Regret leaving previous job

[Ancalagon]

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.

There was one company that I was really, really glad to leave. So much so that I still gossip about this company years after leaving it, with those who used to work there. South African company.

The company was split into 3 divisions. One division, the division I worked for, was run by a decent guy who made a mistake. He wasn't cut out for the role. Anyway, he left. The CEO then took over managing that division himself.

He blamed all of the mistakes on the guy who left, but the reality was, the CEO was a far worse manager, but too proud to see it. He may be the single worst CEO I've ever worked under. He treated his employees so badly, that everything under him turned to sh*t. He was truly a megalomaniac, incapable of seeing when he had done wrong.

When I left, I wasn't allowed to tell either of my major clients that I was leaving, because the company had no replacement for me. So, I just dropped them. I still feel bad about that, but I had to follow directions not to tell them early that I was going. About a year after I left, a senior project manager had enough, and resigned on the spot without even having another job to go to. I also heard that the company reached out to former employees (I was not one of them) and made them generous offers, including working from home (back then, this was rare). Every single one of the former employees declined.

Not long after that, this division of the company ceased to exist. Anyone who could do any real work was gone. It doesn't exist to this day. The megalomaniac CEO, who blamed all of the problems on the director who left, had taken it from a successful business with some issues, to nothing. Completely destroyed it.

 

[JohnStarr]

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.

Cool, I'd like to think I am in the former boat.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

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.

It depends on how long you have been in the current position really.
When I changed jobs the last time it was rough, The first 3 weeks were spent considering calling the previous company to ask if I could come back.

You adapt and settle in though, after that you realize that going back would be a mistake, its almost never worth it.

 

[Luke7777]

If you left on amicable terms, go back to your previous employer and ask for your job back.

I would much rather hire an ex employee, than a new one who I will have to spend months training.

We reemployed a few over the last couple of years. Nice to have someone productive from day 1

 

[RVQ]

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 generally try to stick it out for at least 6 months and twice left on the 6th. I generally evaluate my career after a year of joining and if I don't see an opportunity for progress I move on and have a limit of 2 years of stagnation before I leave. Sadly companies hire people and place them in boxes doing the same thing over and over while providing the minimum yearly pay increases, if I hadn't moved as much as I did I would probably be on half what I'm earning today.

 

[JohnStarr]

I generally try to stick it out for at least 6 months and twice left on the 6th. I generally evaluate my career after a year of joining and if I don't see an opportunity for progress I move on and have a limit of 2 years of stagnation before I leave. Sadly companies hire people and place them in boxes doing the same thing over and over while providing the minimum yearly pay increases, if I hadn't moved as much as I did I would probably be on half what I'm earning today.

Thanks. I decided over the weekend to stick it out till end of January. That makes it 5 months. Kind of realising it's going to be a bigger deal to make it here with a lot more challenges than were explained, and I am missing out on the technical aspects of my previous job.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

thing is, what I've learnt is there are many fish in the sea, one can take all experiences as positive or negative.
you do learn something from all of them, good or bad.

 

[Cius]

I generally try to stick it out for at least 6 months and twice left on the 6th. I generally evaluate my career after a year of joining and if I don't see an opportunity for progress I move on and have a limit of 2 years of stagnation before I leave. Sadly companies hire people and place them in boxes doing the same thing over and over while providing the minimum yearly pay increases, if I hadn't moved as much as I did I would probably be on half what I'm earning today.

Dangerous advice. Difficult to prove you learned or accomplished much in only 6 months unless the job was very menial. I have been involved in hiring people many times and people who job hop we generally won't even interview. We value people who at least stick around a bit a if you job hopped in the past its likely to happen again after we have sunk in time money and energy training you up for the job. Especially in the SW dev space it takes time to build up some domain knowledge before you become truly productive.

Some good advice I got from an old CEO was don't leave in under 18 months and don't stay for longer than 3 years before jumping up. That is if you want to climb the ladder high.

 

[Brenden_E]

I find it unlikely someone will have a juicier story than me!
I worked at Trudon very briefly. The manager, Adriaan van Vuuren, ran the section like his own little thiefdom. After promising to handle work a certain way, and then the very next day breaking the promise, I got up from his desk and went home. Never went back. I wondered if I should have handled it better.

Then a few years later:

Trudon fraud suspect Adriaan van Vuuren commits suicide

The top racehorse owner and former Trudon IT manager allegedly defrauded the Telkom subsidiary of R500 million.

ewn.co.za

YoH! The dodgy Adriaan stole R500million from the company and then offed himself. Nachos libre!

 

[Ancalagon]

Dangerous advice. Difficult to prove you learned or accomplished much in only 6 months unless the job was very menial. I have been involved in hiring people many times and people who job hop we generally won't even interview. We value people who at least stick around a bit a if you job hopped in the past its likely to happen again after we have sunk in time money and energy training you up for the job. Especially in the SW dev space it takes time to build up some domain knowledge before you become truly productive.

Some good advice I got from an old CEO was don't leave in under 18 months and don't stay for longer than 3 years before jumping up. That is if you want to climb the ladder high.

Interesting. I remember reading a post from a CTO, who basically said you should not stay at a company longer than 3 years. 2.5 years was the sweet spot. It has to do with skills progression and mastery. Generally, you outgrow your role faster than the role changes, and that creates frustration. Unless you find a new challenge, you get bored, and productivity declines.

Myself, I think either leave before 3 months, or after 24 months. If you leave before 3 months, its clear there was a mistake. The role wasn't what you thought it was, or you didn't pass probation. Either way, you tried but it didn't work out.

After 3 months but before 24 months, I feel is a bit soon. Its like, you made it past the initial hurdle, but you didn't stick around long enough to really learn how things work and start to add value.

 

[RVQ]

Dangerous advice. Difficult to prove you learned or accomplished much in only 6 months unless the job was very menial. I have been involved in hiring people many times and people who job hop we generally won't even interview. We value people who at least stick around a bit a if you job hopped in the past its likely to happen again after we have sunk in time money and energy training you up for the job. Especially in the SW dev space it takes time to build up some domain knowledge before you become truly productive.

Some good advice I got from an old CEO was don't leave in under 18 months and don't stay for longer than 3 years before jumping up. That is if you want to climb the ladder high.

I understand the reasoning around sticking with an employer and fully agree if its a great employer, I already have 4 years with my current one and don't see myself moving for the next 2-3 but that's only because I'm valued, treated well and paid at market rates leaving me .no reason to job hop. The employer / employee relationship is a two way street. if you don't treat your employees well then employers cannot expect dying loyalty from them.

To counter your CEO, I moved up the ladder as I switched jobs, I know people who I worked with more than 15 years ago, still in the same role earning the same inflation adjusted salary because they stuck with the company while I did not, they now facing retrenchment with skills decades old.

 

[Messugga]

I find it unlikely someone will have a juicier story than me!
I worked at Trudon very briefly. The manager, Adriaan van Vuuren, ran the section like his own little thiefdom. After promising to handle work a certain way, and then the very next day breaking the promise, I got up from his desk and went home. Never went back. I wondered if I should have handled it better.

Then a few years later:

Trudon fraud suspect Adriaan van Vuuren commits suicide

The top racehorse owner and former Trudon IT manager allegedly defrauded the Telkom subsidiary of R500 million.

ewn.co.za

YoH! The dodgy Adriaan stole R500million from the company and then offed himself. Nachos libre!

It's funny how that works. I did a very brief stint at a security company. 100% white-owned and got some rather large tenders somehow. The marketing manager used to drive around with a roll of banknotes in his glove box as entertainment money.
I remember once that I was asked to get a quote on large volumes of high voltage switch gear - we're talking hundreds of millions here. I was young and naive and didn't think much of it, even though electricity wasn't anywhere near our staple. The supplier I spoke to didn't want to give me any information as I suspect they knew better than me. Nothing came of this and I went on doing what I was actually employed to do.

Anyway, that company's name appeared in the Gupta leaks. I'm sure they were super dodge, even back when I worked for them.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

agree with @Ancalagon on the time-frames, 3 months, something wasn't your cup of tea,
3 years is too long in the same role, you been passed over too many times for promotion and time for you to move on.

sweet spot is 2,5 years, but due to the sh*tshow of Covid, maybe those time-frames need to be re-looked at?
like some people who were happy and productive were kicked out due to no business, and difficult times.

I guess goes back to what I was saying, always 2 sides to the coin,
and its up to YOU how you take your experience forward.

do you learn things, and grow from them, or do you make the same idiotic mistakes time and time again?

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

It's funny how that works. I did a very brief stint at a security company. 100% white-owned and got some rather large tenders somehow. The marketing manager used to drive around with a roll of banknotes in his glove box as entertainment money.
I remember once that I was asked to get a quote on large volumes of high voltage switch gear - we're talking hundreds of millions here. I was young and naive and didn't think much of it, even though electricity wasn't anywhere near our staple. The supplier I spoke to didn't want to give me any information as I suspect they knew better than me. Nothing came of this and I went on doing what I was actually employed to do.

Anyway, that company's name appeared in the Gupta leaks. I'm sure they were super dodge, even back when I worked for them.

cant be more dodgy than what I dealt with, company running a call centre bitcoin racket in SA,
targeting overseas pensioners, and selling them fake bitcoin accounts.

super dodgy people, every one of them,

 

[Former member 61586]

My very first job was my best job. Most interesting work ever. Biostatistical Programmer. Left after 9 months as pay was pathetic to say the least. Especially considering they were charging clients 50 (yes fifty) times the amount my monthly salary was, for work that took me 2-3 days. Have looked back only once. Met my old manager and she said I should forward her my current payslip as they would love to have me back. Sent her my payslip....to which she responded I earn more than she does. This was less than two years after I left.

 

[Messugga]

My very first job was my best job. Most interesting work ever. Biostatistical Programmer. Left after 9 months as pay was pathetic to say the least. Especially considering they were charging clients 50 (yes fifty) times the amount my monthly salary was, for work that took me 2-3 days. Have looked back only once. Met my old manager and she said I should forward her my current payslip as they would love to have me back. Sent her my payslip....to which she responded I earn more than she does. This was less than two years after I left.

Company in Bloemfontein?

 

[Nemus]

Nah, not regretting leaving a company. I do miss former colleagues, but most that i would've missed, have become friends.
Also, ive missed a culture or environment of previous employer(s), but my reasons for moving on have been sound.
No ragrets.

 

[Former member 61586]

Company in Bloemfontein?

Yes.

 

[Messugga]

Yes.

Farmovs?

Their salaries have been an absolute insult for ages. They offered my a salary less than my part time job, when I applied back when I was finishing up my BSc.

 

[cguy]

Dangerous advice. Difficult to prove you learned or accomplished much in only 6 months unless the job was very menial. I have been involved in hiring people many times and people who job hop we generally won't even interview. We value people who at least stick around a bit a if you job hopped in the past its likely to happen again after we have sunk in time money and energy training you up for the job. Especially in the SW dev space it takes time to build up some domain knowledge before you become truly productive.

Some good advice I got from an old CEO was don't leave in under 18 months and don't stay for longer than 3 years before jumping up. That is if you want to climb the ladder high.

I agree with job hopping being something that can take out one’s ability to progress their career, but almost every very senior position (engineering or management) at every company I am familiar with has been filled by people who have done stints of 10+ years. Most people I know would consider moving every 3-4 years as job hopping.

Personally, I’ve worked at 4 companies in my 20+ years experience, and one of the early ones was a contract (at current and last just under 10 years). My managers in all 4 jobs are still with the companies and have been there 20+ years. All extremely successful.