Who's quit a job before they started?

Theoretical situation here. Trying to keep this short and sweet, the question is in the title. Who's quit a job (professional, in your desired permanent industry) before you started?

Here are the pertinent details:

-Was fired at the beginning of the month. 

-Interviewed, was offered a position, negotiated then accepted said position on the 23rd (a Friday--initial talks began before I was let go). Job is to start on the 16th. 

-Received call asking for a phone screen with another company on the 26th (Monday). Immediately told them I'd accepted another position but was still interested. Phone screen went to a phone interview with hiring manager, to in person with hiring manager, to a phone interview with his manager. 

I feel that I have a decent chance at getting an offer, and I expect it to be better than the one I've accepted. The company is a better company overall as well. 

Has anyone ever been in a similar situation? I'm counting chickens before they hatch, but I want to be prepared here--and if it goes as I expect, I'll be quitting before I've started. 

Oh, and both companies are clients of each other. Not that either would really know, but it is a "thing". Think a small auto parts company that specializes in one thing buys from GM, but GM also buys from that small company. 

In reply to mtn : my fiancé did just that with a major Bank . 

Accepted a job before she actually started another branch of the same company made her a better offer more in line with her skills.   She called the first and declined  then called back the second and accepted.  Fast forward two weeks and 1/2 hour before starting the bank called her and apologized that the job was canceled due to budget constraints More than a month goes buy  Before finding another job with the same bank and accepting at about 2/3 Ed’s of the original offer.  

She was supposed to start on Friday  but called  the day before and told that due to equipments problems she wouldn’t be starting until the Monday after next.  

Had she accepted the first offer she’d be $14,000 richer. As of today and over $17,000 richer by the time she actually starts ( assuming no further delays) 

Shady company had a job posting. I know they're shady, but at the time, it might have been a good job for me. I applied, they accepted. About a day or two before I was supposed to start, I was informed the position was not available, but I could do other stuff. Berk off. They never heard from me again. 

In the consulting engineering world I've seen it multiple times, although I've not done it personally.  Sometimes it's because their existing company counter-offered (I did this once about 15 years ago), sometimes because they just found something they liked better. Our industry can be a bit "mercenarial," so in general no one takes it personally.  

Years ago I had a similar situation but one job was one I did not really want but I needed a job after being laid off fortunately the second came through. I would hold off quitting the first offer until you are sure you have the second offer, just in case. When you quit the first one be honest and tell them you are sorry  but the other offer seemed like a better opportunity for you. You need to look out for your best interest, if the first company really wants you they make a counter offer. Good luck

I was at a track weekend with a friend when he did this. He was supposed to start the new gig Monday but got a MUCH better offer. Buy a new car in cash better. He called the company and explained that he had received  the offer and they could counter if they wanted, they declined and it was cool. Then the headhunter that had found him the job heard and she was very very very upset. Her multiple thousands of dollars only got paid once he started, which he never did. 

I also watched an ex-girlfriend do this with graduate schools. She was clueless enough that she didn't even know it was bad. The school she skipped out on had to explain it to her in not nice words. 

My father almost did this once. He did start the job, and quit two weeks in. I was surprised as it seemed very out of charter for him, but he explained that the new job he was at for two weeks was clearly not as advertised. It worked out well for him in the end. 

Personally, the whole thing would make me nervous. 

My stepdad did that back in the 90’s. He declined the first offer with a company saying he had a better job offer elsewhere. Took the better job offer and the day before he was to start, they changed their mind not to hire him. Why? It turns out that the 1st company was a customer of theirs and when they found out they were getting a new representative in which they inquired to who it was. Once that was disclosed, the company refused to deal with them if he got hired on for it. So, the 2nd company freaked out not wanting to lose their customer because of it rescinded the job offer. The crazy thing is that he would have been the go to guy with the first company to deal with the 2nd company representative. Another crazy thing is the salary difference was huge! $20k. He withdrew his 2 weeks notice with his current job and got lucky not to lose it. However they did not play nice with any future raises with him because of it. Tread carefully and make sure ALL your ducks are in a row. Good luck. 

I got a job as parts dept. manager for a good sized VW dealer.

After I got home, I called and resigned.

Two things:  lousy 40 mile one way commute.   Said by dealer,  "If we like you"

I accepted a job at a major automotive OEM.  Ran into the guy who I would be replacing (he was transferring to another plant) and his wife a week later at a trade show.  She told me I was in for a rough time with the manager I was to be working for ... and painted a real ugly picture of how her husband was treated by that guy.  At the same time, my current employer put on the table a retention offer that included a very good new job for me.  So, I resigned from the new job I had yet to start and moved into a great job with the employer I already worked for ... sometimes u get lucky.

Several years ago while working for Revco, I was recruited by Winn-Dixie.  WD was opening a new store in town & they wanted me to run the Pharmacy.  I'd known the DM who recruited me for some time & she offered more $, shorter drive to work, better schedule, etc. 

I agreed to take the job & WD wanted a headshot of me to post in the Pharmacy.  I had theI photography done.  Two days before opening, I got a call from the DM who hired me.  She told me that during the pre-opening store walk with her boss, he'd noticed the photo & asked her had she forgotten that WD didn't employees to have beards.  She was very apologetic & I told her I'd shave & paint my face green for the right money & asked her to give me a day for a decision unless she could come up with right money immediately.  I called my old   boss at Revco & he said they'd love to have me back & even offered small incentives.  I called the WD DM & she hadn't come up with the right money. I nicely told her berkeley this E36 M3 & wished her luck.

Within a year or so, the new Winn-Dixie had closed.  Their parent company recently filed bankruptcy.  

I've enjoyed a bit of schadenfreude since I quit that job before I started. berkeley Winn-Dixie.

Was sitting at a restaurant before we opened with a new hire on his first day.  Couple of the waitresses were bitching about the poor money.  Next thing I see is him going out the back door.  Didn't say anything until ten minutes later the same two waitresses go 'hey where's the new guy?'. 

Tomorrow I will start my sixth year at my current position. The first couple of years were really rough, but we've turned the place around and now it's a great place to work. 

I got an offer from a practice where I had wanted to work two weeks after starting there. I replied that anyone who hires me deserves a year. Turned out to be a good choice. 

OTOH, one of the doctors that worked at my current position before me never came back from lunch on her first day. Used to be a really bad place to work. 

In reply to Floating Doc :

I supervised a factory that had a nasty sand blaster position - all day long blasting acrylic rollers for an x-ray film processor. Dirty, dark area, and crap all over the place.    

The old guy that was mentoring me would always ask me about my new sandblaster hires:  Did he come back from lunch today?  Did he show up today being the second day?  Did he show up the second Monday of his employment?  It was common for guys to tell us they were going to grab a sandwich only to never come back.  

Are these happening on "verbal offers" or "I have signed an offer letter/NDA offers?"

This is in regards to certain companies rescinding offers.

z31maniac said:

Are these happening on "verbal offers" or "I have signed an offer letter/NDA offers?"

This is in regards to certain companies rescinding offers.

Can't say for anyone's but mine, but I've signed an offer to begin in a couple of weeks. My state being a right to work state, there isn't much they can do against me. And the potential employer that I don't have an offer from yet wouldn't rescind an offer in this situation.