Make Sure You’re Not Interested
Before turning down an interview, it’s important to consider all the details of the offer and make sure it wouldn’t be a good fit for you. To do that, you can create a list of pros and cons of the job, where you’d include information about the salary, employment type that the company wants to offer you and the role’s responsibilities and requirements. This is a great exercise that allows you to look at the position in a more objective way.
Remember that a job interview isn’t the same as a job offer. If you’re undecided, you could go to the interview to ask more questions and make your final decision after you’ve met with the recruitment manager. There’s a chance that you can successfully negotiate a better salary or more employee benefits, which could make the position more attractive to you.
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How To Reschedule A Job Interview
If you are considering rescheduling a job interview, keeping things professional and organized is important when trying to maintain a great relationship with the employer.
You want them to know that you respect their busy schedules and are considerate of their time.
There is probably a tight hiring schedule for the open position, so a quick phone call or email is likely the best option when you do reschedule.
Consider sending an alternate time and date suitable to your needs but also remain open to their recommendations.
Be honest about why you have to reschedule. Employers will appreciate your honesty, and it will set the tone for open communication for future work relationships.
Note: Make sure to thank them for their understanding and flexibility.
How To Reject A Job Offer Politely Email Sample
Hi ABC
I cannot be thankful enough for your invitation for the job interview for the role of X in your organization. I comprehend that you might have received hundreds of applications, and getting this interview call lifts me to cloud 9. It would be a privilege for me to make it to this application process.
However, due to some unpredicted circumstances and changes in situations, I would not be able to attend the interview. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused. I hope that you get the right candidate for the position soon.
Thank you,
Your Name & Number
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Top Tips On Turning Down A Job Interview
1. Be sure of your decision to reject the interview
Make sure you are not jumping the gun and denying yourself the opportunity of finding out more about the company and job. Be confident that your reasons for turning down a job interview are valid. Take some time to consider the situation before you send an email to refuse the interview. Can your concerns perhaps be addressed during the job interview?
If you are at all unsure of whether or not to interview for the job, rather take the interview. If nothing else it will provide a good learning experience and an opportunity to practice your interviewing skills.
2. Be polite
If you are confident that turning down the interview is the right decision then keep your communication polite and professional. Maintaining a positive relationship with the company is in your best interests.
3. Be prompt
It is polite and professional to turn down the interview as soon as you are quite sure about your decision. Be respectful of people’s time and priorities and let the company know as soon as possible that you are not accepting their invitation to an interview. This also opens up opportunities for other job candidates.
4. Keep it short, sweet and simple
5. Send your email to the right contact
Ensure that you address your email to the primary contact at the company. This could be HR, the recruiter or a manager. If more than one person is involved in the hiring process send separate emails to both.
How To Decline A Job Interview Gracefully
Most of the time, getting an interview request is excellent news when youre looking for a new job, and it can be a surprise when youre not actively looking for a job. However, you may know for sure that the job youd be interviewing for isnt a good match, and in these situations, its better to decline the request than to waste everyones time. Still, its essential to do it respectfully and professionally when turning down an interview opportunity.
Anyone who has gone through an interview process knows that it can take longer. Even an initial phone interview requires taking time out of your day so that you can focus on the conversation. Then, if you make it past the initial discussions, interviews typically only get more prolonged and intense. Suppose you show up to an interview for a job you know you aren’t interested in pursuing, which would considerably be disrespectful of the interviewer’s time, or, worseif you accept the interview out of obligation and then ghost by just not showing up. Youre not only relaying the message that you dont respect this persons time, but youre also potentially closing the door to working with this company and or this individual sometime in the future because theyll remember this behavior. If you know that youre not interested in a job, its better for everyone if you simply withdraw your candidacy.
Ghosting isnt an excellent way to take yourself out of the running for a job, so what is the right way to decline an interview?
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Its The Wrong Opening But You Admire The Company
If you have an opportunity to make a great impression at a company you love, it may be better to accept the interview even if the open position isnt a perfect fit for you. Its your chance to get your foot in the door, and you may meet people who will become instrumental to your next career move, whether this time or in the future. You may even impress the company enough for them to create another opening just to get you onboard!
The Company Culture Isnt A Fit
Its likely you did some research before starting the interview process with a company, but additional interviews sometimes reveal a company culture isnt one youd be happy with. If youre confident it isnt a fit, you should decline the interview. This one can be a bit trickier, so be delicate.
I really appreciate the opportunity, but I dont think the company culture is a fit for me. Im looking for a workplace that and it seems like COMPANY is more (the opposite, so I dont want to waste your time by continuing in the interview process. Thank you again for the opportunity!
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Ask For Detailed Feedback
The key thing to do after a rejection is to think about what happened, and how you can learn from it.
Asking for and listening to feedback is the most valuable thing you can do when faced with a job rejection. Self-analysis alone wont paint the whole picture of why you werent the right person for the role.
So start by gathering all the feedback you can from the recruiter and through them, the employer. If the feedback feels a bit superficial or generic, dont be afraid to ask for a more detailed assessment. You put a lot into the process, after all, and youre entitled to get some actionable insights at the end of it.
How To Turn Down A Job Offer Without Burning Bridges
Breaking up is hard to do, especially when breaking up means declining a job offer that youve worked hard to get. You know who its even harder on? The hiring manager. They went through the tedious process of selecting, screening, and finalizing candidates.
That being said, some candidates have zero clue as to how to turn down a hirer with tact and diplomacy. They go about the wrong way to reject job offers they received, landing them a bad impression with the hiring managers and companies.
To help you write that not-so-pleasant email to a hiring manager, keep in mind these tips.
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Discuss The Situation With Someone You Trust
Before declining the interview, discuss the situation with someone close to you. This second opinion can provide more clarity on the situation and gives you the opportunity to express your thoughts and feelings. By discussing the potential job interview with someone, they may offer another perspective. They may have an opinion about the opportunity and how your qualifications and experience make you a good fit for the role. Consider sharing the job description with them so they can review the details.
Valid Reasons To Refuse A Job Interview
Let’s begin by making one thing clear: Just like quitting a job, there are good reasons for job candidates to decline an interview. There are also some reasons that, in retrospect, will make you wish you’d thought better of it. Here are four scenarios in which declining the next step in the interview process is the right thing to do.
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Example Accepting Another Job Offer
If you accepted another job offer in the interim, you might want to share that update. Here’s a sample email that does so:
Subject: Thank you for the interview opportunity
Dear Name:
I’m grateful for the opportunity to interview at Company Name for Job Title. Since I initially put in my application for this position, I was offeredand accepteda job at another company, so I’m respectfully declining this offer.
I wish you all the best in your search for a candidate.
Thank you again for considering me for this position. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Change In Career Plans
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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What To Do And What Not To Do When Withdrawing From An Interview Process
At 4 Corner Resources, we are professional staffing experts who work with clients across the U.S. in a variety of industries from our headquarters in central Florida. As such, weve seen countless examples both good and bad of how applicants, candidates, and employers choose to remove themselves from the interview process.
Here are two recent examplesone good, one badweve seen from candidates withdrawing from an interview process.
You Know Someone Who Worked At The Company Had A Bad Experience
No company is perfect. Its possible that your friends bad experience isnt the companys fault.
Like the scenario above, you should talk to your source to verify the whole story. Ask how long ago it happened too. Who knows, things may have changed since then, or better yet, you wont even be in the same department where they worked.
If thats not the case, like if you would be working in the same team or you know from online reviews that its not an isolated case, you can politely decline the job interview. Just say that youre pursuing another opportunity.
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How To Decline An Offer: Via Email Or A Phone Call
Now that weâve looked at practical tips for how to reject a job offer through email, you might wonder if you could place a call to let the employer know that youâre declining the offer. While phone calls may seem more personal, you may also run the risk of putting the other person on the spot by expecting an instant response. Emails allow the recipient to respond at ease.
Sometimes it may boil down to personal preference. If youâre uncomfortable calling the hiring manager to deliver this news, thereâs no harm in sending an email. Just remember to inform the hiring manager to avoid an unpleasant situation.
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You Are Afraid Of Rejection
Some jitters before an interview are normal. However, rejecting the opportunity preemptively just so that you don’t get rejected by the other side isn’t the best way to deal with the nerves.
If you are feeling like the world hangs in the balance because of this one interview, you could use some big-picture thinking. Ask yourself about the worst possible thing that could happen in the interview, then map out your Plan B. That exercise is often enough to remind you that there are other opportunities, no matter how amazing or unique this one is.
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Think Through Your Decision
While it’s perfectly fine to remove yourself from consideration for a position, you should think through the decision carefully before declining. Stop and ask yourself why you’re considering declining the interview at the point you’re at in the process. If you’re declining because you heard something about the company secondhand, you may want to use future interviews to discuss those concerns with the employer. If you’re declining because of something that’s happening with you personally, you should spend some time reflecting on your motivations before you follow through and decline.
Turning Down An Interview Without Burning Bridges
Turning down an interview is difficult. Yes, in a perfect world you would only get invited to the interviews you want, but in reality, candidates must make choices, and sometimes that means having to turn down a job with the company. Even if the position, company, or timing isn’t the right fit for you, remember that turning down an interview should never be taken lightly or done in an off-hand manner. Pause to acknowledge someone’s time and effort invested in finding, screening, and interviewing you up to this point. Be professional and gracious. Who knows, a no today may well lead to a valuable connection or opportunity in the future!
Now that your interviews are squared away, make sure you’re properly prepared. The experts at TopInterview can help!
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Dont Rush The Decision
Its easy to hear a couple things during the process that make you say, Geez, this place sounds insane! Id better run out of this room before they offer me this terrible job! While you should pay attention to potential issues along the way , its also important not to jump to conclusions based on one or two early-round interviews.
At this point, ask yourself why youve started considering dropping out. In my experience, there are two reasons people initially get to this point: theyve either heard something that rubbed them the wrong way, or theres something deeper going on.
If its the former, take advantage of any future interviews to discuss your concerns with the employer. But if its the latter, take it from mereflect on your motivations for dropping out before you follow through on it. I once canceled an interview the morning I was supposed to meet with the hiring managerall because I was afraid to try something new. In hindsight, that was immature of me and I wish I could take it back.
For Employers Who Want To Reschedule Interviews
Subject: Change in Schedule of InterviewDear ,Thank you for your interest in the position of at our company. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to cancel the interview that was scheduled for you on at due to . We would like to reschedule your interview for any of the following slots: Kindly confirm your availability with an acknowledgement to this email. In case the above dates are not suitable, please let us know your preferred date and time.I apologize for the inconvenience, and look forward to your interview again.Thank you.
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What To Do If The Opportunity Just Doesn’t Feel Right
The feeling of something being off is a tough one. It can show up in a variety of ways. Maybe you just aren’t feeling the excitement. Maybe you’ve been staring at the email from the hiring manager for 48 hours and have yet to hit reply. Perhaps you are suddenly finding a dozen reasons why you shouldn’t go to the interview, and they have to do with catching up on the last season of Game of Thrones, scrubbing the kitchen sink, or reorganizing the junk drawer. In other words, even you can tell that those are weak excuses.
So, here’s your dilemma: Is it wise to pass up an opportunity based on something as fleeting as a feeling? Or is your subconscious trying to tell you something your rational mind may have missed? Here are two suggestions that may help.
One, consider writing things down. You might try free-form writing or a more structured approach that looks at what will and won’t happen if you accept or reject the opportunity. This can allow you to see that there are pros and cons to pursuing an interview and to letting it go. Sometimes, that’s enough to nudge you one way or the other. Another option is to talk it through with someone you trust it may be a mentor, a friend, or a family member. The key is to choose someone who knows you well and has your best interests at heart.
