Decline a job offer by thanking the employer, identifying the position and stating clearly that you will not accept it. Send the decision through the verified recruitment contact, preferably before the response date, and keep the wording short enough that it cannot be mistaken for a counter-offer.
First check whether you are still deciding, negotiating or withdrawing from an agreement already made. Those are different situations. This guide concerns communicating a decision not to accept an offer; it does not determine the consequences of an acceptance you have already given.
Finish your decision before writing
Read the offer and note its deadline, proposed start date and any requested response method. If you need clarification to make the decision, ask a focused question. A negotiation should name the condition you want changed; a decline should say that the answer is no.
Do not accept an offer merely to reserve it while waiting for another result. The myGov offer guide explains why the contract and working conditions should be considered before you agree. If you have already accepted verbally or in writing, seek advice about your particular obligations before describing the situation as a simple decline.
You can give a concise reason without disclosing another employer’s name, private family information or your entire decision process. Avoid invented excuses: they can create follow-up questions you cannot answer honestly.
Fictional example: a different direction
This original example uses an invented person and vacancy.
Subject: Administration Assistant offer — Alex Example
Dear Hiring Manager,
Thank you for offering me the Administration Assistant position and for explaining the team’s work during the recruitment process.
After careful consideration, I have decided not to accept the offer. I have chosen a different direction that better fits my current circumstances.
I appreciate the time you and the panel have spent with me. Thank you again for the opportunity and your consideration.
Kind regards,
Alex Example
Fictional example: the arrangement does not fit
Use a specific reason only if you are comfortable sharing it. The following wording is also fictional.
Dear Hiring Manager,
Thank you for offering me the Warehouse Administrator position. Having reviewed the confirmed working hours, I am unable to make the required availability commitment, so I must decline the offer.
I appreciate your time and the information you provided. Please accept my thanks for considering my application.
Kind regards,
Alex Example
This version does not suggest that the employer promised different hours or should change the position. It communicates the applicant’s decision about the arrangement actually offered.
Respond to follow-up without reopening the decision accidentally
An employer may ask whether one condition would change your answer. Decide whether you want that conversation. If your decision is final, repeat it courteously: “Thank you for checking. My decision remains to decline the offer.” You do not need to argue against every possible alternative.
If you are interested in a revised offer, be explicit that you are discussing a possible change and have not accepted an arrangement. Check any revised terms in writing before relying on them. Avoid vague responses such as “that should be fine” when you are not ready to agree.
Close your own records
Record the offer, decision date and message in your application tracker. Thank any referees who helped. Keep private offer documents out of public portfolios and social posts.
Our opportunity-assessment guide can help structure the decision before you send a response. For another search, compare the actual duties and conditions in current vacancies, without assuming that a similar title means the same employment arrangement.
