Hi guys! I'm kinda stuck in a VERY bad pickle...

So basically I was offered a part time, un-paid internship at a small boutique design firm. I planned on supplementing this with a part time job. Lo and behold, after I accepted the offer, another firm (a larger financial firm, who needed a designer) wanted to hire me full time $20/hr. I wasn't going to take it because I think it's unethical to back out after you've accepted, but as luck would have it, my financial aid was cut around $6,500. So now, I really need a full time job, and the 2nd offer (financial firm) is starting to look like the best way to gain experience and solve my financial issue. I really want it. However, I know that in the financial community it's a BIG no-no to renege an offer. Is this true for the design industry too? Or do you think I can speak to HR and ask them to let me out of my promise? How would I go about telling them...I would definitely call in person to profusely apologize. It's just that now, I can't afford (literally) to not have a full time paying job during the summer if I want to continue my education next semester...

i hope you're not sittign on this for a long time cause you could lose that full time one.

just call the part time and apologize but tell them you received a better offer, but thank them profusely for considering you.

if it's unpaid, they'll understand.

Skye is right.

Financial agreements are agreements that involve money. Job placements are not in the same category, paid or not. Any employer will understand if you call and apologize while saying that a better offer came in. They won't like it, but that's not your problem. Your problem is getting employment that you can survive off of and gain useful job skills. The paid job is a far better position.

You can call them and let them know that you're backing out of the deal or, if you feel particularly inclined, you can go in person with a letter of apology and do so in person. Doing this in person may help your chances at getting hired on with that firm later if that is possible. (HR people tend to remember little things like this.)

Thanks guys, what mainly bothers me is that the unpaid internship starts in a weeks time, so I'm kinda backing out last minuete. And I literally have NO idea how to broach this subject with HR. I'm terrified that I'll be black-listed in the design community as being unreliable...