How to Decline Offer to Lab position

[Cells4life]

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Hi,

So I visited some labs that the graduate school has that I will be attending this fall to get an overview of the different types of research. Now that I have made my decision which lab I want to conduct research in, does anybody know how I can politely decline some of the offers I was offered without burning any bridge? thanks

 

[SN12357]

Hi,

So I visited some labs that the graduate school has that I will be attending this fall to get an overview of the different types of research. Now that I have made my decision which lab I want to conduct research in, does anybody know how I can politely decline some of the offers I was offered without burning any bridge? thanks

Send a polite email thanking them for their offer but informing them that you've decided to take a position elsewhere. You don't need to be more specific or detailed than that. Just be polite and courteous.

....and don't decline ANYTHING until you've got the one you want to be in totally sewn up.

 

[Cells4life]

Send a polite email thanking them for their offer but informing them that you've decided to take a position elsewhere. You don't need to be more specific or detailed than that. Just be polite and courteous.

....and don't decline ANYTHING until you've got the one you want to be in totally sewn up.

hi! thanks for the reply! I just do not know how to not be specific since they are all joint labs in the same building (1 of the labs are actually conjoined). I am a little bit confused if I should mention whose lab I am working in since they all happen to know each other anyway..*confused*

I mean it's not like they said YES resoundingly, they said there were fall positions open, so now I do not know if I should even write a formal email or just let it be. I did send out a thank you letter for them taking out the time to give me an overview.

 

[PointEstimate]

Just say something along the lines of "Thanks for the opportunity, but I've decided to work somewhere else" so you can at the very least give the lab the courtesy of acknowledging their offer. You aren't the first person that turned them down and you're likely to not be the last.

 

[Arbor Vitae]

Hi,

So I visited some labs that the graduate school has that I will be attending this fall to get an overview of the different types of research. Now that I have made my decision which lab I want to conduct research in, does anybody know how I can politely decline some of the offers I was offered without burning any bridge? thanks

Just thank them for their consideration and say you've decided on a lab that feels like the best fit for you.

 

[Cells4life]

okay thanks everybody..if anyone else has any advice please chime in!

 

[Juan Solo]

As commenters have said, you want to be polite, considerate, professional and basically straight to the point. PIs will understand and have many other things to worry about.

Good luck.

 

[Cells4life]

As commenters have said, you want to be polite, considerate, professional and basically straight to the point. PIs will understand and have many other things to worry about.

Good luck.

thanks!