How To Decline An Interview

Reasons To Decline A Subsequent Interview Invitation During The Interview Process

How To Decline A Job Interview (Short simple email)

You find that the culture is not a fit

As discussed in the I dont know what job I want post, its important to find a job and career that enables the lifestyle you want to live. If you want to spend time with your family, joining a rise and grind culture may not be the best fit for you. However, if you want to grow title and salary as quickly as you can, a culture like that could be a great fit for you,

You dont feel like youll gel with your boss or your team

You will be spending quite a bit of time interacting with your colleagueseven more so than with your family and friends most likely. If you dont get a good vibe from them, its best to withdraw your name from your process.

You find the roles and responsibilities are different than what you were expecting

As you ask questions and learn more about the role, youll likely develop a deeper understanding about the importance of the different responsibilities within the job description. You may find that the most important skills are responsibilities are different from what came across in the job description, and the role may become less interesting for you.

You find out the salary range is lower than your target range

This one is pretty self explanatory. If you find out the role doesnt meet your salary requirements, it doesnt make sense to continue on.

Youre not treated well throughout the interview process

Youve Gotten New Information About The Company

Finally, you might want to decline an interview after learning more about a company. Researching a company is crucial before heading into an interview. During that process, you could learn things you dont like.

For example, you might see that the company is suffering financial losses. In that case, working there could be risky. Or maybe you learned more about the company background and saw many red flags you didnt like.

Dont ignore your gut instinct. If you dont want to be a part of the company, now is the time to halt the process.

Learning How To Turn Down An Interview

You may find that after applying to a job, it simply isn’t the right fit for you. Even in such cases, an employer may think you are qualified for the job and offer you an interview. If you feel that an interview isn’t in your best interest, you can politely decline. Here we discuss how to turn down an interview the right way.

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How To Decline An Exit Interview

Suppose you are not satisfied with your current job or find a better employment option elsewhere and decide to leave. At that moment, your HR manager might approach you to participate in an exit interview.

Many times, individuals face a dilemma of whether or not to take part in an exit interview.

As per my experience, I would suggest that its never to your most significant advantage to attend such interviews. From the employees point of view, it isnt best for you to go and genuinely tell them what you believe isnt right with an organization or the director during an exit interview or tell them that you are not satisfied working in their company.

Yes, you heard it right, my dear that is precisely what exit interviews are. Companies usually do exit interviews to get honest feedback and know which and where they lack.

And that is why you are better not attend one because you definitely would not want to disrespect them or anybody in their company. After all, you might want to come back there or get a better chance in their company in the future. So, therefore, the best one could do at that moment is trying to escape attending an exit interview.

In this following article, we will help you not sound rude while saying no to or declining an exit interview.

But before moving further, we will first discuss what exit interviews are and why they are required.

Change In Career Plans

Decline Of Interview, Referred Job Applicant

Working as an engineer or developer can be stressful, especially in startups where youre required to wear multiple hats or big companies with competitive work cultures.

You may have liked the job at first, but further introspection might have made you realize that accepting a similar position would not be the right decision, whether your happiness or something else is at stake.

Its also possible that youre serious about your job search, but someone at your current job persuaded you to stay after a quick discussion of your career goals.

Theres no need to tell the recruiter about your career plans, just inform them that youre grateful for the opportunity but you have other career objectives to pursue.

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An Email Template For Declining A Job Interview Due To Location

Location is a common reason for job seekers to decline interviews. If the position is for a bigger company, you may want to indicate your interest in working at a closer location. While you may not be considered right away, they will at least keep your information on file should a more appropriate opportunity arises.

Hi Mr. Smith,

Thank you for considering me for the ABC position. I appreciate the opportunity to interview with you, but unfortunately, I have to withdraw my application. After considering the details of the job, I think the daily commute would be too difficult for me. I would be happy to be considered for a position at the Kingston location, but Toronto is too far for me right now.

Alternatively, if your policy around remote work changes, I would be interested in being considered for a similar position then.

All the best,

Henry

If there is anything that could change your mind, dont be afraid to state it here. For the right employee, companies are usually open to negotiating relocation packages. There is nothing wrong with respectfully spelling out what would interest you.

The best result is that they would work with you to make the offer more attractive. If not, they would at least keep you in mind for future openings.

Jason Patel

Former Career Ambassador at the George Washington University | Founder, Transizion

Our Interview Checklist Will Make Sure You Dont Miss Anything

There are many scenarios that can occur while declining an interview. Let us look at some common scenarios and tips on how to handle each of those scenarios. While I have covered the most common scenarios, you should remember that theres no one-size-fits-all approach that you can use to get out of the situation. Please use this as a broad framework based on which you can customise your response to your individual situation.

How Do You Reject Your Candidates

The next time you start typing bad news to your dear candidates, imagine how much better they would take the news with a personalized video email message where the recruiter is talking directly to them.

Thinking of ways to tell candidates that they didnt get the jobs is one of the biggest challenges for recruiters, but finding the best way to do so is what separates the average form the most successful recruiters!

Basic Email Withdrawing Application

How to Decline a Job Interview – Exact Email Sample to Send

Here is an example of a letter sent via email to decline a job interview:

Subject: Interview Invitation – Your Name

Dear Name:

Thank you very much for considering me for the position of Job Title and for inviting me to interview with Company Name. However, I would like to withdraw my application for this position.

I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to review my application.

Again, thank you for your consideration.

Best regards,

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How To Decline An Interview For A Promotion

If you have turned down an interview due to a promotion, it means you have decided to stay in your current job. When informing the interviewer, let them know that you have decided to stay in your current job for now. However, if a higher position arises in the future, you would appreciate being considered.

Your Plans Have Changed

Life happens, including in the time between submitting an application and hearing about an interview. Maybe you need to scale back to part-time work while caring for a sick parent or your partner got a new role and youre suddenly moving across the country. If youre excited about the position, you can move forward and see if theres any flexibility to accommodate these circumstances, but otherwise its completely fair to opt out.

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How To Turn Down A Job Interview But Keep The Door Open

If you have decided to turn down an interview for now but would like to keep the door open, it would be good that you communicate that to the recruiter. Let them know that youre declining the opportunity for now but would like to work with them in the future, especially if the reason preventing you from attending the interview is temporary.

Why Companies Conduct Exit Interviews

As you are about to leave,is might entice you to talk about that incompetent, rude boss and those incompetent and terrible co-workers. But, before you mess yourself up, stop and make sure to consider why organizations lead exit interviews.

Many organizations plan such exit interviews with the expectation to acquire data they can use to improve or refresh organization arrangements and workplaces, dependent on the legitimate input they get from those leaving their companies.

The above lines might explain that the motivation behind exit interviews is to know the honest and valuable feedback from their employees and why they are leaving the organization to have the chance to improve. But to reconsider, in reality, that is not always the case.

Theres a significant difference between the expressed reasons that organizations conduct exit interviews and the genuine intentions behind them.

Some organizations might believe that conducting an exit interview will bring them goodwill however, that might not always be the case. Honestly, the exit interviews true motivation is to provide the employee with a satisfying closure so that he wont go out and speak badly about the company, which will directly impact the companys reputation.

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Don’t Drag Your Heels

Time is of the essence. Hiring managers want to fill the open position as quickly as possible, so the sooner you pull out, the better it is for everyone involved. Email or call your contact at the company and gracefully bow out. Do NOT ghost them.

This is particularly true if a manager gives you signals that you are their candidate of choice. If youre not interested, dont hang in there merely to get the offer, says Eli Howayeck, career coach and CEO of Crafted Career Concepts in Milwaukee. Employers feel vulnerable about this, and saying no after the offer may create hurt feelings.

Also, if this opportunity came your way because of a helpful contact, let that person know whats going on. Chances are that person is a good referral source and you want them to keep introducing you , says Elene Cafasso, president and founder of Enerpace, Inc. Executive Coaching in the Chicago area.

Template : Commending Another Candidate

Dear ,

I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to interview for . I appreciate your consideration and time.

Unfortunately, I regret that I must decline the opportunity at this time due to unavoidable circumstances.

However, my colleague, , would be a good fit for this position. You can reach them via email at or through

All the best, and I hope we get another chance to work together.

Best Regards,

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Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Decline An Interview

Some career counselors think you should never decline a job interview – ever! You may disagree, but Monster Worldwide gives you five ways you could actually benefit from going to the interview anyway:

It’s an opportunity to practice your interviewing skills. Like any other skill, you get better with practice.

It widens your view of the marketplace, gives you an added perspective and allows you to better compare.

It gets you into the mix. The current job offer may not be what you want, but it could eventually lead to an offer for a better job at the same company.

Sometimes the job you think you’re interviewing for doesn’t hold a candle to the job you might be offered if you go to the interview. It might even be the same job, which was just poorly described.

Sometimes, especially when you’re interviewing with human resources or a job hunter, going for the job you don’t want can lead to an immediate offer of a better job. Who knows?

Reasons You Might Turn Down An Interview

Job Interviews & Offers : How to Decline a Job Interview

There are many reasons you might turn down an interview offer, such as:

You just accepted another job offer.
You looked more into the role and find that it isnt the right fit for you.
You realized that you are overqualified for this role.
The employers communication seems unprofessional.
You found out the companys values and culture do not align with whats important to you.
You had an unexpected change in life plans.
You decided you want to keep your current job.

Learn more: Congratulations, You Got A Job Offer. Now What?

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Consider Referring Another Candidate

Although this step is optional, sometimes you may want to refer someone for a job you want to decline. For instance, it could be a friend or former colleague who you know would make a better fit. If you have someone in mind, discuss the opportunity with them beforehand to ensure they’d be interested in the position. If they agree to this, it’s usually enough to share their full name, phone number and email address in your message to the recruitment manager.

Example : Declining With No Explanation

Although, in some cases, you may want to explain why you’ve decided to decline an interview, it’s perfectly fine to turn it down with no explanation. Here’s an email that you can use to decline a job interview without providing details about your decision:

Dear Marie,

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to interview for the marketing manager role at your company. I appreciate the consideration and chance to learn more about your organisation.

However, I regret to inform you that I’ll have to decline the offer. I hope we’ll get another chance to work together in the future.

Thank you again.

John Lee

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Reasons Why You Should Decline

In some circumstances, declining the interview is the right thing to do:

The first, obvious reason is that you have already accepted a new job elsewhere.

Sometimes, you can’t be sure that your current employer will not find out about the interview. And your current employer may not take this well. If there is a real risk, declining the interview is the safest thing to do. There will be other offers.

You are now in the second or third round of interviews with the company , and as you have become more familiar with the company, you see that you’re not a good fit.

You have a trusted friend who works there, and she hates it. If her reasons sound well-founded, it’s OK to pass.

Ask Someone You Trust For Feedback

FREE 8+ Sample Letter of Explanation in PDF

If you are at all uncertain about whether you should decline the interview, it’s a good idea to get a second opinion from someone you trust. Sometimes the simple act of communicating your thoughts with someone else can help you to process how you feel about the role. They also may be able to offer you perspective you hadn’t considered, such as how well you would fit in the position based on your experience and qualifications.

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Reasons To Cancel A Job Interview

One may need to cancel a job interview for a number of reasons, such as a candidates priorities changing, getting a different job offer that is better than this one, or an employer staffing policies changing due to market conditions, etc. Here are some examples why a job interview might need to be canceled or rescheduled.

Job Rejection Letter Sample For Unsuccessful Candidates

A job rejection letter informs interviewed but unsuccessful job candidates of your decision. You may wish to customize this rejection letter sample template to fit your startups needs.

Choosing to hire is a significant business decision for any organization, and job interviews need to planned and conducted with care. A difficult element of this recruiting process is informing unsuccessful candidates.

Remember to maintain goodwill with all applicantseveryone is a potential source of referral.

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How To Turn Down An Interview Invitation

The most important thing is of course to tell the interviewer that you have decided to terminate your application and wont be attending the interview.

It is extremely unprofessional to simply not turn up, or to pretend that you never received the communication inviting you to the interview.

Most industries, however large they seem, are actually quite small and it is likely that throughout your career you may encounter the hiring manager or recruiter again.

You also dont want to burn your bridges with the company in question.

Even if you dont want this role or opportunity, that doesnt mean you wont want any future ones.

You should therefore act promptly and certainly in good time ahead of the interview with a two-pronged plan.

If you are certain that you do not wish to continue your application, you should respond promptly and in writing , preferably addressed to the person who offered you the interview.

Proceed in the same fashion as you would do to accept and make arrangements.

You should be clear and gracious in your response, thanking them for the opportunity but declining the meeting and apologizing for any inconvenience caused, but without giving any kind of specific reasoning.

If you do not get a response within 24 hours, you should then follow this email up with a telephone call to ensure that your message has been received.

How to Turn Down an Interview Invitation

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