Have you ever returned to a former employer, or quit a new job right after starting?

[Anonymous]

Have you ever wanted to quit a job almost immediately? I started a new position that I thought had promise, but it feels like a terrible fit. The first day I came home feeling like it was a horrible mistake, and I’m almost 2 months in. My supervisor is nice but completely disorganized, and she leads our small department so there are lots of trickle down problems from that. It’s a small nonprofit, the smallest I’ve ever worked for, and I hadn’t anticipated problems like being unable to clock in for 10 minutes while my 2010 Windows 7 machine warms up. (Sorry, I’m just being whiny now.)

One of my main goals for changing jobs was to end a terrible commute - and the new place told me on my very first day that they will be moving from the burbs (reliable 22 min drive) to the city center (unpredictable 45 min+ drive) in 6 months. Why they couldn’t have told me this during my interview process is beyond me. I have kids in school still so the commute time really matters to me right now.

My old place will take me back. Has anyone ever done this? In a way it feels extremely awkward to return. There are issues there too, of course, but I feel better equipped to address them. UGH.

[Anonymous]

Yes I haven’t felt this personally, but my DH has experienced this. He started a new job and according to him- he knew in the first week that it was not going to work out!! He stayed 7 months and then returned to consulting.

I would return to your old job if it means your happier.

[Anonymous]

One of my fed co-workers did that. Two weeks at a law firm, and she came back.

[Anonymous]

Wow, this is me right now! I started a job last week and I pretty much knew on my 2nd day that it wasn't for me. I think I could potentially like the job, the problem is that my boss is completely incompetent and wants everything to go through him. He knows nothing about my job or the rest of the department and I've received zero guidance since I've started, except for sending me on wild goose chases. I feel like I'm destined to fail. It absolutely boggles my mind that his boss has put up with him. To top it off, my boss's boss just announced that he was retiring, so the department is wondering what this means - could this be a catalyst for someone else to come on board and fire him?

There were red flags that I didn't pick up on prior to accepting. There are 4 out of 6 positions vacant in the department (now 3 after me) and it turns out that they all quit as soon as this boss was hired.

I just don't know what to do right now. Part of me thinks I should wait it out and see what happens, part of me thinks I should just quit right now. My former employer told me when I left that I will always be welcome to come back, but I agree that this is a little awkward.

I've never just quit a job without having something lined up, but I'm seriously considering it. I'm in my mid-40's and have enough money saved up that I wouldn't need to worry about finances for a long time and my wife is ok with me quitting. It's all so scary though!

[Anonymous]

Yes, I knew within the first week I had landed at a horrible firm. I ran into my former supervisor at a conference three months later and told the truth how it wasn’t going. He offered me my job back. I told him I wanted to stay for a year to give it a fair shake.

It got worse and worse. I started having panic attacks at work and a host of other physical manifestations of extreme stress. You never knew when the owner was going to go into a fit of rage and throw things or punch holes in walls. Or just fire people on the spot because he couldn’t find his notes. They lied about the billable hour requirements by nearly 500 hours between the time I interviewed and my first day. Hell, I should’ve left right then.I left after 9 months. In hindsight, I should’ve left at 3 months. Or that first week. But, I didn’t want to look weak. You don’t owe a duty or any loyalty to anyone.

There were red flags that had a reasonable expectation. No woman stays there past 2 years and no associate at all past 3 years. Hey, millennials move around right? Even thorough I was at my first job for 6 years. Glassdoor reviews noted that it was toxic. People only write the bad, nonoje happybreviews on those sites right? No females working there currently. Pure coincidence??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I knew within the first week I had landed at a horrible firm. I ran into my former supervisor at a conference three months later and told the truth how it wasn’t going. He offered me my job back. I told him I wanted to stay for a year to give it a fair shake.

It got worse and worse. I started having panic attacks at work and a host of other physical manifestations of extreme stress. You never knew when the owner was going to go into a fit of rage and throw things or punch holes in walls. Or just fire people on the spot because he couldn’t find his notes. They lied about the billable hour requirements by nearly 500 hours between the time I interviewed and my first day. Hell, I should’ve left right then.I left after 9 months. In hindsight, I should’ve left at 3 months. Or that first week. But, I didn’t want to look weak. You don’t owe a duty or any loyalty to anyone.

There were red flags that had a reasonable expectation. No woman stays there past 2 years and no associate at all past 3 years. Hey, millennials move around right? Even thorough I was at my first job for 6 years. Glassdoor reviews noted that it was toxic. People only write the bad, nonoje happybreviews on those sites right? No females working there currently. Pure coincidence??

Well, now you need to name the firm!

[Anonymous]

I did it many years ago when I was in my 20s. The new place wasn’t a good fit and I knew the old place would take me back. I also had a family member experiencing a health crisis, which gave me an “out” from the new job.

However, there were legitimate reasons that I had left the old place. I had a (painfully) honest conversation with the ED at the old place explaining why I had left, why I wanted to return, and what my career plan would be. We agreed that I would return and they would work on addressing my primary concern, but that I needed to be extremely honest with them about my career plans going forward. I stayed for another 1.5 years, told them when I began job searching again, and gave nearly 5 weeks notice when I finally left for good. No bridges were burned and I don’t regret the decision.

[Anonymous]

I didn't return, out of pride or something. A colleague who did leave came back ..i wish I had. My federal job was filled and I've been looking for 2 years. Job never got better . Do it now before too late.

[Anonymous]

We've had 3 people do that at our small company in the past year; first and shortest was 4 days and the longest was 5 months. The first time was a fluke, but now we've named the maneuver after the first guy who did it so it's something we joke about at going-away happy hours.

[Anonymous]

I left a counsel position at a firm and returned to my government agency after four months. I won't give specifics because there were many problems, but the breaking points were (1) when I learned that a partner I was working with was giving clients incorrect advice because he "forgot" a regulation making it illegal existed, and (2) when I witnessed the partners target and try to fire a first year lawyer who had been practicing less than 6 months.

[Anonymous]

I left a job after 5 weeks, after being at my prior position over a decade. Unfortunately, my former position was filled/no longer available. If going back is an option for you, I would take it in a heartbeat!

[Anonymous]

Go. Go Op. Go

[Anonymous]

You're old job still misses you. Don't wait or it will be harder or impossible. Go back humble, that is the key.

[Anonymous]

Do it ASAP before your old job is filled.

[Anonymous]

My husband worked for a company for 6 years and left to go back into the professional area for which he had gone to school and he picked up a professional credential while in that job. He decided to completely leave the field and went back to his old company and they hired him back 9 years later, promoted him and he is now making about 60K a year more than he was when working in the profession for which he went to school.