I'd appreciate your help on this:Middle July I formally accepted (i.e. I signed a written offer) a consultant position in a "Big 4", starting to work next January. BUT, 2 days ago, I was offered another position in a different MC firm which, definitely, is better for me (from both personal and professional points of view).My question is: can I turn the first offer down now??? Legally speaking I guess I can but, which other unpleasant consequences my decision would yield?Thanks so much for your help!

I did it and explained the situation, they weren't happy but understood that I wouldn't be the most effective employee if I held their offer!Be open, honest and apologetic and you'll be fine or the firm offering the first offer aren't worth working for in the first place!

You should have no problem turning down the offer at the first consultancy -- although it goes without saying that you'll never get a job with them in the future!

That's not true.Anecdotal but I was offered ACN before, accepted, then chose another firm, had a change of heart over a year, applied to ACN, new offer, joined.Putting aside the obvious low balls that ACN will take anyone, I believe that as recruitment staff may be quite transient and certainly have no personal memory of you that this is not going to be an issue.I think it only is a problem in a small insular industry with low attrition and personal memory kicking in. Big4 in a big industry - who cares?

No brainer. You accepted mid summer and you are not due to start until Jan. The offer will be in an in-tray still. "Open, honest and apologetic" is good advice. Do what is right for you.Consider the reverse situation: If the industry suffered a downturn before the end of the year, the firm would drop you like a stone. All they could do to soften the blow is the approach they took. That is all you can do.

Thank all of you for your advices; they will help me a lot to take the correct decision. I'll be as honest as I can... I found quite clever Tricky's comment about thinking in the opposite situation. I think that sometimes we adquire the industry's point of view that we the employees are nothing but working tools...Thanks again, guys!