Turning Down an Offer / Asking For More Time.

We often see students receive multiple offers and need help with navigating that process. See below for tips.

Turning Down an Offer

The way you turn down an offer can be as important as the way you accept one. Public health is a small world so act graciously and professionally. Here are some tips on how to do so:

• Express Gratitude: Thank the company for their offer and time. Acknowledge the effort they put into considering you.
• Act Promptly. Don’t Ignore the Offer: Inform the company as soon as you’ve made your decision to allow them to pursue other candidates.
• Decline the offer over the phone to show respect and professionalism. Follow up with an email or letter if necessary.
• Contact Key People: Reach out to everyone you interacted with during the interview process to thank them personally.
• Highlight Positives: Mention what you appreciated about the company and the opportunity to convey genuine interest.
• Leave the Door Open: Express interest in potential future opportunities if the company aligns with your long-term goals.
• Be Honest and Constructive: Share your reasons for declining, such as a better offer or misalignment with the role, in a tactful way. Constructive feedback can help the company improve.
• Do Not Accept Multiple Offers: You will burn bridges. Public health is a small world.

“Thank you very much for offering me the assistant manager position. After careful consideration, I regret that I must decline your offer. I have accepted another opportunity that is more in line with my skills and career goals. Thanks again for taking the time to meet with me and for the generous employment offer. Wishing you all the best and I hope our paths will cross again.”

Asking for More Time After a Job Offer

It is appropriate to ask for a few days before giving your decision to accept the offer or not – and they often do. However, there is some risk that they will not grant your request and instead may question your interest level in the position. Companies generally do not appreciate candidates that they feel are using their offer as leverage with other opportunities and could start a bidding war.

Here are some ways to respectfully delay a job offer to get more time to make that decision:

Express appreciation and excitement for the job offer

Before you even think about delaying a job offer, make sure to let the recruiter or hiring manager know you sincerely appreciate the job offer and the time they took evaluating your qualifications. Reiterate how much you are looking forward to being part of their organization to help them achieve their goals.

• “I am thrilled to receive an offer for the [position title] position and I’m really excited about working at your company. However, I will need a few days to carefully review the offer and total compensation package, may I get back to you on [a few days later]?”
• “I am very excited about this offer, but this is a major transition and I would like an additional week to discuss this with my spouse/family.”
• “I have a previously scheduled interview, and it is important to me to honor this commitment. In order for me to make the best decision, I would like to have until (enter date) to make a decision.”

Ask for a written job offer letter

It’s common for hiring managers to call and verbally offer a job. It is appropriate to ask them to send the offer in writing as well as the full benefits package before accepting an offer. This is an effective way to give you a bit more time.

• “This is so exciting, thank you so much for all of the time and effort you put into getting to know me and I agree I think I would be a great fit for your needs and with the team. I am very interested in reviewing the full benefits package, could you please send me all of those details so I can dive in?”
• “Thank you for offering me the position of (job title) with (company name). I would be very pleased to consider your offer, when might I expect to receive written confirmation of this offer together with the terms and conditions of employment. I look forward to hearing from you shortly.”

What To Do If You Received an Offer from “Company A” that is Not Your 1st Choice but You Are Waiting to Hear From “Company B”.

You haven’t heard from B, and you might not hear until near or after A’s deadline. You’d rather work for B, but you don’t want to turn Company A down if B doesn’t want you.

Ask yourself: Are you willing to turn down Company A’s offer without any guarantee that you’d get an offer from Company B in the future? Your answer probably depends on your financial situation and how confident you feel about other prospects coming along.

• Without delay, call/email employer B and let your contact know the situation. Keep your information simple and factual regarding the offer from A. You don’t have to mention organization A’s name, but you might be asked.
• Reiterate to employer B that they are your first choice and ask where you stand in the process. Is there any possibility to have definitive information before A’s deadline? If not, when might you expect to hear back?
• This will help you understand your status with B, and possibly expedite their process if they really want you. Or, alternatively, help you decide that A is a good choice.
  If B gives you an answer by your deadline with A: Immediately call employer A back to accept or decline their offer.
• If B will give you an answer shortly after your deadline with A: Ask employer A for an extension in advance. You will need to be convincing and show enthusiasm for A’s position.
• If B will not have an answer in time: You will have to make your decision with employer A based on the opportunity itself, your financial situation, and how confident you feel about other prospects: Call employer A back to accept or decline their offer.