Email to Interviewer After Rejection (3 Stress-Free Examples)

Responding Graciously to a Job Rejection

There are many different reasons why an employer might reject you. It could be the position was been filled, they want someone with more experience, they need someone who has certain skills, or that they realized they don’t need the position and decided not to fill it. Whatever the reason for your rejection, try not to take it personally.

10 Tips to Respond Graciously to a Job Rejection

1. Acknowledge the rejection.
2. Don’t take it personally.
3. Communicate professionally.
4. Thank the interviewer(s) for their time.
5. Express your interest in other positions (if appropriate).
6. Maintain a positive attitude and be hopeful.
7. Don’t beg for the job.
8. Don’t criticize the hiring manager, employer, or company (in your response or on social media).
9. Stay in touch (connect with people you met on professional sites such as LinkedIn).
10. Keep your correspondence short and sweet.

Responding graciously to a job rejection is the professional thing to do. It will make you look good in an employer’s eyes, even if they didn’t hire you. Depending on the reason you didn’t get the job your response can make you stand out for future job opportunities. In addition, many industries are tight-knit. You may end up working with people you met during the interview process at another company so it’s best to leave hiring managers with a good impression.

Email to Interviewer After Rejection

When sending an email to interviewer after rejection your main objective is to maintain a good relationship with the interviewer and leave on a positive note. Your goal is not to ask why you were turned down or beg for another chance.

How do you send an email after an interview rejection?

The content of your rejection email response should include:

1. Gratitude, thank the hiring manager(s) for their time and consideration of your application. If multiple people interviewed you, thank each person individually by name (this might feel awkward but it demonstrates that you took the time to learn everyone’s names).
2. Disappointment, but not too much or in a dramatic way (don’t share that the rejection has discouraged you). 
3. Interest in other positions at the company (if they have any open and it is appropriate to do so).
4. A recap of your skills and desired role, if you’d like.
5. Interest, mention that you’ll be in touch when the company is hiring for roles relevant to your skills and experience.
6. Keywords such as desired job titles and your skills, incorporating keywords into your email makes it easy for a hiring manager who doesn’t remember your name (in the future) to search their Inbox using keywords, find your email, and contact you with an opportunity 
7. Contact information, make it easy for hiring managers to contact you by including your phone number in your email.

It is important that you send your email within 48 hours of receiving your rejection. Delaying your response results in your email not being relevant and/or overlooked. To ensure your email is read, keep it short, professional, and in a format that is easy to read/ skim.

While it is very tempting to ask for feedback on why you didn’t get the job, if you choose to do so you can ruin the intent and feeling of your email. Many hiring managers want to provide feedback to job applicants (especially if they enjoyed interacting with them). Unfortunately, many companies do not allow hiring managers to give feedback. This is to protect the company from lawsuits. The wording of interview feedback can be twisted by spiteful job applicants and used to imply that the person(s) hiring were biased and/or discriminatory.

It is best to send a focused “Thank you” email that does not request feedback. This ensures you don’t leave interviewers feeling guilty for not being able to provide feedback and without annoyance that you asked for feedback that they (likely) cannot provide. 

How to Respond to a Job Rejection Email Examples

Now that you know how to graciously respond to a rejection and what should and should not be in your rejection email response, let’s dive into a few examples of how to respond to a job rejection.

Email to interviewer after rejection (FAQs) 

Conclusion

While it’s disappointing to receive a job rejection, it’s important to remember to respond graciously. Following up after a job rejection can help keep you top of mind when another position opens up. Thank the interviewer for their time and consideration, express your appreciation for the opportunity to interview, and reiterate your interest in the company. Let them know you look forward to hearing from them in the future. 

Hopefully, this article has provided you with everything you need to send an email to your interviewer(s). If you still have a question drop it in the comments!

If you want to build up your positivity and boost your interview skills for your next job interview, create your InterviewDestiny account today!