People decline job offers for many reasons – maybe the salary is too low, the commute is too long, or another company made a better offer. Whatever the reason, it’s important to respond quickly and respectfully when turning down a position.
Effective Ways to Decline a Job Offer: Examples
Declining Due to Another Offer or Opportunity
Rejecting a job offer because you’ve accepted another position requires honesty and tact. You can express gratitude while being straightforward about your decision.
- “After careful consideration, I’ve accepted a position with another company that better aligns with my career goals.”
- “While I appreciate your generous offer, I’ve decided to pursue another opportunity that provides a better fit for my skills.”
- “I’ve accepted another role that offers the specific industry experience I’m seeking at this point in my career.”
- “Thank you for your offer, but I’ve chosen to remain with my current employer who has offered me a promotion.”
- “I’m grateful for the opportunity, but I’ve accepted a position that allows me to focus on my specialized area of interest.”
You might want to use this template when declining for another opportunity:
Template: Thank you for offering me the [position] role. After much consideration, I’ve decided to [reason for declining]. I appreciate [specific aspect you appreciated] and wish [company name] continued success.
Example: Thank you for offering me the Marketing Director role. After much consideration, I’ve decided to accept a position that better fits my long-term career path. I appreciate the time your team spent during the interview process and wish (…) Company continued success.
Turning Down for Personal or Family Reasons
Personal circumstances sometimes make it necessary to decline a good offer. Being honest without oversharing works best.
- “I need to decline this opportunity as my family situation requires me to remain in my current location.”
- “Due to unexpected personal circumstances, I’m unable to accept your offer at this time.”
- “After considering your offer, I’ve realized the commute would significantly impact my family commitments.”
- “I must decline as I’ve decided to take time away from full-time work to focus on family needs.”
- “While I appreciate your offer, I’ve decided to pursue opportunities that allow for remote work due to personal reasons.”
A template for declining due to personal reasons:
Template: I sincerely appreciate your offer for the [position] role. Unfortunately, I need to decline due to [brief mention of personal circumstance]. I’ve enjoyed learning about [something positive about the company] and thank you for your understanding.
Example: I sincerely appreciate your offer for the Project Manager role. Unfortunately, I need to decline due to family relocation plans. I’ve enjoyed learning about your innovative approach to client projects and thank you for your understanding.
Rejecting for Financial or Benefits Considerations
When compensation doesn’t meet your needs, you can decline professionally while explaining your financial expectations weren’t met.
- “After reviewing the complete compensation package, I must decline as it doesn’t meet my financial requirements.”
- “While I appreciate the opportunity, the salary falls below my current market value based on my experience.”
- “Unfortunately, the benefits package, particularly the health insurance options, doesn’t align with my needs.”
- “I must respectfully decline as we couldn’t reach an agreement during salary negotiation that reflects my expertise.”
- “After careful consideration of the total compensation, I’ve decided to pursue opportunities with more competitive pay.”
You could use this template when declining for financial reasons:
Template: Thank you for extending the offer for [position]. After careful consideration of the compensation package, I’ve decided to [decline/pursue other opportunities] because [brief explanation]. I appreciate [positive aspect of company/interview process].
Example: Thank you for extending the offer for Senior Developer. After careful consideration of the compensation package, I’ve decided to pursue other opportunities because the salary is significantly below market rate for someone with my specialized skills. I appreciate the transparent and engaging interview process.
Leaving the Door Open for Future Employment
When declining but hoping to maintain connections, you can express interest in future opportunities with the company.
- “While the timing isn’t right for me to accept this position, I would welcome the chance to discuss future opportunities.”
- “I’ve decided to decline your current offer, but I remain interested in working with your company in the future.”
- “Although I can’t accept this role, I’d appreciate staying connected for potential opportunities that might be a better fit.”
- “I must decline this offer, but I’ve been impressed by your company culture and would like to be considered for future positions.”
- “While I’m not able to accept at this time, I’d be happy to refer qualified candidates or discuss other roles as they become available.”
A template for keeping the door open:
Template: While I must decline the [position] offer at this time due to [brief reason], I remain impressed with [specific company quality]. I would appreciate staying connected regarding future opportunities that might align with [your specific interests/skills]. Thank you again for your consideration.
Example: While I must decline the Marketing Analyst offer at this time due to my commitment to completing my MBA, I remain impressed with your company’s data-driven approach to campaign development. I would appreciate staying connected regarding future opportunities that might align with my analytics background. Thank you again for your consideration.
Key Principles for Politely Turning Down a Job Offer
1. Showing Appreciation and Gratitude
Expressing genuine thanks forms the foundation of a respectful job offer decline.ย You might want to thank specific people who interviewed you or made the process enjoyable. Or, you might mention what you valued about the organization or what you learned during interviews.
Some effective appreciation phrases include:
- “I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to learn about your organization”
- “Thank you for considering me for this position”
- “I’m grateful for the time you spent discussing the role with me”
- “Your team’s professionalism throughout this process has been impressive”
- “I appreciate the generous offer and your confidence in my abilities”
2. Communicating Clearly Without Burning Bridges
You could provide a brief, honest reason for declining without criticizing the company. Focusing on fit, career path, or timing issues works well.
Sample decline templates:
Template 1:
“Thank you for the offer to join [Company]. After thoughtful reflection, I’ve decided [brief reason]. I especially enjoyed [positive aspect] and wish the team continued success.”
Template 2:
“After careful consideration, I’ve decided to [reason for declining]. While I was impressed with [positive aspect], [brief explanation of decision].”
Example: “After careful consideration, I’ve decided to pursue another opportunity that better aligns with my long-term career goals. While I was impressed with your company culture and innovative projects, this other role offers specialized experience in my field of interest.”
Timing Your Response
Responding promptly shows respect for the company’s hiring timeline.
- Aim to decline within 24-48 hours of deciding.
- If you need more time to decide, communicate this clearly and provide a specific date when you’ll give your answer.
- Phone calls often feel more personal for declining offers, especially after multiple interviews or for senior positions. For early-stage rejections, email may be appropriate.
You can follow up with a brief thank-you note or LinkedIn connection to maintain the relationship after declining.
Example Thank-You Note on Linkedin After Declining a Job Offer:
Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],
I wanted to express my sincere thanks for the [Job Title] offer and the time your team invested in my candidacy. While I’ve decided to pursue another direction at this time, I truly appreciated learning about [specific aspect of company].
Your [company culture/team/mission] is impressive, and I hope our professional paths might cross again.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Declining a Job Offer via Email
You might want to use email when:
- You need to document your decision
- The company communicated primarily through email
- You want to provide detailed explanation
Example Phrases for Declining a Job Offer via Email
- “I appreciate the opportunity to interview for the assistant manager position.”
- “After careful consideration, I must respectfully decline your offer.”
- “Thank you for considering me for this position.”
- “While this was a difficult decision, I’ve accepted another offer that better aligns with my career goals.”
- “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed learning about your organization.”
- “I hope our professional paths may cross again in the future.”
- “Please accept my sincere gratitude for your time and consideration.”
- “I’ve decided to pursue a different opportunity that better matches my current needs.”
- “I wish you success in finding an excellent candidate for the position.”
- “Your team was exceptionally welcoming throughout the interview process.”
- “The position is impressive, but doesn’t align with my career direction at this time.”
- “I valued our conversations and learning about your company culture.”
- “After thoughtful consideration of the job offer, I must decline.”
- “I’m grateful for the time you invested in my candidacy.”
- “While the role is compelling, I’ve accepted a position that better suits my skills.”
- “I appreciate the generous offer for the assistant manager role.”
- “Thank you for your confidence in my abilities.”
- “I’ve decided to remain in my current position at this time.”
- “This was not an easy decision, as your company offers many attractive opportunities.”
- “I hope we can maintain our professional connection.”
Declining a Job Offer via a Phone Call or Voice Mail
A phone call adds a personal touch when declining job offers, especially when you’ve built rapport with the hiring manager. This method allows for immediate feedback and shows extra courtesy.
Phone calls work well when:
- You’ve developed a strong connection with the recruiter
- The hiring process included several phone or in-person conversations
- You want to maintain the relationship for future opportunities
A phone call also gives you the opportunity to express gratitude more warmly than text alone.
Common Reasons for Turning Down Job Offers
Many job seekers decline offers because the compensation doesn’t meet their financial expectations.
- The salary might fall below industry standards or fail to match their experience level.
- Work-life balance concerns often lead candidates to say no. A position might require extensive travel or long hours that conflict with family situations.
- Company culture can be another dealbreaker. After interviewing, you might sense values that don’t align with your own.
- Some candidates decline because they’ve received a better offer elsewhere or a promotion at their current job.
- Location can be decisive. A long commute or relocation might not work with your personal circumstances.
- Limited growth potential might make candidates hesitate. Without clear advancement paths, future opportunities may seem restricted.