Withdraw job application before interview email sample

The job search process often involves interviews with several different hiring companies. Hopefully, one of the interviews will lead to employment. When this happens, you will need to let the other prospective employers know you are no longer in the job market. A withdraw application letter is the professional way to notify hiring managers that you no longer wish to be considered for the opportunity within their organization. The letter is only necessary if you have interviewed with the company and believe you are being seriously considered for the open position.

Format and Content

Begin the letter by expressing your appreciation for the time and consideration given during your interview. Keep the letter focused on the positive only. It is never a good idea to burn bridges; the hiring manager you turn down today might be the same manager you encounter for a job you really want in the future. Never state you have decided to take a “better job” or that you no longer wish to work for the company due to negative factors you discovered during the interview process. Thewithdraw application letter format is generally short and straight to the point. Address the letterto the person or persons who conducted your interview.

Sample

Thiswithdraw application letter sample is being sent by an applicant who accepted a job offer from another organization. She begins by thanking the hiring manager for his time and consideration before informing him that she wishes to withdraw her name from consideration. She is polite and sincere. She informs the manager she has accepted another position but she refrains from making a comparison between the one she accepted and the one offered by the company in the letter. She ends the letter on a positive note and expresses her gratitude to both the hiring manager and his staff.

Dear Mr. Sage,

I would like to thank you for considering me for the position of Marketing Manager at Hill and Associates and for the time you set aside to meet with me last week. I truly enjoyed meeting you and your marketing team. I was impressed by the long and short-term goals of your company and the manner in which leadership treats employees. However, with some regret, I would like to withdraw my application for this position.

As I indicated during our interview, I was exploring several opportunities. Earlier this week another organization offered me a position, and after much consideration, I decided to accept the job offer. I made the decision based on my current situation, the timing of the offer, and my career goals.

Again, thank you for the time you devoted to me during our interview. You have an amazing marketing staff and I enjoyed the time I spent with them during the interview process. Hopefully, our paths will cross again at some point in the future. I wish you and your organization the best.

Sincerely,

Heather Harcrow

Ms. Heather Harcrow

Have you applied for a job, only to have second thoughts about it? Have you realised that you’re perfectly happy in your current job or concluded that this new opportunity doesn’t quite align with your long-term goals?

You’re not the only one, and you certainly won’t be the last.

But what do you do about it? Do you brush it under the carpet and ignore the hiring manager’s emails and phone calls or do you take a more direct and proactive approach?

Newsflash: it’s the latter.

The best way to go about it – if not for the sake of your professional reputation, then for the sake of common courtesy – is to reach out to the hiring manager and formally withdraw your job application from consideration.

So, how exactly do you let them know you’re just no longer interested in the opportunity and, most importantly, how do you do it without burning any bridges in the process?

1. Make sure you really do want to drop out

First things first, are you certain you want to withdraw your job application or are you just afraid of change?

It’s not uncommon to be scared of changing jobs, but if that’s your main reason for deciding to withdraw your application, you might want to take a couple of days to mull things over.

Once you’ve thought about it – really thought about it – and you’re absolutely sure you want to drop out of the hiring process, then by all means: pull the plug. But if there’s even an ounce of doubt in you about withdrawing your job application, chances are your conscience is telling you to reconsider.

Remember: once you formally withdraw your application, there’s no going back. You could rescind your withdrawal, of course – there’s no rule against it – but you’ll appear indecisive, and a lack of confidence isn’t a personal quality that employers look for in potential hires.

2. Let the hiring manager know ASAP

As soon as you’ve decided you no longer want to pursue the opportunity, reach out to the hiring manager and tell them so. This will enable them to focus on other candidates who’ve applied for the position, and it will also allow you to continue with your job search or, if you choose to stay put in your current job, focus on rising through the ranks.

If you haven’t proceeded to the interview stage yet, a brief email will suffice. But if you’ve decided to withdraw your application after an interview or a job offer, a phone call will be more courteous and respectful, followed by an email confirming your withdrawal.

Whatever you do, don’t let things drag out and wait for an interview invitation or a job offer to inform the hiring manager of your decision. You won’t only end up wasting their time, but you will also risk looking unprofessional and unreliable, especially if you fail to show up for your scheduled interview or, worse, what would’ve been your first day on the job. Needless to say, this can – and will – come back to haunt you if you apply for any future opportunities with the same company.

3. Offer an explanation

While no one’s stopping you from emailing a simple message that says ‘Please accept my withdrawal from the hiring process’, it’s more polite and professional to explain why you’re removing yourself from consideration for the position.

Felicity Dwyer, a UK-based career coach and the founder of The Heart of Work, shares this advice: ‘Give a reason you can fully own. For example, you might explain that you’ve realised you’re not yet ready for the role and need a couple of years’ more experience. Or you might say that, with reflection, you’ve realised that you’re more suited to a customer-facing role, for example, and so you’ve concluded you wouldn’t be the best candidate.’

Of course, you don’t have to go into great detail about it. For example, if you’re dropping out of the hiring process because the job is too far away, you don’t have to mention how it would take you an hour to drive to work and another hour to drive home or how relocating isn’t an option because your kids go to school on the other side of town.

That said, the hiring manager might press you for details. If you choose to divulge a little more about your decision (the keyword here is ‘little’), the important thing to remember is to be professional, diplomatic and respectful in how you communicate that information.

4. Keep it positive

Whatever your reasons for withdrawing your consideration from a job, make sure you do so on a positive note. Even if your interview experience was an awful one or if the job doesn’t sound all that good, you don’t want to burn any bridges (exceptions apply, of course). After all, you just never know when a more suitable – and more exciting – opportunity at the company might come along.

‘It’s always wise to aim to maintain a relationship with the organisation involved and potentially keep your options open for the future,’ says Ms Dwyer. ‘Avoid any criticism or negativity about the job, even if in reality you have some concerns about it. And always be courteous, and thank the recruiter or company for their time.’

Remember that you’re withdrawing your application for this particular position, not the company itself.

5. Follow a template

If you’re not quite sure how to put your job application withdrawal into words, take a look at the following email and phone script templates for some inspiration.

Email example

As mentioned previously, if you haven’t reached the interview stage of the hiring process, you should send an email notifying the hiring manager that you’re withdrawing your application.

The following is an email template to guide you in crafting your own email message.

Dear [hiring manager’s name],

I very much appreciate your consideration for the marketing manager position with your company. After much thought, it is with regret that I withdraw my application, as I was offered a job at another company and I’ve accepted their offer.

Thank you again for your time and consideration. I wish you the best of luck in your search for the perfect candidate.

Kind regards,

John Smith

Make sure you use a subject line that clearly tells the hiring manager of your intention to withdraw your application from consideration. For example, ‘John Smith – Withdrawal of Job Application’ will do the trick.

Phone script

If you’ve already met the hiring manager, the best way to drop out of the hiring process is to call them directly.

Below is a phone script to show you how the conversation might go.

*Ring, ring*

Hiring manager: Hello?

You: Hi, [hiring manager’s name]. John Smith here. We met on Tuesday when I interviewed for the marketing manager position.

HM: Oh, hello John. How are you?

You: I’m well, thank you. And you?

HM: I’m fine, thanks. How can I help you?

You: I’m calling to let you know that I would like to withdraw myself from consideration for the position.

HM: Oh, that’s a shame. May I ask why?

You: Well, as you know, one of the reasons I applied for the role was because my partner and I were planning to move to Los Angeles. But since our meeting, he was offered a promotion at his current job, and so we’ve decided to stay put.

HM: I understand, and thanks for letting me know.

You: Thank you again for your time and consideration.

HM: That’s quite alright. Take care!

You: You too! Bye!

HM: Bye!

*End of call*

Meanwhile, don’t forget to follow up your phone call with a brief email confirming your withdrawal:

Dear [hiring manager’s name],

Following our telephone conversation, I would like to confirm my withdrawal from the hiring process, since my partner and I have ultimately decided not to move to Los Angeles for work.

Thank you again for your time and consideration, and best of luck with your search!

Kind regards,

John Smith

Withdrawing a job application is a tricky and delicate business but, done right, you can upkeep your professional reputation and avoid burning bridges with the company. You just need to be tactful and graceful when breaking the bad news.

Got a question, or want to share your own experiences about withdrawing your consideration from a job? Join the conversation down below!

This article is an updated version of an earlier article originally published on 15 Feb 2016.

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