How long should you give a job?

[Steve vRS]

I changed jobs in August, leaving a large organisation and joining a smaller one. My previous company said I could go back if the grass was no greener.

Well, 7 weeks in and it is a bit crap. The pay is good but the work is not as expected and there are other little niggles (expenses, competency of colleagues).

Am I being impatient and should I give it longer or act now?

Steve

[Bullett]

I guess it depends on the role.
I hadn't even got my feet under the desk after 7 weeks in my current role. However, I was learning a new product from scratch so not expected to be flying on day 1. Took me 6 months to settle in and over a year until I wasn't still responding to every offer I got.
If you are doing a job which is essentially the same then it's probably enough time.

[Hoofy]

Thought about speaking to your manager? (Well, that won't fix the colleague incompetence but the rest of it, it might.)

[zeDuffMan]

I would go back. If you can already see your colleagues are crap, imagine what they'll be like in six months.

[mike9009]

I would see 'colleagues being crap' as an opportunity. It means you may progress quicker and then shape the employees as you would see fit.

Depends on many factors which are not mentioned in your OP though .... such as your personal aspirations. I would hang on a little bit longer - 7 weeks is not a long time....

Mike

[supertouring]

I have given every job 6 months before making up my mind.

The way I see it, I left the last job for a reason so want to try and make a go of the new one. If after 6 months it does not work out, then I just look again.

[anonymous-user]

In the 70's I joined RR Motors worst job I've ever had, I knew it was wrong by 8.30, awfull people and management. I had an offer to return to my old company but was too proud, a few weeks latter I badly damaged my leg and was on crutches for 3 months, then a month to find a job and months notice. It was the worst 6 months I've sever spent in work, if you know its wrong then leave as soon as you can with out financial hardship, i.e. immediately you get a better offer.

[ocrx8]

Agreed with Berw above, I made a similar mistake last year and knew very very quickly I had made the wrong decision! Sometimes you just know. Life's too short to spend a lot of your time somewhere you don't enjoy.

[Royce44]

Took me a week to realise id made a huge mistake, didnt leave for another year, purely because i wasnt sure if it wasnt just that particular contract or me jumping the gun. It never did improve so id say to go eith your gut feeling.

[Butter Face]

I changed jobs and did 2 days before I realised I'd cocked up and went back to my old job.

[toastybase]

I’m in the same situation.

I left a job in a large corporate company as I had tried to move into bid management and whilst it was agreed that I had the industry experience and skills to do the job, plus I was told a very strong covering letter /application plus good internal network, I was up against someone who had done the job and therefore was not successful. (The successful candidate didn’t last, but that’s by the by).

I left to work with a smaller company and in a different industry. I own the bid writing process from beginning to end and in the last 6 months, successfully written around 10 tenders which have put the company on a number of purchasing organisations short lists.
Whilst the experience I’ve gained in 6 months is good, I am not happy working here and can’t see myself committing for the long term.

The office is dirty, too quiet and there doesn’t seem to be any structure or firm direction by the directors as to where the company is going. I have just taken on applicable tenders and see them through.

In addition to the above, my contract stated a company pension scheme, however it turns out there isn’t one.

I was offered a meeting with a pension advisor which I attended however he wanted to charge me £350 to look at my options.