Declining job offer you verbally accepted.

[theshadow]

Adult "decommits" after verbally accepting a job offer: "That's okay. Happens all the time. You have to look out for your own best interest."

High school kid "decommits" after verbally accepting a scholarship offer: "HOW DARE YOU??? DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT 'COMMITMENT' MEANS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!"

 

[cyIclSoneU]

Back in the old days (and I remember them well), a verbal agreement and a handshake were considered binding. Even state laws reflected verbal agreements as binding. I guess times have changed, hopefully for the better.

Don’t really understand your point. Verbal agreements can still be binding (although harder to prove). But you can’t bind an employee to a job and require him to work there into the future, even if he wants to quit. That’s not new.

 

[CycloneErik]

Take the second offer and don't look back. You can just use the line most companies use with offer no. 1-- "I decided to go another direction".

Use the even more classic, "While I have been excited about your interest in my employment, I unfortunately have to go another direction with another company at this time. I wish you the best of luck in your continued search for candidates."

 

[cmjh10]

Use the even more classic, "While I have been excited about your interest in my employment, I unfortunately have to go another direction with another company at this time. I wish you the best of luck in your continued search for candidates."

I taste some salt with this post

 

[CycloneErik]

I taste some salt with this post

Maybe just a lot

 

[brianhos]

Thanks for all the advice. In the end my kids talked me into the 2nd job. First one had a lot of travel. 2nd one is 8x5 and a 10 min commute, with free breakfast and lunch.

 

[jdcyclone19]

Thanks for all the advice. In the end my kids talked me into the 2nd job. First one had a lot of travel. 2nd one is 8x5 and a 10 min commute, with free breakfast and lunch.

How’d the first company take the news?

 

[drose1]

I did it, accepted a job with an equipment dealer out west. Ended up going to a fertilizer manufacturer with an office in Chicago. Told the other company 2 weeks prior to starting. Best choice I ever made. Opening up so many doors. I never looked back. Just be confident in your decision and know you're doing the best thing for yourself.

 

[AgronAlum]

I’ve never been laid off myself but A LOT of past coworkers were (I’d say around 95+% that I worked with over the years). A lot of people that were good employees and had a lot of years of service under their belt. The bottom line is when an employee starts to hit the bottom line too hard, a large company won’t blink an eye at letting them go. Always do what’s best for yourself and your family. Be selfish when it comes to your employment.

It sounds like you made the right decision. I recently left a company I had worked for since college in a roundabout way and on top of the reasons above, it was because I have had too many people in my industry regret what little amount of time they got to spent with their kids. Some of them having more kids after 15 or whatever years just to try and do it right the second time. Put your family first. Work to live, not the other way around.

 

[dosry5]

I did it, accepted a job with an equipment dealer out west. Ended up going to a fertilizer manufacturer with an office in Chicago. Told the other company 2 weeks prior to starting. Best choice I ever made. Opening up so many doors. I never looked back. Just be confident in your decision and know you're doing the best thing for yourself.

That sounds like a crappy job....

 

[GMackey32]

Thanks for all the advice. In the end my kids talked me into the 2nd job. First one had a lot of travel. 2nd one is 8x5 and a 10 min commute, with free breakfast and lunch.

Less travel = more time tailgating in B5?

 

[Clonefan94]

I’ve had this happen twice in my career. You just have to suck it up and tell the truth. One thing I’ve learned in my 25 years in the workforce is that no employer is too embarrassed to tell you that you don’t have a job anymore. So you have to do what is right for you. Tell them you have a better offer.

 

[Farnsworth]

I had a similiar situation that went bad.

I was offered one job, next day offered another, so I declined the first (didn't even accept then decline). Ended up getting let go from the second one a year later, and soon after the first one opened back up (which I should have taken in the first place) They basically laughed at me and wouldn't even give me an HR interview.

 

[cycloner29]

I had a similiar situation that went bad.

I was offered one job, next day offered another, so I declined the first (didn't even accept then decline). Ended up getting let go from the second one a year later, and soon after the first one opened back up (which I should have taken in the first place) They basically laughed at me and wouldn't even give me an HR interview.

Bridge burning, engaged!!

 

[wxman1]

I’ve never been laid off myself but A LOT of past coworkers were (I’d say around 95+% that I worked with over the years). A lot of people that were good employees and had a lot of years of service under their belt. The bottom line is when an employee starts to hit the bottom line too hard, a large company won’t blink an eye at letting them go. Always do what’s best for yourself and your family. Be selfish when it comes to your employment.

It sounds like you made the right decision. I recently left a company I had worked for since college in a roundabout way and on top of the reasons above, it was because I have had too many people in my industry regret what little amount of time they got to spent with their kids. Some of them having more kids after 15 or whatever years just to try and do it right the second time. Put your family first. Work to live, not the other way around.

This. When my previous employer finally cancelled the program and laid the remaining 600 of us off the guy I walked out with said "I feel really bad for the people who always worked 60+ hour weeks". I hope that sentiment never leaves me.

 

[Clonefan32]

You people are all better people than I am. I'd just take the new job and ignore everyone involved with the old job until they got the picture.

 

[JY07]

I was offered one job, next day offered another, so I declined the first (didn't even accept then decline). Ended up getting let go from the second one a year later, and soon after the first one opened back up (which I should have taken in the first place) They basically laughed at me and wouldn't even give me an HR interview.

If they're petty enough to hold a grudge over not accepting a job offer a full year prior, I'm not so sure you would have been better off taking it in the first place.

 

[HFCS]

This is why it pays to be very nice and follow up when you don't get a job. Some runner up is likely going to get his job.

When I got my current job a few years ago the runner-up emailed and went psycho. Three months later we hired another person for similar position and she went from 1st to last place because of her freakout.

 

[HFCS]

You people are all better people than I am. I'd just take the new job and ignore everyone involved with the old job until they got the picture.

Maybe even collect a few checks Costanza style.

 

[Cyched]

Maybe even collect a few checks Costanza style.

Just don’t jump the gun and find yourself in a Milton situation