Hate my new job, can I go back?

Ande1975

Hope someone will be able to offer me some advice.
I just started a new job after Christmas and I absolutely hate it to the point that I am depressed now. Its a disaster, morale is low and people are stressed.

I loved my last company but I was only ever on contract. There was a chance I could have been made perm but not until some changes were implemented company wide. It was a 50/50 chance.

This role came up, perm and more money and I just thought finally some security but as soon as I started I knew I made a massive mistake. My gut is shouting loudly.

I was almost crying with relief Friday evening and I'm sick today at the thought of facing into the place tomorrow.

I've spoken to friends in my previous company and they said they will keep a lookout for perm roles for me. The company knows why I left (permanency and risk of losing job), I wanted to stay. I've all the skills they need for their way of working.
Do you think they would take me back?

Thanks for reading. I'm shaking with the stress of this all.

Petyr Baelish

Call them and ask. No point sitting around stressing about it and not doing anything. The worst that can happen is they say no.

Ande1975

I've started that process.....I just hope something comes up.
I feel like they would want me since I have the experience and it looks good that someone wants to go back?

Petyr Baelish

Well I wish you all the best and I hope you get what you want. It seems you are in the waiting stage now so I'm not sure what advice I can give other than to say try to stick it out until you get out of there.

Sycamore Tree

Yes you can go back but the funny things is you will probably not stay long when you do return. No more than 18 months. I have seen that happen many times. Your head has already moved on and any annoyances will be triplicate when you return. That's not to say it's a bad move especially if you hate where you are. Good luck.

Kimbot

Why do you hate the new job? Your only there a matter of 2 weeks now?

gimli2112

don't be stressed, people get so worked up over jobs, it's important but there's lots of work around
I didn't like my job when I started 20 years later, I still hate it

eagle eye

Look out for other jobs too. Just because one place is bad doesn't mean they all are.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

Not to belittle your feelings op but this can often happen when you switch out of a role you weren't necessarily unhappy in. Your only in it three weeks so I'd give it a bit more of a chance.

Ande1975

I really didn't want to leave my old job. I was happy there. It was just the uncertain future and this all happened so fast.

I know in my heart of hearts that I made a massive mistake. I just hope something comes up soon. If I am lucky to go back, I won't leave. If I was perm, I wouldn't have in the first place.

lapua20grain

I was the same, I went through 2 jobs in 6 months I knew from the day I started in these jobs that they were not was sold to me. I chalked them down as contracts and started a new job a couple of months ago with a far better company and knew right from the first interview that they were different from the last couple of positions. Keep looking forward don't look back. As a poster said earlier you will feel different and small things that didn't annoy you before will now and you will resent that. It is the time to look now as companies that have been holding back hires for the Christmas are now hiring. You don't have to acknowledge the position on your C.V. or LinkedIn profile and tell anyone in a new company you were in between contracts and start immediately.

Ande1975

It is making me so anxious. I never felt like this in the previous role. I wonder about my decision making skills.

HandsomeBob

Ande1975 wrote: »

It is making me so anxious. I never felt like this in the previous role. I wonder about my decision making skills.

You made the decision for the right reasons so I wouldn't be too hard on yourself.

I'm in my current role nigh on 6 years now and have seen both ends of the scale in terms of employees attempting to come back after they left.

It really comes down to how the person left the company originally and in your case it sounds like you left on good terms and that you were valued. I'd see no reason why they wouldn't take you back but as you said yourself it comes down to roles being available.

You might just need to face a period of getting the head down and trying your best to make the current role work.

lurker2000

Hi Ande1975. Firstly, for your mental well-being you have to try your best to get out of the panic mode you are in. While its natural to have negative thoughts bounce around your head, its only result is to drag your down and drain your self confidence. Obviously you are good at what you do, you held your position well in the last job. It does take a while to settle into a new position, especially if your only reason for leaving the old one was to be more financially secure. You will naturally feel nostalgia for the old friends and comfortable feeling there, but you left that job for a reason and going back is not going to change that situation. While I understand why the old job feels like a safe island in stormy waters, you really need to either make this new job work or start looking for a completely new one.

Making positive plans for your future will help to banish the self doubt that is now eating you up. Put your name down with an employment agency and check out the new jobs in your area of expertise. Can you talk to anyone at your present job about the difficulties you are facing now? What exactly is the problem for your personally at this new job? Is the workload too heavy or have you not been trained properly ? Can this be addressed by anyone there?

Lastly, please try and put it into a positive perspective. You already have a job that is pulling in a wage, there is good employment out there now unlike five years ago - you have the skills to apply for a new position and the skills to pass the interview stage which you did recently. You can do it again ! Best of luck.

Ande1975

Lurker2000 and everyone who has responded, I am so thankful for you all.

I just want to reiterate that I left the previous role due to uncertainty not because I didn't love the company. If I was perm there I would never have left.

I have walked into a role where people are stressed. Its hard for me to describe the issues as it will give stuff away but I am not alone in my thinking.

I will do what is best for me....

antodeco

Just be aware that this is kind of normal, going from your comfort zone to something very different. I left my job of 4 years and started a new one in the new year. It's a horrible feeling going from knowing everything, to knowing nothing. But, I know if I could travel 6 months into the future, then travel back with that knowledge, to now, I'd feel 100 times better. I just need to keep reminding myself, in only there a week. Thankfully, I don't hate the new job, just frustrating learning everything, but surely that's an appeal of a new job?

Ande1975

Back again, I am just really so unhappy. I heard today from people that the pressure is enormous. Its non stop working 12 - 14 hour days. My boss works all the time. The work life balance is non existent.
I am too long in the tooth for this. If I could tell you the difference between the two companies, I think I hear, yes you were nuts!
I had a logical reason but what I didn't do was research more and ask questions more.
What upset me (and I found out Day 1) was I have a home matter that is quite stressful. I told the recruiter this as its important to me and I want them to know in case its an issue for them. He said he did and they were very flexible.
I mentioned it to my boss day 1, they said they didn't know.

Archeron

For what it's worth OP, I left a job after 4 years, hated the new one and went back to the old one again where I worked another 4 years. I've left now and am happy but left with the agreement that if I ever wanted to go back , stint number 3 in that company would always be an option. In that company there were 5 of us that had left and came back (out of 30 in the company). It's possible and probably surprisingly common.

lab man

Ande1975 wrote:

It is making me so anxious. I never felt like this in the previous role. I wonder about my decision making skills.

Same happened me there few months ago thought I was going to a great new job I left my job also contracted for 9 yrs went to the new job I left after 3 months phoned my old job started bact the following week or so I'm delighted to be back better than dreading what and who be looking at the new guy today scenario .... phone yer old job tail between legs for a week

wirelessdude01

I once left a multinational as I was unhappy with promotion prospects. Left and was back within 7 months for the job that they wouldn't consider me for previously plus a €40k bump in base salary over the two moves.

Ande1975

Thanks to you all who have since responded. Its just made enormously better.
Its great to know that this is not uncommon. I am a huge believer in trusting your gut. I loved where I was and going to this new place reinforced that. Its not grass is greener, I knew that, its just I wanted permanency and hopefully that will be an option in the very near future.

mikep

Hi there. I recently returned to the job I left after 16 years (yes 16 years!!) The job I went to was a very exciting prospect but like you found it was a toxic mess that I had joined with lots of stress and people expected to do 60 hr weeks "to get the job done". I was lucky that the job i left hadn't been filled so I was able to come back. Also like yourself I felt that life is too short to put up with the crap that I was experiencing.
My advice to you is to see if a return is on the cards and if you feel it is right..go for it. The company you left will benefit from allowing you back as you will need no training and they know you..that goes a long way..
Also as mentioned there are lots of jobs out there at the mo so if you can't return you can always move on again..

Best of luck!

Ande1975

I think this is the first time where I have know straight away this was a massive mistake. It is just soulless. I am heartened by all the stories as I realise its not just me. I just hope I don't do any reputational damage. Thing is I was recommended by a friend.
I've put the feelers out in the last place so hopefully something will come up.
For those who went back, was there some embarrassment?

mikep

There was some embarrassment for me, a bit of the usual slagging went on but nothing major. Stress I was feeling is 100% gone so it was worth it even though pay is much less than the job I hated.
I also heard that the person I reported to in the the place I got out of also left so I wasn't imagining it and by the sounds of it neither are you..

Ande1975

Thanks Mikep, I never felt like this in my old job. There was a brightness to the place and the people were lovely. I felt cared about. Here everyone is tense, stressed and head down. I heard some people were working until midnight Xmas eve.

Ande1975

Wirelessdude, how did you explain the 7 months in that company? I am wondering what (if I do manage to go back) to say in the future.

lapua20grain

Ande1975 wrote: »

Wirelessdude, how did you explain the 7 months in that company? I am wondering what (if I do manage to go back) to say in the future.[/QUOTE


Say it was contract work it is a lot more prevalent now than it used to be.

Ande1975

I was thinking that. Thanks...

If I could just go back in time... To those who left new jobs after a short time, how did the employer react? I'm worried if I did leave that it would impact my reputation.

mikep

Hi again
There was quite a bit of shock when I handed in my notice as they regarded themselves as a great place to work, despite being partially aware of the issues that made me leave.
Since I had started the it became clear that there was a lot of dysfunction in the place but mainly that the job the offered wasn't the job I got due to delays in a particular project.
I had three exit interviews!!! I was quite direct and made it clear why I felt I couldn't stay.
Don't worry about your reputation, stuff like that is soon forgotten and you aren't being sacked!!

Ande1975

Thanks Mikep it sounds like you went through exactly what I am experiencing.
My old boss is doing my job now so there is no chance I could go back to that role. It'll have to be something new but it'll be a few months before the dust settles back there.
Its soul destroying being somewhere you don't like. I'm counting down the hours until I leave for the weekend. I used NEVER be like this.
I'll have to suck it up for a while.

OMM 0000

Ande1975 wrote: »

I feel like they would want me since I have the experience and it looks good that someone wants to go back?

The first part is true (they want experienced employees) but it does not look good you want to go back. Leaving and then returning is generally seen as weak. That's not to say they won't take you back though. Good luck.