How to Accept a Job Offer via Email (With Template)

Just got a job offer? In this quick guide, we’ll show you how to write a stellar acceptance email. So that you can make a positive first impression on your employer and start your new job with panache.

Congratulations 🎉 You’ve made it through the interview process and that in itself is no small feat. But now it’s time to give your employer a final answer. And while you can take 1 or 2 days before making a decision, you shouldn’t take too long.

As we see it, there are 3 possible scenarios for you at this point. In this quick guide, we’ll help you with options #1 and #2. ⤵️

1. You want to take the offer (in this case, keep reading this guide and we’ll show you exactly how to accept a job offer via email)
2. You want to negotiate (go here to learn how to revisit certain terms of the offer before accepting it)
3. You want to decline the offer (if so, we’ve written another guide to explain you how to politely turn down a job offer)

Accepting a job offer can be both exciting and frightening, so we’ll guide you through the entire process, step by step. Here’s a detailed overview of what we’ll cover ⤵️

• When to respond to a job offer email?
• How to write a good job acceptance email
• Job offer acceptance email template
• What are the next steps after sending your acceptance email?

Sounds good? Then let’s get started.

When to respond to a job offer email?

Ideally, you should respond to the job offer within 24 to 48 hours. This shows consideration for the employer’s time, while also giving you enough time to thoroughly review the terms.

If you need more time to make a decision, send an email to the recruiter and request an additional delay to consider the offer. If possible, try to be specific about how much extra time you need and why.

If you’re waiting on other offers and can’t provide a response immediately, it’s good practice to at least confirm you’ve received the offer, and indicate when the employer can expect your decision.

Lastly, don’t delay your response with a good reason. A prolonged delay may be perceived as a lack of interest or indecisiveness, which could lead the employer to consider other candidates instead.

How to write a good job acceptance email

Your email to accept a job offer should include 6 elements if you want to make a positive impression on your new employer ⤵️

1. A professional subject line
2. A formal, yet personalized greeting
3. A short opener to express your gratitude
4. A statement to officially accept the job offer
5. A recap of your terms of employment
6. A polite email sign-off

Let’s break down each element, shall we?

1. Start with a professional subject line

The subject line of your email is the first thing your recruiter will see. So let’s use it to make a good impression.

To craft an effective subject line for your acceptance email, here are a few tips worth keeping in mind ⤵️

• Clarity – Your subject line should be straightforward, informative, and accurately reflect the purpose of your email.
• Specificity – Include some details such as your name or the title of the job you’re applying for to make your email more recognizable.
• Brevity – Try to be concise. We recommend using no more than 7 words or 50 characters. Beyond that, your subject line may be cut off on mobile devices.
• Professionalism – Avoid overly casual language, emojis, or abbreviations. Your subject line should reflect your professionalism.

Here are some examples of subject lines you could use as the header of your email to accept a job offer ⤵️

• Confirming acceptance of [Job Title] role
• Ready to join [Company] as [Job Title]
• Positive response to [Job Title] offer
• Excited to join [Company]’s team

Once your subject line is ready, you can move on to the next step of writing your job offer acceptance email.

2. Personalize your greeting

Start your email with a formal greeting. If you know the name of the person who offered you the job, use their name with an appropriate title. For example, you could say something like “Dear Mr. Smith”.

The appropriate greeting mostly depends on your relationship with the recipient. If you’ve already met them a few times and feel comfortable addressing them by their first name, you can start your email with “Dear John”.

If the company’s culture leans towards less formal communications, you can match that tone in your job offer acceptance email and start your message with a more relaxed greeting such as “Hello John”.

But always stay professional. And if you’re not quite sure how to address your recipient, stick to a more formal greeting. Lastly, make sure to double-check the name and title of your recipient to avoid careless mistakes.

3. Thank the employer

You can begin your message by showing your appreciation and enthusiasm for the opportunity given to you by the employer.

This sets a positive tone for the rest of your job offer acceptance email and demonstrates your professionalism.

But don’t overdo it. Your statement of gratitude needs to be genuine and concise. A couple of lines should be more than enough to express your appreciation.

If possible, try to go beyond a generic thank you and mention specific elements that you liked about the hiring process or the job itself.

4. Officially accept the job offer

Begin this next section of your email with a straightforward statement of acceptance. Make sure to specify the title of your new position (as it was mentioned in the offer) to avoid any ambiguity. You can also mention the name of the company and your starting date.

5. Clarify your terms of employment

You can then briefly restate any key terms of the offer, such as your starting salary or any special conditions that were agreed upon.

This paragraph has 2 goals: prevent any confusion or misunderstanding, and keep a written record of your agreement with the employer.

Now is also a good time to ask any questions you may have about the position, or to ask the employer if they expect anything else from you.

This way you can make sure that you’ve got all the information you need and calmly prepare for your first day.

6. Conclude and sign

You can finish your email by thanking the employer once again for their proposal, and showing your enthusiasm for the job.

Conclude your communication with a professional email sign-off. There are a few options for you to choose from ⤵️

• Kind regards,
• Best wishes,
• Sincerely,

Also, don’t forget to add your signature at the end of your acceptance email. Include your name and an easy way to contact you, like your phone number.

Don’t have an email signature yet? You can create one in minutes thanks to our free email signature generator.

Bonus tip: Proofread your offer acceptance email

Last but not least, make sure to proofread your job offer acceptance email before sending it. Find and correct any typos and grammatical mistakes with the help of a spell-checking tool like Grammarly, or QuillBot.

Try reading your email out loud to see if it sounds right, or ask a friend to read it. You can also use the Hemingway app to make sure your writing is clear and easy to digest. Once you’re happy with the results, press send.

Job offer acceptance email template

Need some help to get started? Here’s an email template you can use to accept a job offer professionally and express your enthusiasm. Feel free to steal from us or use it as a source of inspiration to kickstart your writing process.

What are the next steps after sending your acceptance email?

Once you’ve sent your acceptance email, wait for your employer’s response. If they don’t reply after a few days, you may want to consider sending them a polite follow-up to make sure they received your first email.

After they’ve replied, you’ll probably need to review and sign formal employment documents, like a contract or an offer letter. If everything seems to be in order, sign the documents and return them to your recruiter.

At this point, the employer may require you to provide additional documentation, like your ID, or your banking details. In most companies, the HR department will guide you through the entire process.

And that’s it. Now that you’re all set, make sure to prepare for your first day. Plan your commute, make sure to follow the company’s dress code, and take a look at your schedule, if your employer sent you one.

Frequently Asked Questions