How do you turn down a job?

[dawsongirl]

Has anyone ever been offered a job and turned it down, for whatever reason?

Here's my thing: I got mad at work a couple weeks ago (for like the 100th time) and I put in an app somewhere else. Well, most of the time, my job is okay; I like the kids and a lot of them like me, and I get along with the girls I work with most if the time. What I don't like is the fact that I currently have very little responsibilities, some of the teachers act like associates are morons who are beneath them, and my boss doesn't like me. No idea what his problem is, but I can't change people's already made up minds. However, I keep going back and forth on whether or not I actually want to leave. I have an interview this week and I'll see what this new job involves, but if I choose to keep my current job, what do I say if they call and offer me the new job? Just that I decided to stick with my current job for now, or that I didn't think that particular job was right for me?

[Nighthawk76]

That's a good question, Cathy. I think that if this second job is offered to you and you decide not to take it, than you should just tell them that you are not really interested and thank them for showing interest in you.

[Brieannas21]

You can just thank them for the consideration and the opportunity, but you decided to stay with your current employer.

[OH Nuts!]

A job offer should be treated as a compliment; after all, the company wanted you over other applicants. Thank them graciously in writing, and at the same time, politely expressing regret that you can not accept their offer.

[bingbangbaby]

A job offer should be treated as a compliment; after all, the company wanted you over other applicants. Thank them graciously in writing, and at the same time, politely expressing regret that you can not accept their offer.

That's good advice. You don't have to say too much. All you really have to say is something along the lines of "thank you so much, I enjoyed meeting with you on <whatever day> and I truly appreciate your offer, however, I have already made other employment arrangements," and then answer whatever questions they may ask you. If they ask, you can certainly go ahead and tell them where you stand right now (that you think you're going to stay where you are) because it's not like you really need this job, and if they like you enough it may cause them to sweeten their offer to something you might not be able to refuse. Of course it could also make them decide that you can't make up your mind and they may simply thank you and hang up.
But whatever you say, be gracious and thank them for the offer, and use an enthusiastic and interested tone anyway. If they're offering you the job, they've probably thought long and hard about you and decided you are the best person they interviewed for their position, so they deserve a decent response from you.
You can also say that you'd like to think about it a bit longer (if you would like to, which doesn't sound like a bad idea to me considering how you're feeling at your current job) but that will also sometimes cause an employer to offer the position to someone else in the meantime, which would take care of your problem anyway. If you do decide to think about it longer, don't take any more time than when you finally decide for sure. The sooner you know the sooner the employer can go about finding someone else.

Don't sell yourself short though...you owe it to yourself to make the most of your interview (it's always good practice, if nothing else!) and really consider whether this might be something that would be a better fit for you and make you happier. It's hard to decide to quit a job, but if this sounds like something you want to try, I think you owe it to yourself to give it a shot.

**Can you tell I'm the one who does the hiring at my company??

[dawsongirl]

So let's say I do decide to stay at my current job through the end of the school year...would turning down a job hamper any efforts I might make to get a job with those people over the summer?