So you just got an offer for a great internship that you’d really love to take, but you already accepted an internship a few months ago from another company and they are expecting you to start in May. It was a good company, decent pay, and you felt some pressure to commit at the time because it was the only/best offer you had and they weren’t going to keep the position open forever. Can you renege on (back out of) your acceptance of the first offer? Should you?

It’s not illegal, but it’s also not without consequences.

Going back on your commitment to join a particular employer, even as an intern, is something companies take very seriously. It is considered unprofessional and unethical because you are not keeping your word, essentially breaking the foundation for trust. You most certainly will “burn a bridge” and miss out on future opportunities to be hired for paying positions by that company. The company will be put in a difficult decision to either extend an offer to the runner up they already turned down (and who probably accepted another offer) or to start the recruiting process all over again in the final hour. 

On campus, your school may have certain consequences depending on how the internship was obtained. If it was on campus recruiting (OCR), they can ban you from future job fairs, resume workshops, and career resources. Even if you didn’t get your internship through OCR, some companies may contact your school, who could still impose sanctions because they feel that students reneging on accepted offers harms the school’s reputation with employers they count on for donations and student placement.

Finally, you have a personal reputation to uphold. You may think that the only person who knows is company A, but recruiters talk, people change companies, and you’d be surprised at the potential harm down the road in your chosen industry. If you worked with a recruiter, internal or external, they won’t be willing to put their own reputation on the line for you again. Additionally, internal recruiters can move to other companies, causing you issues down the line should that person be working for a company you want to work at. There are plenty of cases where candidates have lost both offers due to people who knew about the situation talking. At the end of the day, you have to decide if your word matters and if that is a personal value you want to uphold. 

Prevention is key to avoiding an ethical dilemma.

The trend of reneging offers is becoming increasingly more common, mostly due in part to a competing marketplace for talent. Companies are contributing to the problem by moving dates up sooner and sooner, and some pressure candidates to accept offers even up to a year before. However, leading employers understand that top talent has choices and will respect and work with you through exploring those options, within a reasonable timeframe, provided you are open and communicate. 

Let the company know that you haven’t finished hearing back from all of the companies that you’ve interviewed with, and you want to make an informed decision, but that you are interested in working there.  If you don’t really intend on accepting their offer, release it to someone who really wants it. Stay in communication and jointly agree on a date that you will get back to them. Without the communication, they will assume you don’t really want to work there and give the offer to another candidate. Alternatively, if you drag it out unnecessarily but ultimately end up joining, you show that you aren’t that excited and could cause an awkward situation when you start.

Know what is important to you about an internship and be able to vet out opportunities up front. If an internship is missing a “must have” on your list or shows any reg flags, don’t waste their time or yours. If you’re truly excited and it really is what you want, trust your gut, commit, and stick with it. Your intuition is usually right.

As for return offers, your best bet is not to accept them to begin with, unless you are 100% sure you want to work there post graduate. You won’t be the same person you are in one year from now, and it’s probable that what you want from an internship will be different too. While this may not seem logical at first, you most certainly will have other offers next year and the purpose of interning is to gain broad experience. If you already interned with a company, give another a try. You don’t know what you don’t know, and this is the best time in your life to unapologetically try new things.

If you do renege, be as professional as possible.

If after careful consideration, you do decide to renege your original offer, be as professional about it as possible. Let them know as soon as you can, so they can start working on a backup plan. Write a letter explaining the situation and apologize for the inconvenience you have caused. This will minimize your reputational risk. You can even recommend a replacement, which they surely will appreciate. Under any circumstances, do NOT wait to no show on the first day.

Don’t renege and still win.

You still really wanted to accept that new/better offer, but you’ve decided it isn’t worth the risk. Both the current employer and the prospective one will thank you. You can write a letter to the prospective employer and let them know that unfortunately you have already committed to another company, but that you would like to be confirmed or considered next year for an internship/full time position. They will understand and respect this, and most importantly they will respect you. You will build good will with the new company and open a door for future positions, while protecting your reputation with the current one. At the end of the day, it’s the right thing to do.

You’ve been through months of revising your resume, applying for internships, attending virtual job fairs, and interviewing with companies. You finally have an offer, but you need to make sure it’s the right fit. Your internship sets the foundation for your career. Ask yourself these questions before accepting:

  1. Am I excited about the work I will be doing?

When it comes down to it, will you be happy with what you are doing for the length of your internship? Do you find it valuable and useful to your career as well as enjoyable?

  1. How did the people I met throughout the interview process make me feel?

It’s important to feel comfortable with the people you’ve met with so far. Did they make you feel welcome? If you had a chance to meet the teams you will be working with, are you excited to work with them? 

  1. What are the hours like?

Will the hours work for you and your schedule? Are you planning to take any summer classes you need to schedule around? What will this mean for your current daily routine?

  1. Do I care about the company’s mission?

The answer can be no, but it could also be yes. If you get excited about what the company does, its culture and values, you know you’re on your way to a good fit.

  1. What else did I learn throughout the interview process?

How did the company answer the questions I asked throughout the interview process? Did those questions make me more or less excited about the company? Were there any red flags?

  1. Are there opportunities for professional development or full-time work?

Post-internship, will there be full time opportunities and is that important to you? What other professional development are they offering? What skills will you learn?

  1. What are the pay/benefits?

Obviously pay is important. Look at the total benefit package available to you, not just the hourly rate. Weigh this against your other options and expectations. Is this negotiable? Is it a fair offer?

  1. Is the structure (virtual/in-person/hybrid) ideal for me?

You’ll have to weigh the benefits of both. Virtual is convenient and flexible, however you miss out on some of the interaction with people as well as the feel for the company’s culture in the office. In Person has more opportunity for collaboration, community involvement, and spontaneous learning, but sometimes lacks the flexibility of schedule and location.

  1. Do I have any other offers on the horizon?

It can be exciting to get an offer, but if you have other opportunities that you haven’t heard back about yet, it could make sense to wait to accept. You want to avoid reneging an offer. If there is a deadline you are unsure of meeting, consider asking for an extension. If you know that this is the one, trust your gut and go for it!

  1. Can you see yourself succeeding in the role?

Can you visualize a successful internship with this company? Do they have clearly defined goals? Did they give you assurance that they will equip you with the skills necessary to succeed?

Entry-level Underwriter $45-55k

As an underwriter, you’ll provide credit decisions as well as review medical, legal, financial, and occupational information to determine insurance rates. You’ll also review risk management plans and procedures, and deal with applications and renewals, acceptance, and rejections. You’ll be expected to have a deep understanding of risk, insurance policy coverage, and financial responsibility. Ultimately, an underwriter is the individual who decides if a company should offer insurance to a particular risk.

Entry level Claims Adjuster $45-55k

As a claims adjuster, you are the one to fulfill the company’s promise to pay for a loss when something bad happens. You’ll be responsible for strategic processing and payment of claims while keeping abreast of regulations and legislation in regards to insurance claims. You’ll be in charge of strategies, developing budgets, and overall supporting the operational infrastructure. Most importantly, you interface with the policyholder when they’re going through a bad time and help them restore their life.

Marketing Associate $45-55k

Insurance is competitive and each year companies spend Billions on marketing. Marketing and branding go beyond TV commercials, extending to social media, YouTube, internal communications, and more. As a Marketing Associate, duties can range from arranging proposals and presentations using marketing resource materials to coordinating client communications to internal marketing.

Actuarial Associate (Actuary 1) $65-70k

Using pricing and risk assessment, an actuarial associate is a support role that focuses on projects of limited complexity. They may work in conjunction with more experienced actuaries to develop probability tables that estimate the probability and cost of certain events—death, illness, injury, disability, or loss of property. However, it’s important to note that an actuary has quite a bit of education. 

Risk Management Analyst $70-80k

As a risk management analyst, your job will be to protect your organization’s assets. You’ll forecast potential losses, work on solutions to eliminate or reduce risk, and monitor and report on controls. You’ll also work on risk model construction.

Junior Data Scientist $77-97k

As a Junior Data Scientist, you work on projects that change the fundamental roles of traditional insurance professionals by applying machine learning, statistics and business applications to models. You will prepare tables, graphics or software tool components using statistical/biostatistical/machine learning capabilities. You also will assist in the interpretation of results and writing of small sections of technical reports/presentations, and support Senior Data Scientists in data cleaning, coding and validation.

Faith Mason, Director of Workers’ Compensation, Comcast NBCU

I am passionate about my role as Chair of the DEI committee for RISE and DEI specifically because representation matters. It is important for young professionals specifically and people in general to see themselves from grassroots to the boardroom. Along the road in any career, it’s necessary to see reflections of you to reinforce a sense of belonging and to show that you can achieve things you may have never thought possible. This year within the committee I hope we can motivate college students who don’t see the benefits of an insurance career to take the leap. That engagement could be through our DEI scholarship 5k or programs specific to HBCUs and HSIs. The committee is a great place for anyone looking to put change into action. It’s my hope that we are not just another DEI crop up in name but we also do the work to create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable insurance space for all.

Faith Mason, 2022 DEI Committee Chair

Faith Mason is the Director of Workers’ Compensation at Comcast NBCU. In her role, she manages the global workers’ compensation program totaling over $170M in risk, leading her team with strategic oversight of the TPA program. Previously, Faith worked for Deloitte Consulting where she assisted with the expansion of the Claims Consulting Branch specializing in operations management, process improvement, and Predictive Model development and implementation. Faith has worked for several Fortune 500 companies including, Liberty Mutual, Deloitte, and now Comcast NBCUniversal.

Faith is a member of RISE (Rising Insurance Star Executives) where she the Chair of the DEI Committee and a co-host of the DE&I Podcast Off the Record. She is on the Employee Advisory Committee for the Alliance of Women and Workers’ Compensation and is a Board Member for Kids’ Chance of America and FC& S. Faith earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

Welcome, Faith!

Click here to learn more about the DEI Committee and to join.