When moving jobs do you tell colleagues where you're going?
Discussion
Put my notice in recently and everyone keeps asking 'which company you going'. My reply is 'i don't want to say'.
They think I'm being weird, awkward, etc and can't understand why I won't tell them. In my opinion none of them are my friends so they don't need to know and you never know what one of the managers might say to my new employer before I join.
What are peoples thoughts on this? Do you tell people which company you're going to??
They think I'm being weird, awkward, etc and can't understand why I won't tell them. In my opinion none of them are my friends so they don't need to know and you never know what one of the managers might say to my new employer before I join.
What are peoples thoughts on this? Do you tell people which company you're going to??
Arguably, they're just being polite asking as that's just the natural follow up question when finding out you're leaving.
Clearly you don't like any of them, the feeling is most likely mutual and they don't give a s
t where you're going just as much as you don't care what they're doing.
Likely all involved will be happy once you're at your new place
Sounds like the job market can be quite difficult so congratulations on securing a new job.
Clearly you don't like any of them, the feeling is most likely mutual and they don't give a s
t where you're going just as much as you don't care what they're doing.Likely all involved will be happy once you're at your new place
Sounds like the job market can be quite difficult so congratulations on securing a new job.
simons123 said:
My reply is 'i don't want to say'.
I wouldn't put it that way - "I don't want to say" could suggest that there is some other reason for not wanting to say - e.g. a competitor or something and could well lead to further questions / rumours etc. I'd respond with some details without actually giving the company name - something like - "Oh, it's a small company in a completely different field, I'm going to part of a team of 3 all in the same office and I'm really looking forward to it" etc.
i.e. you've not said anything meaningful, but have given some sort of information, which is probably all the polite conversationist is looking for.
The problem is, you are not giving any information at all.
So something vague, like, I’m moving to a consultancy or retailer.
Or deferring that info for the future, ‘oh, I don’t want to jinx it, but I’ll put it up on Linkedin when I’m a bit more settled’ will be much better received.
I noticed at work, for stuff that doesn’t make a material difference, it’s better giving some information, and in a way that’s hard to form a judgement or impression off the back of.
So something vague, like, I’m moving to a consultancy or retailer.
Or deferring that info for the future, ‘oh, I don’t want to jinx it, but I’ll put it up on Linkedin when I’m a bit more settled’ will be much better received.
I noticed at work, for stuff that doesn’t make a material difference, it’s better giving some information, and in a way that’s hard to form a judgement or impression off the back of.
Edited by wyson on Saturday 6th September 23:15
wyson said:
The problem is, you are not giving any information at all.
So something vague, like, I’m moving to a consultancy or retailer.
Or deferring that info for the future, ‘oh, I don’t want to jinx it, but I’ll put it up on Linkedin when I’m a bit more settled’ will be much better received.
I think it’s sensible advice to hold off on LinkedIn until you have passed your probation.So something vague, like, I’m moving to a consultancy or retailer.
Or deferring that info for the future, ‘oh, I don’t want to jinx it, but I’ll put it up on Linkedin when I’m a bit more settled’ will be much better received.
In fact, it’s not uncommon for people to only put their role up once they have left that job.
We used to have a guy at work who wouldn't discuss life outside of work at all, if anyone asked if he had kids or a wife/partner he'd say none of your business, he'd have time off and never reveal if he went away or what he did. It became sort of a competition at work to find out where he lived and if he had kids or anything.
That was weird, not telling people where you're going because you don't want anyone fking it up isn't
That was weird, not telling people where you're going because you don't want anyone f
king it up isn'tI don’t know what’s worse, that or one of my old directors painfully reciting the details of his two week skiing holiday in Verbiers whilst leading a reorg and mass layoffs. Can’t just have been me feeling it was tone deaf given the circumstances.
Both extremes aren’t great.
Both extremes aren’t great.
Edited by wyson on Saturday 6th September 23:25
simons123 said:
Put my notice in recently and everyone keeps asking 'which company you going'. My reply is 'i don't want to say'.
They think I'm being weird, awkward, etc and can't understand why I won't tell them. In my opinion none of them are my friends so they don't need to know and you never know what one of the managers might say to my new employer before I join.
What are peoples thoughts on this? Do you tell people which company you're going to??
I can understand where you're coming from.They think I'm being weird, awkward, etc and can't understand why I won't tell them. In my opinion none of them are my friends so they don't need to know and you never know what one of the managers might say to my new employer before I join.
What are peoples thoughts on this? Do you tell people which company you're going to??
To avoid the awkwardness I'd make the name up. if they have bad intentions then they'll try (and fail) to find the contact details and they won't be able to come back to you either without looking stupid.
"Hi Simon, what was the name of the Company you said you were moving to?"
"It was Megabank International Corporation"
"Yeah, I thought that's what you said...I googled them and couldn't find them"
"Oh........why were you googling them?"
Countdown said:
I can understand where you're coming from.
To avoid the awkwardness I'd make the name up. if they have bad intentions then they'll try (and fail) to find the contact details and they won't be able to come back to you either without looking stupid.
"Hi Simon, what was the name of the Company you said you were moving to?"
"It was Megabank International Corporation"
"Yeah, I thought that's what you said...I googled them and couldn't find them"
"Oh........why were you googling them?"
Making a company name up sounds even weirder than just saying you cant say, and 'why did you google it' - 'because I'd never heard of them but i assumed i should have and didn't want to sound impolite!'To avoid the awkwardness I'd make the name up. if they have bad intentions then they'll try (and fail) to find the contact details and they won't be able to come back to you either without looking stupid.
"Hi Simon, what was the name of the Company you said you were moving to?"
"It was Megabank International Corporation"
"Yeah, I thought that's what you said...I googled them and couldn't find them"
"Oh........why were you googling them?"
I have two colleagues and three clients that I consider personal friends (attended weddings etc) but most of the people I work with are so nosey and like to ask personally intrusive questions quite frequently. I like to keep work and personal life as separate as possible, so I wouldn't be broadcasting where I'm off to if ever moved on as, quite frankly, it's none of their business.
hidetheelephants said:
Make up increasingly outlandish lies about where you're going and see how long it is until they start comparing notes and realise. Medecins Sans Frontieres, European Space Agency, Anheuser-Busch, the ukrainian Ministry of Defence and Tyrell Corp. would be a starter for ten.
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