<p>send the darn letter.</p>
<p>I assume you left a voice message.</p>
<p>Move on. Go for a run.</p>
<p>As Oldfort says, wait til you have to fire somebody. Send the letters and go to the movies or something.</p>
<p>Let us know how the internship goes. Good luck.</p>
<p>My office makes a point of warning interns not to do this (and advising the placement office that we consider such conduct a serious breach). We no longer post at (or interview candidated from) a top Flagship State U and a top-25 LAC b/c in each case interns backed out at the last minute w/o a compelling explanation (and yes, we do ask candidate and verify w/ the placement office). </p>
<p>OP’s employer A may not consider his backing out a big deal, but there are companies that treat reneging - - even on an internship offer - - as serious business. And in this economy, I wouldn’t want to ruflle any potential employer’s feathers (especially if, as OP insists, it’s not about the money).</p>
<p>SodiumFree, I actually did mean “contract”. If you get an internship offer and you sign a document that indicates your intention to work (as normally happens), that is a contract.</p>
<p>^^^ Enforceable in a court of law? What would the remedy be?</p>
<p>Urgent: I’ve been trying all afternoon to reach my HR contact at company A. She is not picking up her phone. I overnighted a letter to her; however, I’m starting to worry that she has gone on vacation. Would it be appropriate to contact someone else in HR, even if I haven’t communicated with them much?</p>
<p>^^ Yes - contact anyone in HR - you can ask them if your contact is available and if not, inform whoever you’re talking to.</p>
<p>One of my Ss had an offer from one place for this summer when he heard from another opportunity that he wanted even more. (One is employment; one is research.) He immediately sent an email to Job A, explained the scenario (Job B is crucial for grad school plans and will be almost impossible to get once he graduates), and offered to work part-time at Job A (for free) instead because the work is so interesting. Offices are near each other. He had contacted Job B months earlier but didn’t get a response til he had Job A’s offer in hand.</p>
<p>OP, he did this all by email. He sent us the draft email for comments and it was totally appropriate – professional, acknowledged the issues, but also showed his personality. He sent us all the back-and-forth afterwards and it really WAS okay.</p>
<p>Within a week, he had Job B in place and Job A is paying him to work PT as well. He considers it the perfect summer gig. Job A said, “You know, if you want to do research, XXX is across the street.” S: “Well, as a matter of fact…” He was above board with everyone and it worked out.</p>
<p>HR people will not bite. My DH calls your difficulty “paralysis by analysis.” Both my kids and I have struggled with having to come forward with bad news/a change in plans, but the best way out is THROUGH. Just do it.</p>
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<li><p>On the other side, my S just got uninvited to his summer internship. There was no contract yet, just a verbal agreement. Budget cuts, oops, too bad. Do you think the company agonized before they called him?</p></li>
<li><p>So where is company A and could they use a rising sophomore CS major? ;)</p></li>
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<li><p>For company A, I have a e-mail agreement only. For company B, I have both an e-mail and a verbal agreement done. But by agonizing over stuff I clearly haven’t become inured to the business world. </p></li>
<li><p>I just finished sophomore year. A is in the central US, which I don’t see as being an ideal location. But I’m pretty sure the establishment won’t fall apart by not having me. </p></li>
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<p>As I mentioned a few pages ago, B knew that they made the offer much later than A, so they tried to have it so that I could have my internship at A then go and have an internship at B. However, it was a tad idealistic because the places are 1,500 miles apart and I don’t have a 22 week summer. (that would be great though) </p>
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<p>Who is “us” by the way? If I send an e-mail, should I simply have it so that it’s basically the letter that I’ve written (and FedEx-ed to A)?</p>
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<p>I did go for a run! It felt great … until a black bulldog came chasing after me and I couldn’t get it lost until I jay"ran" across a 5-lane road with oncoming traffic.</p>
<p>Completely serious. :(</p>
<p>Haven’t read this whole thread, but I hire interns every summer, and they sometimes back out for all sorts of reasons. I would not agonize about this.</p>
<p>You’re doing great. Instead of seeing the bad luck in the bulldog? How about the good luck in the getting away. :)</p>
<p>Look up the word “perseverate” and then stop doing it.</p>
<p>You are making me smile, though. I will admit I have a great affection for you and your existential angst right now. It reminds me of my younger years. It’ll get easier over the years. I promise.</p>
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<p>Posts written by CCers like foolishpleasure trouble me. </p>
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<p>Well the bulldog seemed to enjoy it, so I would assume that he was a gift from the Devil. </p>
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<p>Aww thanks :)</p>
<p>So I’ve called several times (no reply), e-mailed A’s HR, FedEx-ed a copy of the letter … and no response. </p>
<p>What should I do?</p>
<p>Let it go. Move on.</p>
<p>They aren’t going to call and thank you. You’ve done your part.</p>
<p>Look, there’s no other way to say this to you, at this point, “You just aren’t that important to them.” </p>
<p>Now, go and enjoy whatever time you have left before you start work.</p>
<p>Well the problem is that I have concern that my contact is on vacation (the FedEx-ed version was sent to her). So I’ve reached out to alternative contacts asking where she is, and I still have no response.</p>
<p>My main concern is that A hasn’t gotten the news yet.</p>
<p>“One of my Ss had an offer from one place for this summer when he heard from another opportunity that he wanted even more. (One is employment; one is research.) He immediately sent an email to Job A, explained the scenario (Job B is crucial for grad school plans and will be almost impossible to get once he graduates), and offered to work part-time at Job A (for free) instead because the work is so interesting. Offices are near each other. He had contacted Job B months earlier but didn’t get a response til he had Job A’s offer in hand.”</p>
<p>Countingdown, what your son did was absolutely correct assuming he called A to seek release before accepting position with B. But if A had responded, “I’m very sorry, but we were counting on you working here and it’s too late for us to get a suitable replacement,” what would S have done and what would you have advised? OP’s situation is even more dicey: not only has he continued to work for A while fully intending to drop A as soon as he gets a firm offer from B, but he also refused to give A prompt noice, so that - - in the event that the firm offer from B never materializes - - he won’t be left out in the cold.</p>
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<p>ummm I haven’t started working for A yet. </p>
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<p>I followed my career office’s advice to wait until B’s offer was firm. B’s offer did come very late.</p>
<p>To other CC’ers: Should I be concerned if I’m not getting any news from A? It’s just been complete silence.</p>
<p>If your contact is on vacation, someone in the office is monitoring her mail and messages. But I doubt it’s a vacation or business trip-typically there would be an outgoing message on her voicemail and an auto-reply on her email to that effect. If you feel she must hear your voice in addition to reading your email and letter, leave the full message on her voicemail. And there’s no reason to expect anything other than silence–your relationship is over and they have nothing to say to you. They’re moving on, and so should you.</p>
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<p>I did not leave a message on voicemail. Is this a mistake?</p>
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<p>No auto-reply. And her voicemail just says that she’s away from her desk.</p>