
EXPERT ANSWER
Oct 14, 2019 - 03:56 PM
You should reply to an internship rejection email carefully. Rejection emails from any internship or job search can be very hard. It feels personal and pretty negative. And, all too often, companies will reject you with an automated email that feels impersonal.
If you receive a personal internship rejection email, send a brief, polite and professional response. You might want to say something like, "Thank you for email. I appreciate you considering my application for this opportunity." Then, leave it at that.
If you receive an automated email, you may not want to respond at all. Sometimes, a company will share the reason they believe you were rejected. They may share that there is some detail in your background that wasn't a fit, or that they went with another candidate for the internship.
Whatever you do, don't argue. This isn't an opportunity to convince the company to change their mind. The likelihood that they will is very small. If you receive a rejection email, take the high road. Be professional. Be polite.
Also, don't assume that because you were rejected today, there's no hope of anything in the future. It's possible that the company didn't hire anyone. It's possible that they had a candidate pre-selected. If you got along with the team, you may want to stay in touch. If you're professional in your response, there could be a future opportunity waiting that you haven't thought of yet.
If you receive a personal internship rejection email, send a brief, polite and professional response. You might want to say something like, "Thank you for email. I appreciate you considering my application for this opportunity." Then, leave it at that.
If you receive an automated email, you may not want to respond at all. Sometimes, a company will share the reason they believe you were rejected. They may share that there is some detail in your background that wasn't a fit, or that they went with another candidate for the internship.
Whatever you do, don't argue. This isn't an opportunity to convince the company to change their mind. The likelihood that they will is very small. If you receive a rejection email, take the high road. Be professional. Be polite.
Also, don't assume that because you were rejected today, there's no hope of anything in the future. It's possible that the company didn't hire anyone. It's possible that they had a candidate pre-selected. If you got along with the team, you may want to stay in touch. If you're professional in your response, there could be a future opportunity waiting that you haven't thought of yet.