Hi there mate.

I run my own recruitment business so feel that I am well placed to be able to offer you some advice.

The absolute short answer is that you should be completely selfish when doing something so important such as moving into a new role and if (as you say) this role is just more jumping out at you as you just prefer it (even though you have verbally accepted another offer) then you should absolutely go for that one.

There is absolutely nothing law abiding at all in declining something you have accepted - obviously it will massively dent your personal reputation with that particular company but that's about all.

Good luck!

No. Never agree to anything unless you mean it.
You agreed as this was, at the time, the best offer you'd had.
Don't feel guilty (nobodies died) but learn from this experience because one day it may well be you sitting the other side of the desk.

All the best in your new role.

Yup, the point about the contract is the salient one. An oral acceptance could not really be said to be binding if you didn't have full disclosure of the details of the offer.

It's bad form to turn it down, maybe you can deflect the blame on the agency by saying you had only indicated an interest rather than a firm commitment. Or did you commit directly to the new employer?

If the first company has an HR person, try calling that person and explaining yourself and let him/her counsel you. They should be reasonably objective and help you decide between the two offers. It would also give them a chance to put forward any other factors that could make the original company the better of the two.

In the end it's your career, the company will get over not getting you much more easily than you will get over making the wrong choice.

Edited by Mapletree (04 Mar 2015 7.43pm)

well, you could go to a job you sound like you won't enjoy and be miserable `while wondering what you missed out on or take the job you have your heart set on.
You'll probably be doing the employer a favour if you're honest with them and polite about your change of mind. I'm sure they'd rather have someone working for them whose heart was in the job and was happy and enthusiastic about working with them.

Edited by sitdownstandup (04 Mar 2015 8.54pm)

Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible God and destroys a visible Nature. Unaware that this Nature he’s destroying is this God he’s worshipping.

Hubert Reeves

I was 2 days from starting a new job, when I got offered another job that I preferred. I took the job I preferred and they were happy I could start so quickly!

Do what's best for you. Companies will always do what's best for them.

Go with the job you want to take, rather than feeling obligated based on already accepting the other one. You'll always regret it otherwise.