Anyone ever go back to a job they left?

[ViviTheMage]

Some of you may remember, I had a job offer out in San Francisco, well I ended up not taking it. The cost of living down there was just too much, and with a little dude on the way I didn't want to risk being poor as shit down there.

Good news is a few weeks later I got a job offer from previous employer where I really enjoyed working. It's about 15% increase from current job, and 25% increase from what I was making when I left there 2 years ago.

So curious, has anyone had any good luck going back to previous jobs where no bridges were burned? How was it, how long did you stay back there?I was talking to another buddy who I would be working with again and our supervisor (same guy who still works there), asked if anyone would want me back, and everyone gave me the OK. So, i've got a job offer and an OK from everyone who I used to work with.

 

[holden j caufield]

no brainer, take it. If everyone is an adult there are no bridges burned unless you left them in a really bad spot where they needed you and bailed at the wrong time. Everyone understands they have to do what's best for themselves and their families and sometimes it works out like this.

 

[ViviTheMage]

no brainer, take it. If everyone is an adult there are no bridges burned unless you left them in a really bad spot where they needed you and bailed at the wrong time. Everyone understands they have to do what's best for themselves and their families and sometimes it works out like this.

I am leaning towards yes, but curious about what others have run into in their own experience.

 

[maddogchen]

Why did you leave in the first place?

 

[lxskllr]

I was on long term pseudo unemployment, and my old employer came looking for me last year. Been back a year now, and it's pretty good. The company barely made it through the recession, so everything is very small time, but that suits me. I always said if I left the company, I'd never survey again. I haven't been made a liar yet :^D

 

[ViviTheMage]

I was on long term pseudo unemployment, and my old employer came looking for me last year. Been back a year now, and it's pretty good. The company barely made it through the recession, so everything is very small time, but that suits me. I always said if I left the company, I'd never survey again. I haven't been made a liar yet :^D

Good to hear!

The place I was at was doing OK during the recession, no raises, but they were still expanding. I was there for almost 5 years, and it was my first 'real' IT job, so I am a bit nostalgic, and partly why I keep in touch with them.

Why did you leave in the first place?

I've weighed the pros/cons of why I left, and why I want to leave current job. So I am not really struggling with that. If you really want to know I can go into it ...

 

[utahraptor]

No, but I have had recurring nightmares that I have. One of my first major jobs (major in that I worked there for 5 or 6 years) was at a grocery store. There was nothing majorly bad about the job other than being customer service oriented and poor wages, but every once in a while I dream that I am once again working there

 

[Ricochet]

Certainly. First worked as a direct, laid off, then back in the same role as a contractor.

 

[ViviTheMage]

No, but I have had recurring nightmares that I have. One of my first major jobs (major in that I worked there for 5 or 6 years) was at a grocery store. There was nothing majorly bad about the job other than being customer service oriented and poor wages, but every once in a while I dream that I am once again working there

The only time I worked customer service was at AMC theaters. It was fun, but I am pretty sure I got fired after 3 ~ months. I really don't remember how we parted ways, but I was more then happy to peace the fuck outta there making $6.00 an hour (2004ish).

Certainly. First worked as a direct, laid off, then back in the same role as a contractor.

This is pretty common where I work now actually.

 

[SunnyD]

If they really genuinely want you back and there was no bridges burned, then you know you were appreciated in the first place. If you have any desire to go back other than simply needing a job, there's nothing to discuss... just sign the paperwork already.

 

[ViviTheMage]

If they really genuinely want you back and there was no bridges burned, then you know you were appreciated in the first place. If you have any desire to go back other than simply needing a job, there's nothing to discuss... just sign the paperwork already.

I don't need a job, I have one. Buddy I used to work with told me they let go the person they replaced me with and my spot re-opened. I am just curious of anything others have run into when going back to a company they left.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

This might sound like a stupid question but I have to ask the entire forum: How do you leave a job without burning bridges? Or at least get that FEELING? Legitimately, I just get the notion everytime I leave a job that people hate you for quitting. You are going to a better place, they are in a crummy place. They are going to be in an even SHITTIER place because now they need help to account for the work you are going to be leaving them with.


NOTE: This does not include: Having to quit for reasons such as being forced to move (IE: Spouse got a job therefore you have to move too). I can understand that. Or for health related reasons.

 

[ViviTheMage]

This might sound like a stupid question but I have to ask the entire forum: How do you leave a job without burning bridges? Or at least get that FEELING? Legitimately, I just get the notion everytime I leave a job that people hate you for quitting. You are going to a better place, they are in a crummy place. They are going to be in an even SHITTIER place because now they need help to account for the work you are going to be leaving them with.


NOTE: This does not include: Having to quit for reasons such as being forced to move (IE: Spouse got a job therefore you have to move). I can understand that.

When I told my boss I was leaving, he was pretty shocked and a bit sad. We used to go go cart racing at lunch, frisbee golf, etc as a group. But we left on good terms. I wasn't leaving because I disliked who I worked with, or the company, it was because I wanted to move 'up' and get paid more and at the time they couldn't provide that. He understood, off I went.

 

[lxskllr]

This might sound like a stupid question but I have to ask the entire forum: How do you leave a job without burning bridges? Or at least get that FEELING? Legitimately, I just get the notion everytime I leave a job that people hate you for quitting. You are going to a better place, they are in a crummy place. They are going to be in an even SHITTIER place because now they need help to account for the work you are going to be leaving them with.


NOTE: This does not include: Having to quit for reasons such as being forced to move (IE: Spouse got a job therefore you have to move too). I can understand that. Or for health related reasons.

If you did a good job, and were genuinely liked, you didn't burn bridges. You might get some petty bitching, but you get that when you're there. Just people being people.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

When I told my boss I was leaving, he was pretty shocked and a bit sad. We used to go go cart racing at lunch, frisbee golf, etc. But we left on good terms. I wasn't leaving because I disliked who I worked with, or the company, it was because I wanted to move 'up' and get paid more.

Depends - are they going to give you raises to keep you happy? Or are they going to keep it mediocre until you leave again? If it's going to be the same, why repeat? (And possibly screw up your resume with a short flight and repeat employer).

 

[ViviTheMage]

Depends - are they going to give you raises to keep you happy? Or are they going to keep it mediocre until you leave again? If it's going to be the same, why repeat? (And possibly screw up your resume with a short flight and repeat employer).

They are the type of company people stay at and retire at. But one of the benefits was the culture, the group had a lot of fun together. They are all still working there too, which is why I know most everyone still.

I also miss working on a lot of tech, and new stuff. My current job has me pretty darn locked down..and ITIL, my god do I hate ITIL and change management. My hope was to move around here (very large company, 60k+ people). But it never happened, they're outsourcing the majority of the jobs I want to move into.

oh and going from the bottom to not so close to the bottom will be nice. Right now I probably have 9~ people above me then the COO. Back there I have maybe 3 people above me. So things got done faster, and like I said, no change management!!

 

[Ns1]

The EVP I report to left and came back. Been back almost a decade.


Seems VERY common at the company I work for.

 

[Blieb]

Wow, now that I think about it ...

I was released from a position once because a contract didn't get signed. 3 weeks later I was re-hired because the contract was eventually signed. I stayed about 4 months before leaving - I had put out feelers and knew I was just a signature away from being term'd again.

When I was released, I went back hourly for a former employer. I eventually jumped back on full time. Stayed about 2 years before leaving again.

I accepted a counter-offer once and stayed 1 year after that.

I haven't job-hopped like many people I know ... this write up makes it sound otherwise ... but those 3 companies represent about 11 years of employment. 4 different companies in the last 16 years ...

 

[Zorander]

I never had the experience but know a few people who did.

One particular example is this guy who was made redundant a couple of years ago after being with the company for 9 years. Just a little over a year later, he was rehired and is still happily there.

 

[Hugo Drax]

I am leaning towards yes, but curious about what others have run into in their own experience.

Every experience is unique, you cannot compare them. Follow your gut instinct, you know the people you worked for so you should just make the decision on all the available data you have from your prior employment.

Unfortunately someone else's experience is not going to match like a square hole for a square peg.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Every experience is unique, you cannot compare them. Follow your gut instinct, you know the people you worked for so you should just make the decision on all the available data you have from your prior employment.

Unfortunately someone else's experience is not going to match like a square hole for a square peg.

I know, but I imagine others will be interesting

 

[AznAnarchy99]

All my co-workers usually love so going back is never an issue.

 

[kranky]

I used to work in a niche industry and it was not unusual for people to leave and come back. Some spent a whole career bouncing around among the handful of companies who do the same thing, and the consulting firms that work in the industry. Never seemed to be any stigma attached to coming back.

 

[mmntech]

I've been mulling this over myself and I'm not sure what to do about it.

Bit of background information. I used to work for this TV station as a traffic reporter. It was an ambitious new app they had launched that was going to give on demand reports, commuter news, etc. Basically me and four other people were Atlas holding up the world there. After two years, it was still struggling to reach profitability. Purely a management fuck-up. Parent company suddenly and without warning pulled the plug last October and laid us all off. This at a time where the media industry was basically imploding in Canada. A lot of good people lost their jobs at other stations too. So there's not a lot of opportunities right now. I've been applying to a lot of social media gigs (I was also the community manager) at ad companies. Lot of competition though. Been working on some side projects as well.

Fast forward to this week. A friend and former colleague emails me a job opening for a digital journalist at the same company that just laid me off. They want to open up a US bureau next year and need somebody to get things going. A chance to travel a bit too. It's very similar to the job I was doing there previously, so I have a very good chance of landing it. I still have a lot of friends there as well.

However, I'm not sure I trust them. It's another new and ambitious initiative the board has cooked up. Obviously I don't want history repeating itself.

Obviously with the job market the way it is, it would be a good opportunity, and I did like working there prior to that whole mess going down. I had a brief chat with my former HR contact yesterday but I didn't get down to any nitty gritty details (pay, benefits). I'd really only consider an offer from them if it were at minimum what I had prior to getting laid off.

Any thoughts? Advice?

 

[purbeast0]

not me, but i would not want to go back to work for any of the previous companies i worked for. i left for a reason.