Ask Amy: Balancing ethics, career advancement with multiple job offers

Dear Amy: After a fairly long job search, I was finally offered a position with a firm I’d interviewed with three times over the course of many months.

I was thrilled to finally get an offer and accepted the position. I’m supposed to start in two weeks.

Well, as luck (and Karma) would have it, I’ve also just received a solid offer from another firm, and this one pays more and is probably a better fit for me.

This brings on an ethical dilemma. Do I have to go with the first offer, or can I decline it, even after accepting it?

– Blessed with Choices

Dear Blessed: Congratulations, and welcome to the “when it rains, it pours” club.

This situation surely happens with some regularity, as candidates pursue many job leads at once.

You are obligated to work in the position that is best suited for you. Not only is this best for you, but I doubt any potential employer really wants to be your second and lesser-paid choice.

Accept the second-offered position, and once your acceptance is verified and you have a solid start-date, contact the initial company to tell them that you are going to renege on their offer. Apologize for the inconvenience to them, but say honestly that you feel obligated to accept the offer that is best suited for you.

(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)