Regret after declining job offer

Hi there,

Please never make any business moves unless you have agreements in writing and signed.

Now, lesson learned.

You should be fine. It's the holidays so just be patient and reach out to them in the 1st/2nd week of Jan to get that contract.

In terms of regret, they have done studies and seen that people with 0 choice (just given 1 “option”) end up happier than people with multiple choices/options. Such is life…learn to train yourself to not fall into this human nature trap :)

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about your poor decision-making in that moment!

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for a lot of users, thus I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• It's natural to feel some regret when making a decision, especially when it involves something as important as a job or internship opportunity. However, it's important to remember that it's generally not considered acceptable to take back a job offer once you have declined it.
• If you are having second thoughts about your decision to decline the finance-based internship, you could try reaching out to the company's human resources department or the person who extended the offer to you to see if it is still possible to reconsider your decision. It's possible that the company may still be interested in offering you the position, but it's also important to be prepared for the possibility that the offer may no longer be available.
• Before contacting the company, it might be helpful to take some time to think about your reasons for declining the offer and whether you are still interested in the position. If you are still interested, you could consider explaining your decision to decline and expressing your interest in the position in a professional and respectful manner. Keep in mind that the company may have already moved on to considering other candidates, so it's important to be prepared for the possibility that the offer may no longer be available.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on what to do in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Main lesson here: Don’t reject an offer if you don’t have any confirmed backups. You need to wait until you have your top choice in writing before canning the next best option.

I would try to get in touch with the other company to inquire about the written contract. At this point, I would not try to rescind your rejection notice unless the other job reasons falls through. Then you can still take on the journey to Canossa and beg for mercy

Hi there,

Did you have a change of heart regarding which one is the better job? Or are you concerned about not getting a contract after all for your chosen option?

These are entirely different reasons but it doesn't make much of a difference. Either way, you had the right cards in your hand but played them poorly I'm afraid. 

You can always try to take back your ‘rejection’ but it's going to be awkward and with low probability of success in my estimation (not knowing the specifics it's hard to tell).

I hope the other company comes through with a contract soon to spare you this awkwardness.

Best of luck!

Moritz

Hello,

Congratulations on receiving the two offers! Here are my thoughts:

1) I am not clear as to why exactly do you want to withdraw the rejection. Is it just because you are feeling paranoid until the accountancy company gives you a written offer?

2) Even if you write to the HR of the finance company asking them to ignore the earlier email, it shows that you are indecisive. They will obviously see the previous email too once they open for business.

3) Think about this: If you ‘withdraw your rejection' now - giving a reason that you ‘rejected them by mistake’, or ‘have now reconsidered your position’, how will it look after you reject them again once you get the written offer from the accountancy firm! The finance firm will blacklist you from the firm in the future :)

4) The best way forward in my opinion - is to wait until after the holidays. Send a follow up to the accountancy firm to get a written offer. Most likely, they will send it to you. In the extremely unlikely case that they do not make an offer, you can then go back to the finance firm and tell that that ‘you thought long and hard over the holidays, networked with few people within the company, and realized that they indeed are a good fit for you’.

Hope this helps!

Rushabh

It looks a bit strange if you decide to take it back so quickly, especially if the only reason is the other company is slow.

I would recommend waiting and contacting the other company to see if they get back to you.

As an aside, you know most consulting companies operate hybrid nowadays, right?

Yes, you can try it, but it is not a given for them to accept your change.