When you are applying for jobs and going on interviews, it can be a grueling process. Many candidates find themselves going to interview after interview and either not hearing back at all, or getting the infamous rejection letter. Everyone that has gone through the job search process have received a rejection letter. But the question is, how do you best respond? Should you even respond at all? The answer very much depends on how you feel about the position. If you are not really interested in the job, then it is completely fine not to respond to the rejection letter. In that case, everyone dodged a bullet. But if you are genuinely interested in the position, you should DEFINITELY respond to the rejection letter. Below I break down the best way to go about it.

Keep It Short

First of all, when you are responding to a rejection letter, keep in mind that nobody actually expects you to do so. Most job rejection letters are sent out to all the candidates that interviewed and were not offered the job. Simply responding will set you apart from the candidates that did not. However, you do not want to write a novel. Keeping it short and to the point will give you the highest probability that the hiring manager will read it.

Be Gracious

Start off your response by thanking the hiring manager for their time and let them know that you enjoyed speaking with them. It is not necessary to respond in defense of yourself or skills. If it is mentioned in the letter the skillset that the chosen candidate had, they are not saying you did not have those skills. They are simply stating some of the traits of the candidate they chose for the position. Keep in mind, their decision has already been made. Responding in defense of yourself will not change the outcome of their decision. Instead, keep things positive by focusing on how grateful you are for the opportunity.

Express Availability

Another thing you want to add to your rejection letter response it your willingness to try again. This shows genuine interest in the position even after they said no and will set you apart from the candidates that are just interviewing for anything. Let the hiring manager know that you are available should anything open up in the future. This doesn’t guarantee that they will call you, but it gives you a leg up should anything happen with their chosen candidate.

As much as hiring managers do their best to choose the most qualified, best fit for the position, things happen. Whether for personal or professional reasons, it is not uncommon for a candidate to back out of a job after accepting or simply just not working out. Instead of going through the entire process again, many hiring managers will go back to the candidates they had previously interviewed. If you respond with positivity and express interest in future positions, you are likely going to be at the top of the list if they need to hire someone new.