Accepted one job, but another opportunity may be a much better fit. Feeling guilty and anxious.
I'm hoping to get some perspective because this has been weighing on me for the past couple of weeks.
About over a month ago, I accepted and signed an employment contract for a position that starts in two months. At the time, I genuinely believed it was the right decision, and I was excited about it.
After signing, another opportunity unexpectedly came up that is much more in line with my long-term career goals and better schedule for my family. I interviewed, and it went very well. I'm now waiting to see if I receive an official offer.
The difficult part is that I've already signed the first contract. I reviewed it carefully and didn't see any non-compete language that would prevent me from taking another job, but there is a notice provision of 90 days that has me second-guessing everything. Since I haven't started yet, I'm not sure how that would realistically apply before my employment even begins since the contract has the date of my expected start date.
What has been making me increasingly anxious is that the onboarding process has continued. I've already started credentialing, been added to company communication groups, received study materials, and they're actively preparing for my arrival. Every step of the process makes me feel more guilty because they're clearly investing time and resources into bringing me on.
At the same time, I don't feel comfortable telling them I'm backing out when I don't even have an official offer from the other employer yet. Right now I have one signed job and one verbal offer, but nothing is guaranteed without the offer letter I feel.
If I do receive the second offer and decide it's the better fit, I absolutely plan to notify the first employer immediately. I don't want to waste anyone's time or leave them in a difficult position, but I also don't think it would be wise to walk away from a guaranteed job before I have another signed offer in hand.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? Am I overthinking this, or at the end of the day it truly comes down to what's best for me? Is there a chance I could be reprimanded for dragging them along like this? I'm not sure how to handle it after I receive the offer letter.