How to Craft a Professional Response to a Job Rejection
Glassdoor Team
Glassdoor Team | Author & Career Expert at Glassdoor | 27 Sept 2021
The importance of learning how to respond to a job rejection email
Receiving a job rejection email can be emotionally challenging and difficult to handle. Rather than deleting the email and going about your day, you should know how to respond to a job rejection email by sending a response expressing your gratitude and requesting consideration for future positions. Learn more about how to respond to a job rejection email and review a template and example to help you write a professional response.
Why is it important to respond to a job rejection email?
It can feel challenging or discouraging to respond to a job rejection email, especially if you felt you had aced the interview. It’s important to craft a professional response to the hiring manager, especially if you had undergone a few interviews with them. Even though you didn’t get the job, they may still view you as a strong candidate and might consider you for other opportunities. Here are some common reasons to respond to a job rejection email:
- Shows your professionalism: Responding to a rejection email and thanking the interviewer for their time can show that you’re professional and courteous, which may impress them.
- Leads to potential opportunities with the company: If you reach out with a polite and thoughtful response, it may remind the interviewer how professional and impressive you were during the interview. They may save your CV and keep you in mind for any future opportunities they think you could be an even better fit for.
- Allows you to gain feedback on your interview skills: When you craft your response, request feedback on your interview performance. This can help you learn what you’re doing right and what interview techniques to improve to help you nail the next one.
What to include in a strong job rejection response
Your job rejection response should be short and sweet as you professionally express your disappointment in not earning the role, appreciation for the opportunity, and gratitude for hearing back from them. Elements to include in your job rejection response email include:
- A formal greeting
- One or two sentences thanking them for their consideration
- A sentence or two expressing your disappointment for not getting the role
- A few sentences asking to be considered for future opportunities
- A professional closing and signature
Glassdoor Team
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