We’re currently in a job seeker market, which can mean that job seekers get more than one job offer. If you are ever in this situation, no matter what type of market we are in, you want to make sure you approach declining a job offer or offers professionally. 

You never know if one day you will want to work for that company or run into that hiring manager at another company, in which case you want them to have a positive memory and experience interacting with you. 

These three steps will help you decline any offers in a way that helps keep the door open to applying for a future position. 

1. Show appreciation 

Start your email by thanking the hiring manager or anyone else involved for their time and effort. They likely spent hours reading your resume, and cover letter, looking at your social media profiles, and creating an interview schedule for you and the team members of the organization. You also never know, they may have talked you up to other team members or pushed for you to be chosen. 

For example: 

“Thank you for your time and effort throughout this process, it was great to meet the team and see the offices/hotel/restaurant in person. I greatly appreciate receiving the offer for the General Manager position.”

2. Give a brief reason for not accepting 

Although it may feel like you need to explain yourself, you really don’t, but the hiring manager will appreciate a short explanation of why you are declining. Keep in mind though, that this is not a chance to talk about any negatives or vent your frustrations about the company or interview process. 

For example:

“After careful consideration, I have decided to accept a position at another company.”

“While this position is a great opportunity, I have decided to pursue another role that offers more opportunity to manage a team.”

“After much thought, this opportunity is not quite the right fit for my career goals.”

They may decide to follow up with you afterward for more information or additional feedback which you may choose to give, but remember to always keep it professional and constructive. It’s best to stick to feedback on things they can immediately change, like the length of the interview process, or more openly communicating with the candidate. 

3. Keep the door open 

As mentioned above, you never know if in the future you will run into their team members again at another employer or decide to apply to that company again. Make sure to never burn bridges. This is your chance to open the door for future communication if you want. 

For example: 
“It’s been a pleasure getting to know you, I hope we cross paths in the future.”