How to Decline a Job Offer Respectfully

Landing a job offer is exciting, but what if it's not the perfect fit? Sometimes, you may receive an offer that doesn't align with your career goals, salary expectations, or work style preferences. Declining a job is a fortunate position, but before withdrawing from the process, it’s important to consider how you reject the offer. Read on to learn how to decline a job offer politely and confidently, leaving a positive impression so that hiring managers are inclined to keep you in mind for future opportunities. 

How to decline a job offer

How you decline a job offer can affect future jobs you apply for with the same company or jobs with associates of the company and their networks. With this in mind, how you decline the job offer is important. Consider this step-by-step guide to respectfully turning down a job offer. 

1. Start with appreciation.

You might have several reasons for declining a job offer, and regardless of those reasons, you should decline the offer in a polite, respectful manner. Showing professionalism and integrity puts you in a good position for future opportunities with the company and even within their networks. Remember, your reputation precedes and follows you. 

With this in mind, craft your response by showing your gratitude to the company for taking the time to interview you and for selecting you for the role. It can be helpful to say something positive about the company and the position before giving your reason for not accepting it. 

2. Explain your decision.

Whatever the reason for your decision to reject a job offer, it’s important that you explain it to the employer. Even if you went into the interview thinking a job was right for you, during the process, it’s possible you discovered something new about the company or the role that didn’t align with your values, expectations, or skills. Equally, you may have received a better offer elsewhere and decided to withdraw from the search. Some examples leading to your decision may include:

• Underqualified or overqualified: If you feel you don’t have the required skills to do the job comfortably and it isn’t for you, it’s fine to say that. Similarly, being overqualified and feeling the role will not be challenging enough for you or offer enough opportunities to advance are also acceptable reasons to reject a job offer.

• Another offer: It may be that you applied for several roles and were fortunate enough to receive a better offer elsewhere. If this is the case, you can specify this in your explanation. If you’re lucky, you may even receive a counteroffer.

• Salary, benefits, and work environment: Sometimes, a role looks great, but it isn’t what it initially seems. Visiting the company offices might highlight a misalignment with work culture or ethics. After hearing more about the job role, you may feel that the salary and benefits package are not in line with your expectations. 

3. Give a reason politely.

Whatever your reason for rejecting a job offer, you need to express it to the employer to explain your decision. This doesn’t mean that you need to go into detail, but it's courteous to give them the courtesy of feedback explaining why you are not moving forward with them. This could be simply stating that you received a better offer, that you don’t feel aligned with their work culture after meeting in person, or that you love the company, but the role isn’t what you expected. 

4. Be clear, concise, and respectful.

Keep to the point. You are rejecting the offer, so be brief and succinct. The employer needs to know they can move on with the interview process to find another suitable candidate and requires a simple explanation from you. State your reasons clearly and concisely to provide useful feedback for the company’s future job searches.

If you are particularly unhappy with something or have any negative feelings about it, it is best to steer clear of it to avoid appearing petty or ungrateful. This may affect later networking with the company or future applications for different roles. 

5. Stay connected.

If you’ve declined the job offer on positive terms, being respectful and polite can be advantageous, placing yourself in a good position for future roles. When you decline the offer, you may choose to provide your contact information, connect on LinkedIn, or point out that you will both be present at a future event. 

6. Send it promptly.

After crafting your response to a job offer, send it promptly out of respect for the employer. Respond as soon as you get the offer so as not to delay their finding another candidate. You may consider making a phone call instead of sending a written reply if the employer offered the job over the phone, you want to discuss your decision, or you wish to strengthen a working relationship with the person. 

How to decline a job offer examples

Consider the following two examples of written rejections you can use when declining a job offer. Change the details and add your examples, using these as a guide.

Rejection letter if the job isn’t right for you:

Dear Mr. Sanders,

Thank you for taking the time to interview me and offering me the marketing manager position. It was a great experience getting to know your team and understanding more about your impactful work. 

While I admire your company culture and advocate for your work, I don’t feel the position is a good fit for my career aspirations going forward, and I will have to decline your offer on this occasion. 

Thank you again for your time and consideration. Hopefully, we will meet again at the 2025 Expo.

Best wishes,

Jeremy Tate

Rejection letter if you have received a better offer:

Dear Mrs. Henderson,

Thank you kindly for your offer to join your team as a UX designer. As you know, I greatly admire your company culture, and it was a pleasure to meet your team and understand your work. However, after careful consideration, I have accepted a position with a different company.

Thank you again for taking the time to interview me and show me around. I would love to stay in touch on LinkedIn and send you a connection request.

Best regards,

Sarah Godin

Prepare more for your job search with Coursera

When you thoughtfully decline a job offer, you can keep opportunities open for future positions. Decline a job offer politely by expressing gratitude and briefly explaining your reason. Keep it professional and positive to maintain a good relationship for future opportunities. Respond promptly, and consider staying connected.

If you are considering applying for a new role or looking for a career change, you’ll find several courses that may help you improve your interview skills, including Interview Research and Preparation or Advanced Interviewing Techniques, both delivered by the University of Maryland on Coursera.