Tunaltay

Article: Business Letters Series : Employment Offers
Accepting Job Offers

Guidelines and Alternate Phrases

Thank the new employer for the job.

Thank you for your confidence.

I sincerely appreciate this opportunity to show you what I can do.

This opportunity is one I’ve been seeking for quite some time. Thank you.

Thank you for your generous offer; I eagerly accept.

I am pleased to accept your offer of a position as office manager, effective May 1. Thank you for the opportunity to work for a firm with such an outstanding reputation in the city.

I am pleased to learn you have placed such confidence in me after the many, many interviews you conducted to fill the position.

Confirm any details about first-day reporting or matters to be settled before beginning the job.

As you requested, I will be getting my pre-employment physical next week.

As I agreed, I have turned all my consulting clients over to another colleague in the field so I can devote my full attention to the new job.

I will be looking forward to the 9:00 a.m. orientation in the Wharton training center.

Express confidence in your ability to do the job.

I have every confidence we will make a great team.

The skills you asked about in my interview are certainly “at your disposal” from day one. I pledge to you my very best effort and have every confidence we’ve made a perfect match.


I’m eager to hone my analytical skills on some of the problem situations outlined in our earlier discussions. With care, we should be able to provide resolutions suitable to all concerned.

Example 1


Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Bob:

Thank you for your phone call and follow-up letter about my joining you as your rookie salesman. I’m delighted to accept your offer and will be looking forward to the orientation September 1.

As you suggested, I plan to spend my time between now and then studying the specs on the new drilling equipment. I plan to “hit the ground running”; my first effort after September 1 will be to become a shadow to Harry Hines until I learn the equipment and accounts. After that short-term mentoring, I’ll be eager to mold my sales experience to such a fine organization.

Thank you for the confidence you’ve placed in me.

Cordially,


Example 2

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Mr. Justice:

Thank you for offering me the supervisor position in the Human Resources division. I appreciate your faith in my abilities. I want you to know that I also have faith in the ability of Arco Plastics to provide a responsive work environment that rewards initiative and hard work. I plan to bring both to the Human Resources division when I join you June 19.

I look forward to learning the ropes under Jim Millan’s tutelage. Jim and I have already spoken on the phone and I was impressed with the innovative policies he has instituted during his tenure at Arco.

I assure you I will give my best effort in this new position.

Sincerely,




Declining Job Offers

Guidelines and Alternate Phrases

Thank the employer for the job offer.

Thank you for the generous offer to join your engineering department.

Frankly, I’m quite honored you selected me among so many other qualified applicants to fill the job of marketing director.

I received your letter about the job offer and want to thank you for such confidence.

Give your reasons or criteria for the negative response.

As you remember, I have teenage children who are quite reluctant to leave their friends and change schools in the middle of their high school “careers.” Considering what is best for them, I have decided to stay in Hilldale.

Although the job is certainly an important one to the company, I have in mind to find something with more challenge. Call it a quirk in my personality, but I want to move into a job that offers me a chance to do more than routine administrative tasks.

The compensation package seemed a little low for the kind of skills I wanted to bring to the job.

As you outlined the job to me in your office, I didn’t quite see the advancement opportunities I want to have before me with this next—and I hope final—career move.

I am hoping to find a position that will give me more opportunity to use my selling experience.

State your “no” in a positive way, leaving the door open for future contacts.

Although the job you offered sounded challenging, I have decided to accept another position with David Hewitt International, a position more in line with my experience.

I don’t feel in a position to accept your generous offer at the present time.

I’m afraid, therefore, for all these reasons, I’ll have to decline the opportunity you have presented me.

I regret my situation is such that I must turn down your job offer at this point.

I want to be completely enthusiastic and ready to give 100 percent to any new job, and in this case, I’m afraid I can’t.

I wish your job was a little more in line with my personal goals at this point in my life—working for your company would be quite an honor.

I’m afraid my answer must be “no” under these conditions. I hope you understand my reasoning here and know how much I appreciate your honesty in presenting the job details to me.

Reestablish rapport.

I wish you the very best in finding another manager suitable for this position.

Thank you for considering me for this opportunity.

Thank you for taking the time to interview me and share your company goals with me. I plan to stay in touch.

The days my wife and I spent with you were memorable. Thank you for such courtesies in the interviewing process.

May I stay in touch in case your needs or mine change?

During the short two days we spent discussing the job, you and your people made me feel very welcome. I appreciate that tremendously.

Please keep me on your list of interested engineers, and if you have anything else you think we could work together on, let me know.

If another opening develops along the lines I described to you, please consider me again. I’d love to work with you in another capacity.

I wish you and your firm every success.

Example 3

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Foy:

Thank you for your kind offer to join Harvester Associates. Since our lunch in Phoenix, I’ve spent many hours analyzing the pros and cons of making the move. The decision was particularly important at this stage in my career because I want my next association to be permanent.

With a decision of such importance, a “yes” response should have been strongly evident, and it was not. There was no one overriding factor but rather the cumulative impact of a number of considerations that influenced my decision.

My family has learned to love a particular way of life in this part of the country—the climate and the slower pace.

Additionally, the salary was some consideration. While the compensation package seemed generous for the job you outlined, a change from my present situation would be quite costly. After our tour through the surrounding subdivisions in the area, it appeared it would be impossible to match our present circumstances at anything like comparable costs.

Neither of the above nor any other one consideration about the job itself was dominant in my decision, but their combination amounted to a “no.”

It has been a personal privilege to meet you and your colleagues, and I appreciate your considering me for the position. You, your hospitality, your people, and the position itself have made the offer extremely attractive.

Thank you,

Example 4

Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Ms. Allen:

I am grateful for your offer of the position of Promotions Director at Edge Music Television. After much consideration, my wife and I have decided I must decline the position.

As you know, my wife works in the Hazelwood area and both our children attend Hazelwood Village Schools. It is important for our son, who attends special education classes, to remain in this environment.

Since you only have the position open in the Brentwood Hills office, I’m afraid I can’t accept at this time. Nonetheless, I want to thank you for your consideration. It was a pleasure to meet you and your promotions staff.

If a similar position becomes available in your Hazelwood office, I hope you will contact me. I am still interested in the Edge team and impressed with what you have to offer.

Cordially,


Invitation to Interview

Guidelines

Announce the date and time that interviews will be held for a specific job.

Give a thorough job description and list the qualifications required.

Explain why you would prefer to hire within the company rather than bring in someone new.

Explain the procedure to follow if one is interested in setting up an interview.

Example 5


Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Ms. Koslowski:

After considering your resume and portfolio, we would like to meet with you to discuss the apprentice architect position.

I have scheduled an interview for Monday, March 19 at 9:00 am. You will meet with me and John Barthes, one of our senior architects, in conference room 312 at our downtown office.

Please call my assistant to confirm the appointment.

Sincerely,

Example 6


Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Mrs. Jordan:

Thank you for submitting your resume in support of your application for the Director of Personnel position. I would like to arrange an interview for Thursday, July 12 at 1:00 p.m. in our conference building, Room 200.

You may want to arrive a few minutes early as you will have to check in at our security desk and obtain a visitor’s pass.

Please call me if the scheduled interview time is inconvenient. I may have another opening for an interview on Friday morning. I look forward to our meeting.

Sincerely,


Declining Job Offers


Guidelines and Alternate Phrases

Thank the employer for the job offer.

Thank you for the generous offer to join your engineering department.

Frankly, I’m quite honored you selected me among so many other qualified applicants to fill the job of marketing director.

I received your letter about the job offer and want to thank you for such confidence.

Give your reasons or criteria for the negative response.

As you remember, I have teenage children who are quite reluctant to leave their friends and change schools in the middle of their high school “careers.” Considering what is best for them, I have decided to stay in Hilldale.

Although the job is certainly an important one to the company, I have in mind to find something with more challenge. Call it a quirk in my personality, but I want to move into a job that offers me a chance to do more than routine administrative tasks.

The compensation package seemed a little low for the kind of skills I wanted to bring to the job.

As you outlined the job to me in your office, I didn’t quite see the advancement opportunities I want to have before me with this next—and I hope final—career move.

I am hoping to find a position that will give me more opportunity to use my selling experience.

State your “no” in a positive way, leaving the door open for future contacts.

Although the job you offered sounded challenging, I have decided to accept another position with David Hewitt International, a position more in line with my experience.

I don’t feel in a position to accept your generous offer at the present time.

I’m afraid, therefore, for all these reasons, I’ll have to decline the opportunity you have presented me.

I regret my situation is such that I must turn down your job offer at this point.

I want to be completely enthusiastic and ready to give 100 percent to any new job, and in this case, I’m afraid I can’t.

I wish your job was a little more in line with my personal goals at this point in my life—working for your company would be quite an honor.

I’m afraid my answer must be “no” under these conditions. I hope you understand my reasoning here and know how much I appreciate your honesty in presenting the job details to me.

Reestablish rapport.

I wish you the very best in finding another manager suitable for this position.

Thank you for considering me for this opportunity.

Thank you for taking the time to interview me and share your company goals with me. I plan to stay in touch.

The days my wife and I spent with you were memorable. Thank you for such courtesies in the interviewing process.

May I stay in touch in case your needs or mine change?

During the short two days we spent discussing the job, you and your people made me feel very welcome. I appreciate that tremendously.

Please keep me on your list of interested engineers, and if you have anything else you think we could work together on, let me know.

If another opening develops along the lines I described to you, please consider me again. I’d love to work with you in another capacity.

I wish you and your firm every success.


Example 7


Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Foy:

Thank you for your kind offer to join Harvester Associates. Since our lunch in Phoenix, I’ve spent many hours analyzing the pros and cons of making the move. The decision was particularly important at this stage in my career because I want my next association to be permanent.

With a decision of such importance, a “yes” response should have been strongly evident, and it was not. There was no one overriding factor but rather the cumulative impact of a number of considerations that influenced my decision.

My family has learned to love a particular way of life in this part of the country—the climate and the slower pace.

Additionally, the salary was some consideration. While the compensation package seemed generous for the job you outlined, a change from my present situation would be quite costly. After our tour through the surrounding subdivisions in the area, it appeared it would be impossible to match our present circumstances at anything like comparable costs.

Neither of the above nor any other one consideration about the job itself was dominant in my decision, but their combination amounted to a “no.”

It has been a personal privilege to meet you and your colleagues, and I appreciate your considering me for the position. You, your hospitality, your people, and the position itself have made the offer extremely attractive.

Thank you,

Example 8


Date

Addressee
Address
City, State Zip

Dear Ms. Allen:

I am grateful for your offer of the position of Promotions Director at Edge Music Television. After much consideration, my wife and I have decided I must decline the position.

As you know, my wife works in the Hazelwood area and both our children attend Hazelwood Village Schools. It is important for our son, who attends special education classes, to remain in this environment.

Since you only have the position open in the Brentwood Hills office, I’m afraid I can’t accept at this time. Nonetheless, I want to thank you for your consideration. It was a pleasure to meet you and your promotions staff.

If a similar position becomes available in your Hazelwood office, I hope you will contact me. I am still interested in the Edge team and impressed with what you have to offer.

Cordially,