Declining Job Offers
Guidelines and Alternate Phrases
Thank the employer for the job offer.
Thank you for the generous offer to join your engineering department.
Frankly, I’m quite honored you selected me among so many other qualified applicants to fill the job of marketing director.
I received your letter about the job offer and want to thank you for such confidence.
Give your reasons or criteria for the negative response.
As you remember, I have teenage children who are quite reluctant to leave their friends and change schools in the middle of their high school “careers.” Considering what is best for them, I have decided to stay in Hilldale.
Although the job is certainly an important one to the company, I have in mind to find something with more challenge. Call it a quirk in my personality, but I want to move into a job that offers me a chance to do more than routine administrative tasks.
The compensation package seemed a little low for the kind of skills I wanted to bring to the job.
As you outlined the job to me in your office, I didn’t quite see the advancement opportunities I want to have before me with this next—and I hope final—career move.
I am hoping to find a position that will give me more opportunity to use my selling experience.
State your “no” in a positive way, leaving the door open for future contacts.
Although the job you offered sounded challenging, I have decided to accept another position with David Hewitt International, a position more in line with my experience.
I don’t feel in a position to accept your generous offer at the present time.
I’m afraid, therefore, for all these reasons, I’ll have to decline the opportunity you have presented me.
I regret my situation is such that I must turn down your job offer at this point.
I want to be completely enthusiastic and ready to give 100 percent to any new job, and in this case, I’m afraid I can’t.
I wish your job was a little more in line with my personal goals at this point in my life—working for your company would be quite an honor.
I’m afraid my answer must be “no” under these conditions. I hope you understand my reasoning here and know how much I appreciate your honesty in presenting the job details to me.
Reestablish rapport.
I wish you the very best in finding another manager suitable for this position.
Thank you for considering me for this opportunity.
Thank you for taking the time to interview me and share your company goals with me. I plan to stay in touch.
The days my wife and I spent with you were memorable. Thank you for such courtesies in the interviewing process.
May I stay in touch in case your needs or mine change?
During the short two days we spent discussing the job, you and your people made me feel very welcome. I appreciate that tremendously.
Please keep me on your list of interested engineers, and if you have anything else you think we could work together on, let me know.
If another opening develops along the lines I described to you, please consider me again. I’d love to work with you in another capacity.
I wish you and your firm every success.
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