Last year, I left a large company that I had been with for over six years to go to a smaller firm that had big plans to grow. Fast forward, and the opportunity isn't quite what I expected. I've realized I don't really enjoy the work we're doing (no sense of fulfillment), and my responsibilities aren't really what I was pitched. I don't think that second part is necessarily their fault, they just didn't know what they didn't know at the time. My old company is making a big push to bring me back, but leaving the small firm right now would be a big blow to them and there are really good people working there. Am I a POS for wanting to jump ship and go back to my old company after less than a year?

IMO there is little worse than working a job you do not like. if you think that staying with the current company is going to hinder your professional and/or financial growth in the future then I would take the offer to go back to your old company. They obviously value you if they are working hard to bring you back. The current company will be able to rebound and it may be a learning lesson for them as far as hiring in the future as well when it comes to pitching the gig with realistic projections, which could ultimately benefit them in the future. No hard feelings towards them, but you gotta do what is best for you and your family at the end of the day. just my 2 cents

look out for #1.

Careful going back where you once were. You left for a reason.

* Not saying stay at the small company.

I don't know the entire story but I would never go back to a previous employer. It gives me the feeling of stagnation, even though my role may be higher. Just the same depressing feeling.

But whatever you do, do what is right for YOU. Don't worry about any company or any boss. They don't care about you.

If you go back, you need to go back higher than you left. What that means depends a lot on what you were doing. But title, pay, responsibility, something needs to be a significant bump up when you return. Otherwise optics look bad. You came back because they needed you, you didn't come crawling back.

Thanks for the input. Not worried about the previous employer aspect. I left on great terms, and what's on the table is definitely an improvement from what I had previously in every aspect. I left more because of what I thought this opportunity would be. My hold-up is the guilt that comes with hurting a small business that is full of good people.

ElephantRider said:

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Thanks for the input. Not worried about the previous employer aspect. I left on great terms, and what's on the table is definitely an improvement from what I had previously in every aspect. I left more because of what I thought this opportunity would be. My hold-up is the guilt that comes with hurting a small business that is full of good people.

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Your current company will survive if you leave, trust me. They will replace you with another corporate drone and forget you even worked there 3 months after you leave. Do whats best for you, period. Your boss will understand if you leave for a bigger and better opportunity, because he would do the same thing in your shoes.

I am in this exact predicament. Depending on your industry, would going part time until you found a suitable replacement be an option?

Also remember, your job would drop you the second they could if it made financial sense unless you work for yourself.

Senor Butthead said:

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Also remember, your job would drop you the second they could if it made financial sense unless you work for yourself.

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100%. I was loyal to a smaller family owned company a few years ago. I was the rising star, everyone loved me, my boss said my job was always safe etc. Then covid happened, sales dropped dramatically, and I was laid off a few weeks later in May 2020 right in the thick of the pandemic and lockdowns. Absolutely no one in my industry was hiring during this time. I was extremely lucky and found a job a few months later but it came with a pretty big pay cut.

A few months before I was laid off, I passed on another job that would have come with a promotion and a big pay increase, because I wanted to be loyal to my company. All of this to say, do whats best for you.

Look out for yourself first. If you think you can return to previous employer on good terms and upward mobility (ie people will not hold a grudge about your departure) then the answer is clear.

Look out for #1. I left a job once for another that I *thought* was going to be a good fit. It wasn't. After 3 days (I knew it wasn't going to work out as there was no structure to the organization), I quit and went back to the first job. They gladly took me back (I was extremely qualified in that field and could not have been replaced) even though it was not exactly what I wanted to do. But, it was a better situation at the time, and there were no issues afterwards, and was able to feel like I could communicate more up front, which really helped the situation at the 1st job (was uncommunicative before - on both sides, but was extremely positive afterwards).

Always look out for #1. They always are.

ea1060 said:

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ElephantRider said:

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Thanks for the input. Not worried about the previous employer aspect. I left on great terms, and what's on the table is definitely an improvement from what I had previously in every aspect. I left more because of what I thought this opportunity would be. My hold-up is the guilt that comes with hurting a small business that is full of good people.

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Your current company will survive if you leave, trust me. They will replace you with another corporate drone and forget you even worked there 3 months after you leave. Do whats best for you, period. Your boss will understand if you leave for a bigger and better opportunity, because he would do the same thing in your shoes.

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100%.

I just resigned my job at a Fortune 100 company yesterday. EVERYONE has heard of the company but what happens inside, one only knows after joining. I hated it. Now my boss is a good chap in general and he had a team of 10 people. Then last Sept they did a re-org and moved everyone out except for myself. Now I am going too in a week. So he is alone with no reports and has to work on crappy projects that no one wants to do. He is 60+ so cannot switch very easily.

But I did what was right for ME. I did not care about the boss (though I felt bad for him) and did not care about the company (which will be fine without me). In fact when I told my boss, he says "can you pass on my resume?" ha ha. He was joking, but not really. In a month no one will remember me and life will go on.

OP, how old are you? I used to think like you and want to be loyal to a company. Now I don't give a F. Life taught me some good lessons the hard way.

ea1060 said:

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Senor Butthead said:

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Also remember, your job would drop you the second they could if it made financial sense unless you work for yourself.

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100%. I was loyal to a smaller family owned company a few years ago. I was the rising star, everyone loved me, my boss said my job was always safe etc. Then covid happened, sales dropped dramatically, and I was laid off a few weeks later in May 2020 right in the thick of the pandemic and lockdowns. Absolutely no one in my industry was hiring during this time. I was extremely lucky and found a job a few months later but it came with a pretty big pay cut.

A few months before I was laid off, I passed on another job that would have come with a promotion and a big pay increase, because I wanted to be loyal to my company. All of this to say, do whats best for you.

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Wow. Great example of what to do and what not to do.

Think you've seen enough here to make your decision:
1) current job is not exciting, no living up to expectations, and, by your own admission, no sense of fulfillment.
2) you left previous employer for an opportunity that did not materialize; but you left on great terms; and they want you back at what is believed to be (based on what I read) a different/better position and more compensation.
3) seems like a no-brainer

Update, had lunch with the old company today and it went about as well as it could have. I guess the decision is easy

Agree with what has been said. I think it shows you have strong character to care about your current company, especially since it is full of good people. But if what they pitched didn't materialize and you don't enjoy the work, seems like a no brainer.

I think sometimes small companies with big growth plans just don't know how difficult it is to scale, regardless of industry. A good learning lesson for them and kudos for you to having an opportunity to return to your former company with improvements. Glad the lunch went well!

I'm in the exact same boat as you. However, my wife and I are thinking about making a big splash and moving out of the state. We both want a change of scenery and to move somewhere we can enjoy the outdoors and nature more.

I hope everything works out for you. Hoping I can find something that works out for us well.

ALways do what is right for you and your family - companies will survive without you and at some point most will make that abundantly clear by not worrying about dropping your arse at any moment

edit out. Nvm! Glad it went well.

Assuming the reaction was negative, sorry about that…

Congrats on the better gig.

Owner-led companies often take it very personally when people quit. The company is their identity, so they perceive someone leaving the company as a rejection of them personally. I've seen an owner spiral a bit into a personal crisis when several employees left; I've also seen them decide that anyone who quits is stupid, lazy, and shortsighted, and try to ruin the ex-employee's reputation.

There are variations of this even at very large, non owner-led companies as well.

The same confusion of identity can also make it very hard for them to perceive issues at the company or that their plans are impractical.

I've dealt with this personally, it can be really messy when ego gets involved.