You’ve received a great job offer and are excited to say “yes.” The issue here is that writing formal letters can be tricky, and tackling them when you’re ecstatic is even trickier.
The last thing you want is to rush a response that makes you look unprofessional and ruins your shot.
How can you write a solid job acceptance letter? Do you keep it formal or informal? Do you agree with the conditions or mention your reservations right away?
In this post, I’ll walk you through the best practices for writing acceptance letters.
What is a Job Acceptance Letter?
A job acceptance letter is a formal reply to an offer letter. It’s the candidate’s way of thanking the new employer for the opportunity and showing that they’re willing to move forward with the hiring process.
Why is a Job Acceptance Letter Important?
Formal job offer letters don’t mean you’ve got the job; there are still more hoops to go through. It’s even possible for the new employer to rescind the offer at the last minute.
Sending a properly worded and formatted acceptance letter helps you seal the deal.
Here’s how:
Starts You Off on the Right Foot
Everything from the timing to the word choice shapes the impression that you’ll leave on your future employer.
Try to mention how you’re eager to apply one of your relevant skills to the new position. This way, you’ll give the hiring manager a subtle reminder that they made the right call by choosing you.
You’ll also want to show enthusiasm and commitment. To do this, you need more than tweaking the tone and wording; a prompt response is key.
On average, hiring managers expect to receive your answer in 48–72 hours. It’s better to reply as soon as possible, even if you’ll ask for more time to think about the offer.
If you delay the response, the recruiter could believe you’re hesitant or stalling.
Shows Your Professionalism
Getting the formatting right shows you can handle business correspondences with clients.
Pay attention to all the minute details in the job offer letter. It’ll help you shape a formal letter that matches the recruiters’ style. It’s safe to say a block format will do the trick in many cases, though.
After formatting the document, you’ll want to save it as a PDF and attach it to a brief acceptance email. Keep that email as standard and non-distracting as possible—no fancy fonts.
Informs Them That You Will Accept the Job
This point could sound like a no-brainer, but there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Usually, offers include an overview of the employment conditions (salary, benefits, starting date, etc.). When you’re accepting a job offer, you’ll also agree to all the terms that come with the job title.
In some cases, the offer letter will have a signature slot that you have to fill in and send back to the recruiter. It’s a formality, but failing to comply could send a message that you’re not ready to commit.
You could even come off as not tech-savvy enough to add a virtual signature.
What Do You Say in a Job Acceptance Letter?
Aim to shape the outline of your acceptance response like a regular business letter, with a date, address, greeting, and a formal sign-off.
For the body, you need an explicit acceptance sentence. Then, you can add elements of gratitude and show both initiative and excitement.
Express Your Gratitude
It’s customary to open the body of the letter by thanking the recruiter. Writing this section can be tricky if the role isn’t your dream job, but it shows that you’re grateful and will take the opportunity seriously.
Add another gratitude line at the end of the body, right before the sign-off, but switch up the phrasing to avoid being monotonous.
For instance, if you start the letter with “I’m delighted,” use “thank you” at the end. If you begin with “thank you,” opt for “I look forward to the role” before the sign-off.
Show Your Excitement
After the initial opening line, insert a sentence that reflects how eager you are to start the job.
Something like “I can’t wait to join the team as and contribute to [field/department] through [vital skill or experience]” will suffice.
The main tip here is to use keywords related to the role instead of boasting about your skill sets in general. The recruiter doesn’t need to see a resume here.
The goal is to show that you understand what the job is and that you’re both happy and qualified to do it.
Formally Accept the Offer
The next section in the body should convey that you fully understand the conditions mentioned in the offer. Use direct phrasing and avoid responses that imply you’re holding the stick from the middle.
Whether you accept the offer via email or in person , it’s helpful to restate the employment conditions. This tactic shows that you’ve carefully read the offer.
Plus, recapping the offer in your words can help clear any misunderstandings out of the way.
You’ll tell the recruiter that you accept based on X, Y, and Z. If you misunderstood any of those terms, they’ll get back to you and clarify what the offer letter meant.
It could come in handy to have a list of questions to ask before accepting a job ready to go. Otherwise, the communication could drag on until you gather your thoughts.
Go Over the Next Steps
Ideally, the offer letter should tell you what the next phase of the hiring process entails.
For instance, you could need to upload documents to the company’s portal or head to a lab for drug screening. Your reply should go over the steps you’ve already taken and when you expect to finish the rest.
If the next steps aren’t clearly stated in the offer, use the acceptance letter to ask for clarification about what you should do next.
How Do You Write an Acceptance Letter?
Don’t hesitate to tweak the typical format to mention some reservations or conditions. It’s also possible to strip some formality from the email, but only if the recruiter initiates the not-so-formal tone.
How Do You Write a Job Offer Acceptance Letter With Conditions?
Not everyone negotiates offers before taking the deal. That’s surprising since studies show that 85% of counteroffers are successful.
You don’t even have to send a full counteroffer that changes all the employment contract details . If you like everything about the job but only have one or two conditions, send an acceptance letter that clarifies your reservations.
Suppose the employer mentioned the start date and that you’ll only be able to access your annual leave days after three months of employment.
If you absolutely need to take a few days off after the start date, lay down the situation in the acceptance letter.
Don’t dwell on the details; it’s enough to say that there’s an emergency. Then, ask the employer to postpone the start date or give you an exception on the vacation rules.
How Do You Write an Informal Job Acceptance Email?
It’s not common practice to write an informal acceptance email. Yet, it’s possible to ditch the formalities if the employer contacts you with an informal offer.
You still need to keep the email elements (greeting and sign-off) professional. The difference is that you won’t have to structure the content as a business letter.
Try something along the lines of:
“That’s great to hear! Thanks for the good news. I look forward to talking soon and discussing the offer in more detail.”
This reply lets the hiring manager know that you’re accepting the general title but still looking for more information.
Can You Say “I Am Pleased to Accept Your Offer?”
Yes, it’s possible to say “I am pleased to accept your offer” at the opening of your letter or email.
Although it could sound overused, this phrasing is valid. In fact, some university career centers recommend it to students to this day.
If you don’t like this approach, consider using any of these alternatives:
- I am delighted to accept your offer.
- After careful consideration, I’m glad to accept your offer.
- I gladly accept the position of at [company].
- It is with delight that I accept your offer.
- In response to your letter, I am honored to accept the role of in your esteemed organization.
Wrapping Up
The perfect job acceptance letter should show the recruiter you’re excited about the offer. However, it should also reflect that you took the time to understand the conditions and put together a professional response.
It’s possible to take time to consider the offer before responding. Yet, it’s customary to give recruiters a heads-up and let them know when you’ll get back to them.
Drop a comment below if you still have questions about writing stellar job acceptance letters!
