You have been offered a job, asking you to start next week. You want the job very much but, because of a previous commitment, you want to delay the start for another two weeks.

Sample Answer

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am absolutely honoured to learn from your email that you have finalised my joining as an executive in your company. I consider it a great leap forward towards my future career, and I will serve my position with my best effort. However, I am writing to seek your permission for a delay in the joining date.

I am afraid I cannot join on 15th June, the date you expect me to start. After I formally notified my current employer a month ago, they welcomed my decision. However, they have recently requested an extension to hand over the projects I am currently working on and train a colleague. I am already committed to a project with my current employer and I will need another week to finish it. Thus, the new request from my manager forces me to work another two weeks with them.

Therefore, I would request you to delay my joining date and I am absolutely positive about starting with you from the 1st of July. I hope you would allow me to finish my commitment to my current employer and let me join your company on 1st July.

Yours faithfully,

Daren Smith