I'm honored to be considered for the role of [job title]. Thank you for taking the time to review my application and reach out. I'm afraid I must politely decline this interview for now. Since applying to [company name], I've received and accepted an offer at another company.
Unfortunately, after deep and careful consideration, this position doesn't line up with my current career goals. Again, I want to thank you for the offer and for taking the time to consider me for this position. I wish you the best and sincerely hope that we can professionally cross paths again in the future.
Thank you very much for offering me the position of [Job Title] with [Company]. I sincerely appreciate the offer and your interest in hiring me. After much consideration, I have decided to accept another role that will offer me more opportunities to pursue my interests/grow my skills in [area] and [area].
You've got another job offer
Accepting another job is a perfectly acceptable reason to cancel an interview. Not only will you save yours and the recruiter's time, you'll also be able to explain your reasoning in a polite and professional manner – which will ultimately avoid any hard feelings in the future.
A personal or family emergency is a perfectly acceptable and understandable reason for cancelling an interview. If it's something that's not sensitive, like a delayed train or flight, then be sure to tell them. But if it's a delicate topic, you can simply explain that a family emergency has arisen.
Cancelling a job interview is not unprofessional, but might not always look good on your end. If you are certain that you don't want the position, cancelling the interview is best for the employer and they are able to move on to other candidates.
Interviewing for jobs you don't want gives you the chance to develop your skills without blowing your chances of landing your dream job. Job interviews can be stressful but the more practice you have, the easier they get. So it makes sense to practice your interview skills on jobs you're really not that bothered about.
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.
I very much enjoyed meeting both you and the development team last week. Sadly, I'll have to decline, since the position isn't a fit with my current career goals. I wish you the best in your search for the perfect candidate. I'm cheered by the possibility of working at your company in the future.
You will not burn a bridge just because you decline a job offer. People often get nervous about turning down a job offer, like they're somehow not holding up their end of a deal they made when they first applied.
Unfortunately, I've decided to decline the offer, since I've accepted a position with a different firm. I hope you find the perfect candidate fast. I'd like to keep the door open to working at Shibula in the future. Would it be okay to connect with you on LinkedIn?
Tips for declining an exit interview
Whether you send an email response or speak directly to a supervisor or human resources representative, you don't need to give a long explanation as to why you are refusing an exit interview. Simply state that you do not wish to participate.
Call or Email the Hiring Manager
Provide as much notice as possible. There's no need to give a reason or an explanation. You can simply let the hiring manager know that you're no longer available to interview for the position.
Example response: Thank you for the invitation to attend the interview on Friday. Unfortunately, due to a change in my personal circumstances, I am no longer looking to take on a new position at the moment and, with regret, must decline the opportunity.
There are lots of reasons to turn down a job interview: The job is not a match for your goals, the commute isn't reasonable, you don't like what you've heard about the company and more. For anyone who has too much to do and not enough time to do it, these all sound like reasonable time management decisions.
An exit interview is a voluntary decision on both parts, so you don't have to take part if you just want to move on without it. Even if you'd like an exit interview, because it's not a legal requirement, you might find your employer is reluctant to organise it.