that you wish this person all the best in the future.
- I hope to see you next month at the conference we’re both attending.
- It’s been a pleasure getting to know you, and I hope that we cross paths in the future.
- Again, thank you for your time and support, and I wish you all the best.
Email examples for turning down a job offer
Not quite there yet? Let's see what this advice might look like all together. Here are four examples of how to decline a job offer: due to salary considerations, because you've accepted a different offer, because the job isn't a good fit for you, and because you've decided to stay at your current job. (In case you're wondering, all super valid reasons!)
#1 Email example if you decided to accept a different offer
Hi Jade,
Thank you so much for the generous offer to join your team. As we discussed, I’ve admired the company for a number of years, and am a proud endorser of its products. However, after further consideration of where I currently am in my career, I’ve decided to accept an offer at another company.
I would love to stay in touch via LinkedIn and have already started following you on Twitter. Again, thank you so much for your time and consideration.
Thanks again,
Cameron
#2 Email example if the role or offer isn’t the right for you
Hi Lonzo,
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me over the last few weeks. It was a pleasure to learn more about all the great work you and the team are up to at Company Inc.
While I’m flattered to receive such a great offer from your team, I’ve decided to pursue a role that has more of a focus on writing than editing. So unfortunately I will have to decline. It’s been terrific to get to know you and the team, and I wish you all the best.
Regards,
Tomas
#3 Email example if you’ve decided to stay at your current job
Hi Victor,
Thank you again for offering me the software development role on your team. I appreciate you all taking the time to interview me and answer my questions about the job and the company. After a lot of consideration, I’ve decided that this isn’t a good time for me to leave my current position. I hope we can stay in touch and that I might have the pleasure of working with you in the future.
Thanks again,
Jamal
#4 Email example if you'll decline the job offer because of salary
Hi Marie,
Thank you so much for offering me the web developer position at Company Inc. After careful consideration, I've come to the decision to decline the offer because the salary isn't within the range I'm looking for right now.
I deeply appreciate the opportunity to work at such a great company. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you, and I'm open to chat about future opportunities.
Best regards,
Taylor
How to respectfully decline a job offer after accepting it
If you've decided to accept a job offer but later change your mind or get a better offer from another company, things can get a little tricky.
In all U.S. states except Montana, employment relationships are presumed to be at-will, meaning employers can fire you at any time, and you can resign whenever you want. However, if you've already signed a contract, you must check whether there's an obligation to give notice or a specific timeframe to decline the offer without repercussions.
If there's no specification or you haven't signed anything yet, here's how to turn down a job offer you just accepted.
1. Be tactful and concise: Provide a reason for changing your mind, but avoid going into too much detail—especially if your decision is influenced by some negative aspect you found out about the company.
2. Know what you want: Part of the hiring process involves negotiating terms, salary, and benefits. After hearing your negative, the hiring manager may want to negotiate with you. So decide ahead of time if your answer is a firm “no” no matter what, or if you're open to reconsidering.
3. Use the right form of communication: It's best to speak with the hiring manager directly, whether it's over the phone, in person, or via video call. Then, follow up with an email to formalize what was discussed.
How to turn down a job offer after you accepted: Examples
OK, you've decided to decline the offer after accepting it. It happens. Use the examples below as a guide for a phone conversation and a rejection letter (which could easily be adapted for an email):
Phone call:
Hi Hunter. How are you? I am calling to inform you that, unfortunately, I will not be proceeding with the hiring process for the marketing manager position at Company Inc. After careful consideration, I have concluded that I should pursue my career goals with another company.
I would like to emphasize that this was a very difficult decision. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to be part of your team, and I don't take lightly the time and effort you've put into the interview process. Thank you so much for everything. Please let me know what the next steps are.
Rejection letter for a job offer:
Dear Mr. Lee
Thank you so much for offering me the marketing manager position at Company Inc. I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of your business and appreciate every conversation we had during the interview process.
However, as we discussed over the phone, I decided to decline the offer. After careful consideration, I decided to accept another position that I believe is the right fit for my career at the moment.
I would like to reiterate my immense respect and admiration for Company Inc. I wish you the best of luck moving forward.
Sincerely,
Avery Smith
Bonus tips for turning down a job offer
Here are a few more things to think about as you write your email—especially if this is a situation where you’d really like to keep communication lines open.
- Respond promptly once you’ve made your decision to let the employer continue their search as quickly as possible. The tendency to procrastinate difficult communications is human, but this isn’t the time to give in.
- Offer referrals if you have them, especially in the case that you really think the company is awesome. You might say something like: “That being said, I have a few connections I think would be great for the role and would be happy to send their information along to you.”
- Keep your email short and sweet. There’s no need to justify your decision at length or heap excessive praise on the company. Just rip off the Band-Aid fast and hit send.
- Consider a phone call if it feels appropriate in your situation. Instead of breaking the news via email, use that email to set up a quick call at the hiring manager’s convenience and have the conversation live—particularly if you already had or have developed a rapport with the hiring manager.
How to decline a job offer FAQs
1. Can I reject an offer after accepting it?
Yes, you can turn down a job offer after already accepting it, especially if you haven't signed an employment contract yet. If you have signed one, check it to see if there's a specific period for withdrawing your acceptance or any obligation to give notice to the employer.
2. How to decline a job offer over the phone?
If you're going to decline a job offer over the phone, start by expressing gratitude for the opportunity, state that you'll be declining the offer, and briefly explain why. For example:
- “Thank you so much for offering me the position, [hiring manager name]. I really appreciate the opportunity to work at [company name]. However, I'll have to decline the offer due to [your explanation].”
3. How to decline a job offer without burning bridges?
Show your appreciation for the opportunity and express your admiration for the company. Provide a brief but valid reason for declining the offer without mentioning anything negative about the company. For instance, you could say that you don't see this as the right job for you at the moment, but you're open to discussing future opportunities.
The bottom line
Turning down a job offer—no matter how sure you are that you don't want it—never feels great. But sometimes it’s worth waiting it out for the right job, and not just one that happens to be available. Take a deep breath and don’t forget that you’re dealing with this because you’re great and people want to hire you.
Adrian Granzella Larssen, Richard Moy, Regina Borsellino, and Amanda Cardoso contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.