Regret leaving previous job

J

JohnStarr

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Hi,

Any of you ever have regret leaving a previous job? And what did you do about it?

Cheers!
 
No, always been happy to do something new. We took back an employee not happy in his new job the other day though.
 
Its why its important never to burn your bridges, always be professional and maintain quality work right to your last day. I left and returned to 3 seperate companies. In each case I called my old manager asking for reference and everytime they offered me a job on the spot with a respectable offer. If you regret leaving a company, call up your old manager and ask about returning or play the reference request card if you afraid to be upfront. Naturally you screwed if you were a **** employee....
 
I missed the work I did at my previous company, but - if I hadn't moved - I'm not sure where I'd be now - the previous company closed up shop in Cape Town - and now solely operates in Johannesburg. (10 to 1 I'd have emigrated)
 
RVQ said:
Its why its important never to burn your bridges, always be professional and maintain quality work right to your last day. I left and returned to 3 seperate companies. In each case I called my old manager asking for reference and everytime they offered me a job on the spot with a respectable offer. If you regret leaving a company, call up your old manager and ask about returning or play the reference request card if you afraid to be upfront. Naturally you screwed if you were a **** employee....
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Lol, no. I never left on bad terms. That was very important to me even if I didn't want to go back. I've looked at reaching out to my old boss, but I need to give this new job another 2 months or so.
Just looking for other experiences. I am sure I am not the only one.
 
I left my very first job after 6 months, because I was young and immature, and lacked guidance. I regret that.

But, wisdom comes with experience and all that.

I don't really regret leaving any of the others. I suppose I wish I'd figured out some of these career stuff earlier - I would have made wiser choices. I mean, I could say that I regret going back to a previous employer, but I also met some cool friends there, that I'm still friends with today.

So, I guess I'd say, I only really regret leaving my first employer so early. For the rest, I regret not making conscious choices to build my own career. Which basically means I did little to no long term career planning.
 
B-1 said:
No, always been happy to do something new. We took back an employee not happy in his new job the other day though.
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The reverse happened at our company. The guy started all happy, but then a month later he asked one of the directors if he can resign with immediate effect as, after the first couple of weeks, he realised he made a mistake and our company would not be a good fit, so he went back to his previous employer and asked for his job back. The previous employer, by that stage, had not filled his position yet and was willing to take him back on the proviso that he started the next day.

So we had to let him go, you can't hold on to an employee when he told you straight up he's not happy.
 
First job I walked out of I left because the company was dodge and was involved in crime. Ended up in a huge argument with one of the two partners who owned the company who was a close family friend who gave me the job right out of matric. No regrets. Cops raided the place and shut it down shortly after that as they where fencing stolen goods.

Post studies I left my first company on amicable terms. Was a freelance contractor for them on 6 month contracts. A major client of theirs basically requested me and paid them a recruitment fee so it was all very amicable if a bit surprising as my then boss gave me the clients offer and basically told me I was fired but for a good reason as that was part of his agreement with the client who wanted me that bad. Could go back to that company any time.

Never burn bridges. I do not think its a bad thing to come back to a previous job if the new one sucks. I have many colleagues and friends who left my current employer who for what sounded like a better job only to find it sucked on the other side and wish to return. Some where able to, some not. Some companies lie about their culture and the nature of the job and there is almost no way of knowing until after you start.
 
The_Donkey said:
The reverse happened at our company. The guy started all happy, but then a month later he asked one of the directors if he can resign with immediate effect as, after the first couple of weeks, he realised he made a mistake and our company would not be a good fit, so he went back to his previous employer and asked for his job back. The previous employer, by that stage, had not filled his position yet and was willing to take him back on the proviso that he started the next day.

So we had to let him go, you can't hold on to an employee when he told you straight up he's not happy.
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Not everything is meant to be. I would respect someone who is straight with me and knows that its not a good fit. It is a PITA though to replace someone and takes a lot of time to properly interview and vet someone. People playing for counter offers are a different deal though.
 
Stuck out some feelers, had my eyes on some chicken factory and things looked good, then bird flu hit and nothing came of it, started looking again last year, then corona hit, I'm staying put
 
interesting reading the responses, regrets on leaving, sometimes only briefly,
but then I hear news, such as after you left the guys you left behind, didn't get paid, zero, nothing for more than 2 months, yet were expected to work as per usual.

some of the places sure, maybe if you got a better offer, and became permanent,
guess like others say, look at the bright side, everything happens for a reason, sometimes it takes a while for you to see that.
 
B-1 said:
Not everything is meant to be. I would respect someone who is straight with me and knows that its not a good fit. It is a PITA though to replace someone and takes a lot of time to properly interview and vet someone. People playing for counter offers are a different deal though.
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I never played for a counter-offer at all. I don't like horsetrading. It sets a bad personal precedent to be honest.
 
ZA_Chamber said:
Hi,

Any of you ever have regret leaving a previous job? And what did you do about it?

Cheers!
Click to expand...
Yes
Back in the mid-90s
Luckily I left the company on very very good terms
After entering a new job I quit after 3 months and the previous job took me back with arms wide open.

This is why it is never a good thing to leave your existing company flipping the bird and pulling a brown eye at your boss.
 
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