A Letter to Decline Employment
Sending a letter to decline a job offer may seem unnecessary, but you've taken up someone's valuable time with an interview process and a job offer you've decided not to take. A letter stating that you will be declining the position is professional, courteous and frees the person offering you a job to find someone to take your place. An official letter of declination may also allow you to keep a future opportunity open should you ever need to approach the same company for a job in the future.
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Addressing Your Letter
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Address your letter of declination to the person who interviewed you. This is the polite things to do. Addressing a letter specifically also ensures the declination goes to the person who is offering you the job. Addressing your letter of declination to the company in general is in poor taste and shows a lack of appreciation for the person who decided to give you an opportunity.
First Paragraph
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Open with a formal and heartfelt thank-you for the interview. Example: "I'd like to thank you for taking the time to interview me for the position manager. While I thoroughly enjoyed our interview and the job opportunity appeared to be in line with what I'm looking for, I am formally declining employment with your company." Various ways of phrasing this should always include getting the decline out of the way as politely and quickly as possible.
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Second Paragraph
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You don't need to explain why you've decided to decline a job offer. If you choose to give an explanation, keep it brief. State that you received another offer that better suits your qualifications. Avoid going into specifics, such as "I received an offer for more money and better benefits." This isn't necessary and can make the declination appear as if you're fishing for a better offer. Avoid the appearance of pitting one company against another to get a better employment offer.
Short Closing
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Include a short closing paragraph that once again offers thanks and appreciation for the time taken to interview you and offer you a job. You never know when you may need to approach a company in the future. Leaving a positive, polite impression makes possible for you to seek employment with a company in the future, without fear that unprofessional previous behavior may affect future opportunities.
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