Writing a rejection letter is not easy. Well, it can be, but only if the writer does not care about the tone or quality of the letter. Learn how to craft a letter that will let an applicant down in a way that leaves the door open for them to apply again in the future.
Why It's Important to Put Time Into Writing a Rejection Letter
Create the impression that opportunities at the company or school are not closed to the applicant forever. In a year or two, the same applicant may fit an open position perfectly or exceed the admissions criteria, but if a rejection letter really turned him or her off to the company or school, the chances of that person ever applying there again are low.
Example of a Terrible Rejection Letter
Dear Applicant,
We have reviewed your (application for employment/application for admission) and unfortunately your qualifications do not meet our (needs at this time/admission standards).
Regards,
(Name of Company)
Why is this a poorly crafted letter? It is not personalized, it does not give the applicant the impression that the application received any consideration, and it is demeaning. The examples below are neither harsh nor demeaning. Rather, they are a polite "no" that leaves the door open in the event that an applicant is qualified in the future.
Sample Rejection Letter to a Job Applicant
Dear (Name of Applicant),
Thank you for your interest in the (name of job) position at (name of company). We have reviewed your application, and unfortunately we are unable to offer you a position at this time. Should you find another open position that suits your interest, you would be welcome to submit an application in the future. We wish you the best of luck in your job search.
Best regards,
(Name of Hiring Manager)
Or, for a company with an online job board:
Thank you for your interest in the (name of job) position at (name of company). We have reviewed your application, and unfortunately we are unable to offer you a position at this time. Please continue to check our job board for available opportunities. We wish you the best of luck in your job search.
Best regards,
(Name of Hiring Manager)
Sample Rejection Letter to a College Applicant
Dear (Name of Applicant),
Thank you for your recent application to (name of college). We received a high volume of impressive applications this year. This made admissions decisions even more difficult, and unfortunately we will be unable to offer you a space in this year's incoming class. I would encourage you to attend a community college or other school of your choice in the fall, and you would be more than welcome to reapply as a transfer student next year. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.
Best regards,
(Name of Admissions Director)
Additional Advice for Writing a Rejection Letter
For smaller organizations that do not receive a large volume of applications, consider personalizing the letter beyond just the applicant's name, especially if the final decision was difficult, i.e. between two or three very well-qualified applicants.
For larger organizations that do receive a large volume of applications, be sure that the rejection letter has all of the applicant's correct information on it. Sending a rejection letter with misspelled names or address information is not unheard of, but is embarrassing for the organization and appears unprofessional.
Writing a rejection letter that is professional and tactful can be more difficult than writing a simple (and somewhat cold) letter. But it only takes a few more minutes to put together a letter that will give applicants the impression that their resumes or applications received at least some consideration.
More importantly, a respectful rejection letter will give the applicant the impression that submitting a resume or an application for admission in the future is okay. This is vital, as that same applicant may have fantastic qualifications a year or two, or even a few months, down the road.
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