So I know the wisdom: don't renege on a job acceptance. That said, I'm considering it. Am I making a huge mistake? I'm a student who will be graduating in May with a BA and an MA (with a set of in-demand skills; the job market is good for recent graduates compared to most fields). I know I was interested in strategy/management consulting (thanks for the help several years ago, mefi) and also in government-focused work, so I applied to a number of firms including a few public-sector focused firms and to the public sector division of one larger firm. I only applied to entry-level positions. I received and chose an offer from the large firm (call it place A). That was in October or so. I gave a verbal commitment at that point.
I felt pretty good about the job, although I wasn't crazy about certain parts such as moving cities and the fact that I didn't really feel like I "clicked" with the other people who got entry level offers (without going too far into detail, our reasons for being there and being interested in the work felt very different). I also know that a lot of my job particulars will be very tied to the project I'm on so it's hard to imagine exactly what the work will be like (and how travel-focused, difficult, menial, etc. my responsibilities will be). I'm fine with that but it makes it harder to imagine myself there.
I knew by taking it I was trading the security of knowing I had a job almost a full year ahead of time (I won't be starting until September/October) for later missed opportunities. I'm pretty risk-averse so I thought I was comfortable with that. Since then, of course, I have seen great positions advertised and have been sad but okay to not even try, since I have something already. Recently, though, an old internship (call it place B) approached me about an open position (one that is distinctly above entry-level and would probably allow me to focus more exclusively on the skills I've built recently). I LOVED this internship. The people were great, the work was exactly what I like to do, the work-life balance was fantastic, and I always looked forward to Mondays. This is probably my dream post-college job, even though I'd be giving up some of the money, exposure, and planned professional development opportunities of a large consulting firm. It's also in the city where I would prefer to live. I haven't officially interviewed with place B yet but we've had a serious conversation and I know there are no other candidates they like on the table at this point. I wouldn't consider reneging until/unless my role was 1000% confirmed with B.
I have a great relationship with the people at place B, and I know I could tell them I'm not interested in pursuing this opportunity without hampering that. I also know that reneging would destroy my relationship with place A. That said, when I think about the office I want to be sitting in a year from now, it's almost definitely B. I don't know how shortsighted that approach is for a recent grad.
While I've thought it through and am okay ending my relationship with place A (though of course I wouldn't choose to if it weren't necessary), I don't think I'd renege if that meant also destroying any potential relationship with all competitors (it's just an industry that I'm not prepared to rule out for the future). I know Washington DC is a small town, although I also know that this is probably fairly unremarkable for an unknown entry-level consultant to do.
So, mefi, because I am young and bad at (or at least inexperienced at) making career decisions: am I crazy to consider place B? Just how bad is it to renege on place A? What is likely to be the impact with competitors? What would you do?
I felt pretty good about the job, although I wasn't crazy about certain parts such as moving cities and the fact that I didn't really feel like I "clicked" with the other people who got entry level offers (without going too far into detail, our reasons for being there and being interested in the work felt very different). I also know that a lot of my job particulars will be very tied to the project I'm on so it's hard to imagine exactly what the work will be like (and how travel-focused, difficult, menial, etc. my responsibilities will be). I'm fine with that but it makes it harder to imagine myself there.
I knew by taking it I was trading the security of knowing I had a job almost a full year ahead of time (I won't be starting until September/October) for later missed opportunities. I'm pretty risk-averse so I thought I was comfortable with that. Since then, of course, I have seen great positions advertised and have been sad but okay to not even try, since I have something already. Recently, though, an old internship (call it place B) approached me about an open position (one that is distinctly above entry-level and would probably allow me to focus more exclusively on the skills I've built recently). I LOVED this internship. The people were great, the work was exactly what I like to do, the work-life balance was fantastic, and I always looked forward to Mondays. This is probably my dream post-college job, even though I'd be giving up some of the money, exposure, and planned professional development opportunities of a large consulting firm. It's also in the city where I would prefer to live. I haven't officially interviewed with place B yet but we've had a serious conversation and I know there are no other candidates they like on the table at this point. I wouldn't consider reneging until/unless my role was 1000% confirmed with B.
I have a great relationship with the people at place B, and I know I could tell them I'm not interested in pursuing this opportunity without hampering that. I also know that reneging would destroy my relationship with place A. That said, when I think about the office I want to be sitting in a year from now, it's almost definitely B. I don't know how shortsighted that approach is for a recent grad.
While I've thought it through and am okay ending my relationship with place A (though of course I wouldn't choose to if it weren't necessary), I don't think I'd renege if that meant also destroying any potential relationship with all competitors (it's just an industry that I'm not prepared to rule out for the future). I know Washington DC is a small town, although I also know that this is probably fairly unremarkable for an unknown entry-level consultant to do.
So, mefi, because I am young and bad at (or at least inexperienced at) making career decisions: am I crazy to consider place B? Just how bad is it to renege on place A? What is likely to be the impact with competitors? What would you do?
