How to respond to a job rejection email (with examples)
Xiang (Arnold) Shang · · 3 min read
Short answer: reply when a person wrote to you, such as a recruiter or someone who interviewed you. Thank them, accept the decision, and say what kind of role you would still like to hear about. Keep it to three or four sentences, send it within a day, and do not argue. An automated “unfortunately” from a careers system needs no reply.
A rejection closes one application. A good reply can keep the person who sent it on your side, and recruiters in particular see many roles. The goal is not to change their mind. It is to be the candidate they remember well.
When to reply, and when not to
Reply when a recruiter, a hiring manager or an interviewer wrote to you by name, and especially when they gave you a reason.
Do not reply to an automated email from an applicant tracking system (“no-reply”, a careers address, a template with no name in it). Nobody reads the answer.
Do not argue with the reason, even if it feels unfair. You can add context later, in a different conversation, if the same person comes back with another role.
What to say
Three or four sentences, in this order:
- Thank them, for telling you and for their time.
- Accept it. If they gave a reason, show you heard it.
- Say what you would still like to hear about, in one line.
- Stop.
Leave out how disappointed you are, how much you wanted the job, and anything you think they got wrong.
Examples
To a recruiter who put you forward
This is the reply Arnold, who makes ApplyKoala, sent this week, after a recruiter said their client had not shortlisted Arnold because the customer-facing experience was too thin:
Hi [Name], thanks for letting me know, and for putting me forward. That’s fair feedback, and I’ll keep working on it.
If you come across roles that are more hands-on engineering, I’d be glad to hear about them. Thanks again for your time!
It does three things: it thanks them, it accepts the reason without arguing, and it tells the recruiter what to send next time.
After an interview
Hi [Name],
Thank you for letting me know, and for the time you and the team spent with me. I enjoyed learning about [one specific thing from the interview].
If a role opens up that is closer to [what you do best], I would be glad to be considered.
Best,
[Your name]
Asking for feedback
Only ask when you had at least one interview, and make it easy to say no:
Thank you for letting me know. If you have a minute, is there one thing I could have done better? Either way, thanks for your time.
Many companies will not give feedback for legal reasons. If they do not answer, do not ask again.
After you reply
Close the application in your list, with the reason if they gave one. If a recruiter said what was missing, write that down too; three rejections with the same reason tell you what to change. A job application tracker keeps both in one place.
If they said “we will keep your resume on file”, add a note with the date and move on. Do not wait for it.
Questions
Should you respond to a job rejection email? Yes, if a person wrote it: a recruiter, a hiring manager or someone who interviewed you. No, if it is an automated email from an applicant tracking system.
How long should the reply be? Three or four sentences. Thank them, accept the decision, say what kind of role you would still like to hear about, and stop.
Can I ask why I was rejected? You can, once, if you had an interview. Make it easy to say no; many companies do not give feedback.
How soon should I reply? Within a day. A quick, calm reply is part of the impression you leave.
Everything here works on paper. If you would rather not keep the paper,the app does this bit — paste a posting and it fills in the details, and it all stays on your own computer.