Composing an email acceptance in response to an offer is the last step in a job seeker’s process. You’ve spent countless hours perfecting your resume, LinkedIn profile, and practicing your interview skills. Every move has been carefully thought out, and it has all paid off! It can be tempting to sign the offer and send it back quickly, but you should take your time when you write a job acceptance email.
Your email should reassure your new employer that they made the right choice in hiring you, so take care to proofread it several times before pressing send.
Here are six tips for composing your acceptance email:
- Address the email to the person who sent the offer letter.
- Reiterate your excitement about or interest in the position.
- Confirm your start date and time.
- Attach the signed offer letter.
- Ask about additional paperwork.
- Say thank you!
When you’re beginning to write your acceptance email, you can either send a new message with the letter attached or send a reply to the original email.
Pro Tip: If you’re sending a reply, remove the recipient’s email address until you’re sure you’re ready to hit ‘send’ to avoid sending a half-finished or mistake-filled message.
Address the Email to the Person Who Sent the Offer Letter
It’s polite to address your email to whoever sent you the offer letter. Note that this may not be your future supervisor, so take care to address your message properly. If you’d like to send a note to your future boss, create a separate email.
Reiterate your Excitement About the Position
Use this opportunity to send a well thought out message! Express your enthusiasm about working with the department or team. If you’re aware of any special projects or particular tasks that you’ll be working on immediately after starting, mention that you’re looking forward to tackling them.
Confirm Your Start Date and Time
Your offer letter should contain a start date, but might not mention a start time for your first day. Take a look at the body of the email you received and see if a time was stated, and if not, ask for clarification.
Attach the Signed Offer Letter
Don’t forget the most important thing – the offer letter! Include a line in your email that says, “Attached is my signed offer letter,” as a fail-safe. Most email servers will pop up an alert if you mentioned attaching a document in your message but forgot to actually do so.
Ask About Additional Paperwork
Many companies have new employees complete paperwork prior to their first day. Ask if there’s anything else you can provide or any paperwork that needs to be completed before your start date.
Say Thank You!
This should go without saying, but don’t forget to show your appreciation by saying thanks. Sometimes, people get caught up in the excitement of a job offer, but it never hurts to be polite.
Now that you know the basics, you can try writing your own acceptance email, or you can download our FREE template here. Don’t forget to sign off with a professional email signature!
Congratulations on getting the job, and best of luck on your first day!
