How to respectfully decline an interview — 4 email examples and template

How to decline an interview

You’ve got an interview offer! It’s one of the best feelings in the world, isn’t it?

After your job search, getting an interview can make you feel like you’re on Cloud 9… but what if you’re feeling more like Cloud 4 or 5? 

There are many reasons to decline a job interview, like accepting another job offer, a change in schedule, feeling overqualified, or concerns about the salary or schedule.

Whatever the case may be, you’ve reached a point where you have to turn down an interview. Now what? How can you professionally decline an interview?

The next step is to learn how to politely decline an interview without burning your bridges. In fact, declining an interview the right way can leave the door open for future opportunities.

Should you email to decline an interview?

Email is fast and efficient, but it can also be impersonal and feel dismissive. However, you likely have no reason to feel bad about choosing to decline an interview via email. Most job candidates only coordinate with recruiters and hiring managers via email, anyway.

If you do have personal contact information with the recruiter, or you’ve already connected via telephone, then you could choose to reach out that way instead. However, there is nothing wrong with a decline interview email. 

Declining an interview via email is fine as long as you follow professional protocol and etiquette. Let’s dive into the details.

How to decline an interview via email

There are three points to consider when you decline an interview by email:

1. Timing

2. Tone

3. Detail 

You want to be reasonable with your response. Avoid waiting until the day of the interview, or even right before you’re supposed to meet, to decline. Show respect for your interviewer’s time by sending your email several days in advance whenever possible.

The tone is all about being polite, courteous, and expressing gratitude for the opportunity. Although you may not be moving forward with the job interview, you should still show appreciation for the company’s time and consideration.

Lastly, detail matters, and in this case, less is best. You do not need to justify your reasons for declining. Instead, keep your email brief, and focus more on your intention than your rationale.

Avoid a negative tone, don’t compare offers, and don’t mention getting a better offer from someone else. You never know what will happen in the future. Thus it’s never wise to burn bridges behind you.

You can even use the closing portion of your email to refer another candidate for the job if you know someone who would be a good fit.

Best practices when writing a decline interview email 

These are the top tips you should follow when learning how to decline an interview by email. 

1. Decline interview email format

Declining an interview by email should take no more than 10 sentences max. This is a notification, not a justification, so your goal should be to state your intention for writing, explain your position, and show gratitude for the opportunity.

Writing too much is unnecessary, and writing too little can be impolite or dismissive. 

You want to strike the perfect balance, which our interview decline email templates can help with.

2. Remember to say “thank you” 

Respect is key when you want to decline an interview without burning bridges.

Even if you knew from the start that a job wasn’t for you, you should still thank someone for the opportunity to interview. Showing your appreciation is a sign of professionalism that people will remember.

3. Sleep on It, but respond early

You want to demonstrate consideration for an interview, even if you always intended to turn it down. Waiting a day or two before declining is standard protocol, so long as you don’t wait until a day or even a few hours before your scheduled interview. 

If you take too long to respond, it comes across as unthoughtful toward the company and the interviewer’s time. They likely have other candidates available, and it’s best to provide a wider timeframe for them to reach out and arrange an interview with someone else. 

4. Recommend someone else (if you can)

It isn’t necessary, but you can use your decline interview email to recommend another candidate for the position.

This is a polite gesture toward the employer, which also helps someone else you know to take advantage of a great opportunity. 

Before you provide a colleague’s name, make sure you ask them if they are okay with this. You should not give anyone their contact information without their permission.

How to decline an interview examples and template

Now that we know how to respectfully decline an interview, let’s take a look at some examples for declining an interview by email in different situations. 

There are many reasons why you may need to decline. What matters is that you know how to approach the situation with tact and respect for the company’s time. 

Declining job interview email templates - ready-to-use

When it comes to how to cancel interviews, the way you communicate can leave a lasting impression. It’s essential to contact the hiring manager with professionalism, ensuring that your message is clear, respectful, and considerate. The following email templates are designed to help you effectively communicate your decision to decline an interview, regardless of the reason.

By using these templates, you can ensure that your email is polite and professional, maintaining a positive relationship with the potential employer.

These templates cover a variety of scenarios, including how to cancel a job interview last minute, how to decline an interview because you got a job, and how to politely cancel an interview due to personal reasons. Each template is crafted to provide a clear and respectful message, acknowledging the opportunity and expressing gratitude for the interviewer’s time.

By tailoring these templates to your specific situation, you can handle the process of cancelling an interview with ease and confidence.

Whether you are facing a schedule conflict, unexpected health issues, or have simply reconsidered the role, these templates offer a structured and professional way to communicate your decision.

4 Decline email interview samples

Below are four interview decline email samples you can use for your needs. Once you are 100% certain that you do not want to proceed with an interview, these email templates can help you decline an interview without burning bridges. 

Please customize each template to suit your circumstances. You may, for example, decide to include additional details about your reasons for declining if you feel they are necessary. 

However, we suggest using these decline interview email samples as a standard form. It is best to be vaguer and solely state your intention for declining the interview rather than delving into personal details about your reasoning. 

1. How to decline an interview email last-minute sample email

Although we hope it never comes down to it, you might have to send a last-minute interview decline notice. Here’s how we would approach it:

2. How to decline an interview after accepting another offer sample email

You might have to decline an interview because you have accepted another offer. In this case, it’s best to keep it respectful.

Don’t boast about accepting a better offer (even though you might feel that way), and emphasize being thankful. Here’s how:

3. How to politely decline an interview sample email

4. How to decline a second interview sample email

Bonus decline an interview email templates

Reconsidering the role

If you’ve reconsidered your interest in the position and decided to withdraw your application.‍

Health reasons

Use this template if health issues prevent you from attending the interview.

‍Personal reasons

For cancellations due to personal matters.

Relocation

If you need to cancel due to a sudden relocation.

Schedule conflict

When a schedule conflict arises, use this template.

Final words

Declining an interview promptly with a polite email is the best way to maintain positive relationships and a strong professional network. Although you may feel as though you need to apologize profusely or offer explanations, a simple email that states your current stance is more than enough.

Most interviewers will accept your decline without any issue, and they will appreciate your speed and thoughtfulness. The most important thing for you to do is email ahead of time so they can continue their hiring process and schedule interviews with other candidates.

To write a perfect email declining an interview, try our AI email assistant, MailMaestro. It will write messages for you from scratch based on your conversation's context or will improve your existing drafts using the power of AI.