Going back to work at a previous employer
Discussion
Hi All
Is it a bad idea to go back to a previous employer, or is it more so a case-by-case basis.
I worked for Company A, moved to their competitor Company B in an unrelated job role, and now there's the potential for me to move back to Company A in the job role that I did with them previously.
I spent 5 years at A, and have been at B for 6 years.
The reason I initially left was due to wanting to try a different industry, and I left on good terms.
Not sure why, but I'm just a little apprehensive about moving back for some reason.
The money would be better, but not hugely. From £37k to ~£43k, though I'm 27 y/o so I appreciate that's a good wage all things considered.
Any advice or experiences would be much appreciated.
Is it a bad idea to go back to a previous employer, or is it more so a case-by-case basis.
I worked for Company A, moved to their competitor Company B in an unrelated job role, and now there's the potential for me to move back to Company A in the job role that I did with them previously.
I spent 5 years at A, and have been at B for 6 years.
The reason I initially left was due to wanting to try a different industry, and I left on good terms.
Not sure why, but I'm just a little apprehensive about moving back for some reason.
The money would be better, but not hugely. From £37k to ~£43k, though I'm 27 y/o so I appreciate that's a good wage all things considered.
Any advice or experiences would be much appreciated.
I help a lot of people with CV's and I always think that if you have a company and job on your CV and then you go back to the same company and job it doesnt look great. Different situation if you go back and are doing a job at the next level up as it shows career progression. It should be looked at on an individual basis though and if you have your reasons for wanting to go back then do it, Always better to regret doing something rather than regret not doing it.
My present employer I was with from 1996-2000 then from 2010-2018 then 2020-now.
I’m shortly leaving them again but only because I’m unhappy with some of their recent decisions.
I have always left employment in a way that I could go back, and my current firm are happy thatvthey havevhad me work with them for a long period despite it being broken service.
I’m shortly leaving them again but only because I’m unhappy with some of their recent decisions.
I have always left employment in a way that I could go back, and my current firm are happy thatvthey havevhad me work with them for a long period despite it being broken service.
Sycamore said:
Hi All
Is it a bad idea to go back to a previous employer, or is it more so a case-by-case basis.
I worked for Company A, moved to their competitor Company B in an unrelated job role, and now there's the potential for me to move back to Company A in the job role that I did with them previously.
I spent 5 years at A, and have been at B for 6 years.
The reason I initially left was due to wanting to try a different industry, and I left on good terms.
Not sure why, but I'm just a little apprehensive about moving back for some reason.
The money would be better, but not hugely. From £37k to ~£43k, though I'm 27 y/o so I appreciate that's a good wage all things considered.
Any advice or experiences would be much appreciated.
The only thing I would ask is "are you sure it's not rose-tinted glasses looking back at the old company"? You might only remember the good times but they weren't good enough for you to want to stay there.....Is it a bad idea to go back to a previous employer, or is it more so a case-by-case basis.
I worked for Company A, moved to their competitor Company B in an unrelated job role, and now there's the potential for me to move back to Company A in the job role that I did with them previously.
I spent 5 years at A, and have been at B for 6 years.
The reason I initially left was due to wanting to try a different industry, and I left on good terms.
Not sure why, but I'm just a little apprehensive about moving back for some reason.
The money would be better, but not hugely. From £37k to ~£43k, though I'm 27 y/o so I appreciate that's a good wage all things considered.
Any advice or experiences would be much appreciated.
Thanks for the replies so far. Food for thought.
I was an apprentice the first time round. I left after completing my apprenticeship and wanted to try structural engineering rather than mechanical. There will be an element of rose tinted glasses going on I'm sure.
I think realistically I need to go have a chat with them and see how things have changed and see where that leaves me.
Perfectly happy in my current job, and it's a great company to work for, so it's a nice position to be in at least in that I'm not under any pressure or constraints pushing me to want to leave.
Having just gotten a mortgage, the potential for more money is always welcome however
Just not sure it's worth uprooting what I have going at the moment.
I was an apprentice the first time round. I left after completing my apprenticeship and wanted to try structural engineering rather than mechanical. There will be an element of rose tinted glasses going on I'm sure.
I think realistically I need to go have a chat with them and see how things have changed and see where that leaves me.
Perfectly happy in my current job, and it's a great company to work for, so it's a nice position to be in at least in that I'm not under any pressure or constraints pushing me to want to leave.
Having just gotten a mortgage, the potential for more money is always welcome however
Just not sure it's worth uprooting what I have going at the moment. Sycamore said:
Hi All
Is it a bad idea to go back to a previous employer, or is it more so a case-by-case basis.
I worked for Company A, moved to their competitor Company B in an unrelated job role, and now there's the potential for me to move back to Company A in the job role that I did with them previously.
I spent 5 years at A, and have been at B for 6 years.
The reason I initially left was due to wanting to try a different industry, and I left on good terms.
Not sure why, but I'm just a little apprehensive about moving back for some reason.
The money would be better, but not hugely. From £37k to ~£43k, though I'm 27 y/o so I appreciate that's a good wage all things considered.
Any advice or experiences would be much appreciated.
Unless I'm missing something, you started at company A when you were 16, and then you left. Now you're 27 and you're thinking of going back to the same job you had when you were 21? Is it a bad idea to go back to a previous employer, or is it more so a case-by-case basis.
I worked for Company A, moved to their competitor Company B in an unrelated job role, and now there's the potential for me to move back to Company A in the job role that I did with them previously.
I spent 5 years at A, and have been at B for 6 years.
The reason I initially left was due to wanting to try a different industry, and I left on good terms.
Not sure why, but I'm just a little apprehensive about moving back for some reason.
The money would be better, but not hugely. From £37k to ~£43k, though I'm 27 y/o so I appreciate that's a good wage all things considered.
Any advice or experiences would be much appreciated.
Surely the job at company A is quite a junior one? I appreciate it's well paid, but does it meet your career ambitions?
If the old place will pay you about £43k to move back, what would a third outfit offer to have you on board with your skills and expected career path? Seems like you could be - potentially - more valuable to a new employee than you might realise - time for some conversations with a head hunter perhaps?
I nearly did this. Left a decent job for a change of career which had its downsides. I popped in to the old place after a couple of years to catch up with my old colleagues who persuaded me to reinterview.
I came back the next week for the interview and immediately felt a wave of sickness, all the downsides I’d forgotten about and how I left absolutely hating the management team. Odd how I could go in as a guest without those feelings, but assured me rose tinted glasses is very much a thing.
I came back the next week for the interview and immediately felt a wave of sickness, all the downsides I’d forgotten about and how I left absolutely hating the management team. Odd how I could go in as a guest without those feelings, but assured me rose tinted glasses is very much a thing.
Opinions and experience will vary but I would say, based upon my own experiences as both employee and employer that you should never do this.
This is as much psychological as it is practical. You've been there, done that... it served a useful step on your upward trajectory. But even returning at a higher level carries with it the sense that you've stepped back and this can rest heavy in your mind.
You also need to think carefully about all those comments you may have made to others after you left.... innocuous conversations where you may have said something like "yeah, they were an OK outfit, but....." If you've been over generous on your criticisms of them, then you're going to look a bit of a chump when you say you're returning.
Practically, notions of you being a much-missed colleague are sadly often wide of the mark. Within a few weeks of you going, you will have largely been forgotten about. A new person will have come in, things will have changed. They'll be chatting about stuff that you weren't involved with and you'll feel very much an outsider which will also further impact on the previous point.
This is as much psychological as it is practical. You've been there, done that... it served a useful step on your upward trajectory. But even returning at a higher level carries with it the sense that you've stepped back and this can rest heavy in your mind.
You also need to think carefully about all those comments you may have made to others after you left.... innocuous conversations where you may have said something like "yeah, they were an OK outfit, but....." If you've been over generous on your criticisms of them, then you're going to look a bit of a chump when you say you're returning.
Practically, notions of you being a much-missed colleague are sadly often wide of the mark. Within a few weeks of you going, you will have largely been forgotten about. A new person will have come in, things will have changed. They'll be chatting about stuff that you weren't involved with and you'll feel very much an outsider which will also further impact on the previous point.
fat80b said:
Out and back is a common strategy for promotion in lots of places
Known as a boomerang - you leave at one level, do a two year stint somewhere else and come back a level or two up.
Yes and that looks far better on your CV as I said above. Going back to the same job has the impression you failed at the one you left to go backKnown as a boomerang - you leave at one level, do a two year stint somewhere else and come back a level or two up.
I did this, with a 6 year gap, in that time the management personnel had completely changed and so had their ideas for the future, they approached me asking if I'd be interested in going back to work for them, been back about 9 years now.
I've never burned bridges, served me well so far.
I've never burned bridges, served me well so far.
To clarify, they'd be at different levels really.
I was a trainee Mech Design Eng from 16-20.
Have done 6-7 years at an increased level following a few promotions, and I'd be heading back as essentially a "full" Mech Design Engineer.
Going to have a chat and see what's what. Thank you all for the advice
I was a trainee Mech Design Eng from 16-20.
Have done 6-7 years at an increased level following a few promotions, and I'd be heading back as essentially a "full" Mech Design Engineer.
Going to have a chat and see what's what. Thank you all for the advice
I'm about to do this - was approached by my previous employer. I left as they wouldn't take me on full time (I was contracting) and didn't feel valued, but have now been away from the business for 6 years and they've been through 3 guys in that time. They have finally seen the worth in having me around which is nice! Hopefully it will all go fine 
CheesecakeRunner said:
My company gets quite a few returnees. Seems to be ok, although sometimes it can take a bit of settling in when the returnee comes back in a much more senior position than they left. They really have to prove themselves, because there is often a suspicion that going and coming back is done because it’s easier than the promotion process (which has an element of truth to it).
I've known people resign then reapply for the same job at the higher level the day after they left the company and get it. Its probably a different company, but I haven't found that people who leave and come back are viewed suspiciously unless their colleagues felt that they were poor performers the first time around.Now on my third time back at current place over about 15 years. Was contracting before, temping now and senior role so maybe a bit different.
For me it works nicely as you get experience from other companies, but get to do work that’s enjoyable and pays well (presumably, why go back if not).
For me it works nicely as you get experience from other companies, but get to do work that’s enjoyable and pays well (presumably, why go back if not).
I was made redundant by my company in a major cull and was re-hired some months later. Didn't even occur to me that there might be negative connotations attached to doing so. Why wouldn't I? It's the closest employer in the industry to my home, I had a positive previous experience with the company and I returned with the same benefits package, a promotion and a salary increase.
If you take onboard all of the well-meaning careers advice then it seems increasingly like a 'can't win' situation.
You should be an ambitious and dynamic
You should be loyal
?
You should have experience with a range of employers
You should not have short assignments and there should be no gaps
?
You should have experience of such and such (a different specialism in the same orbit)
You should have X years of experience of exactly this competence
?
The job searching process is bleak enough without worrying about all these bogus 'rules'. At the end of the day you will do well to get your CV read by a genuine human recruiter.
If you take onboard all of the well-meaning careers advice then it seems increasingly like a 'can't win' situation.
You should be an ambitious and dynamic
You should be loyal
?
You should have experience with a range of employers
You should not have short assignments and there should be no gaps
?
You should have experience of such and such (a different specialism in the same orbit)
You should have X years of experience of exactly this competence
?
The job searching process is bleak enough without worrying about all these bogus 'rules'. At the end of the day you will do well to get your CV read by a genuine human recruiter.
i left this company in 2010 with voluntary redundancy and left on good terms.
a couple of years later my old boss contacted me asking if i would consider returning. it was around 2017 so 7 years.
i went for an interview and we went through the motions and he offered me the job. I refused and told him that i wouldn't come back and work for a c*** like him again. he recently got sacked for treating people like dirt.
my rule is never go back for a 2nd helping.
a couple of years later my old boss contacted me asking if i would consider returning. it was around 2017 so 7 years.
i went for an interview and we went through the motions and he offered me the job. I refused and told him that i wouldn't come back and work for a c*** like him again. he recently got sacked for treating people like dirt.
my rule is never go back for a 2nd helping.
austina35 said:
i left this company in 2010 with voluntary redundancy and left on good terms.
a couple of years later my old boss contacted me asking if i would consider returning. it was around 2017 so 7 years.
i went for an interview and we went through the motions and he offered me the job. I refused and told him that i wouldn't come back and work for a c*** like him again. he recently got sacked for treating people like dirt.
my rule is never go back for a 2nd helping.
My rule is not to burn bridges because you never know who you may run into at some other point of your career. Still, must have made you feel like a man for about 2 seconds a couple of years later my old boss contacted me asking if i would consider returning. it was around 2017 so 7 years.
i went for an interview and we went through the motions and he offered me the job. I refused and told him that i wouldn't come back and work for a c*** like him again. he recently got sacked for treating people like dirt.
my rule is never go back for a 2nd helping.
Spent a happy 3 years at company A. Left on great terms to try something different at company B. After 7 hard stressful years at company B, I am now been back at company A.
Been back 4 years, went back 2 promotions higher up than I left and have no intention of working anywhere else now. Don't regret leaving to try something different and learnt loads but so glad to be back at A!
Been back 4 years, went back 2 promotions higher up than I left and have no intention of working anywhere else now. Don't regret leaving to try something different and learnt loads but so glad to be back at A!
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