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Former employer wants me back


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Hi all,

 

This is going to be a slightly long post, so my apologies for the length.

 

Back in April, I left my former employer of 3 years (investment bank) to move into a new role in a major accounting firm.

 

During my time at my former employer, I worked under a dual management. I was directly reporting to some middle-management in my location, but most of my work was assigned and reviewed by senior management abroad. I absolutely loved working with the management abroad and they often requested me to travel to their office which no one in my location did. Unfortunately, my direct management was downright toxic. The salary was low combined with the lack of prospects and toxicity, people were dropping like flies. When I left, a lot of markets had no coverage because the staff was gone. Everyone with 1+ year experience in the team had left. I was one of the very few that remained and after I left, I heard the local team over here had to be rebuilt almost from scratch because everyone except the management was gone.

 

I was a top performer and had a great track record of successful transactions above standards etc..

 

Anyway, the company was performing rather poorly and couldn't afford to provide counter-offers. Instead, one of the senior people I worked with abroad referred me to an open position back in April. I was ambushed into an interview and the department in question disappeared into thin air after emailing me to request a second interview. They never set-up that second interview and didn't have the courtesy to advise me of my rejection.

 

Fast forward, a new opening comes to surface and I get a call from one of the senior managers abroad asking me whether I would be interested. Apparently, a few directors advise I would be the preferred choice. However, knowing how the company operates, some information is still pending:

 

1. Is this an entry-level role? The company has a history of hiring entry-level people for this type of role because it is obviously cheaper. Given I have 5 years experience and a solid educational background with 3 languages, I would not let myself slide back into an entry level role. The senior person I spoke to said she's going to investigate as she's not sure of the title.

 

2. The job is located abroad, which would mean uprooting my entire life to move there (already lived there for a little while a few years back), which I'm not too sure of.

 

3. Career progression is also rather questionable as the company has frozen promotions due to poor performance. Even though it may not impact me right away, the future prospects seem rather limited. People can stay in the same spot for years.

 

4. As I already got referred to another job internally in the same location (mentioned above) which was an utter failure as the communication/transparency was clearly missing, I'm wary of attempting this a second time around with another department in the same location. I'm safely assuming the HR person who handled my application to the other role, will also handle this one.

 

On the flip side, my current role:

 

1. It's a great company, but the role itself seems to be a dead end. I was offered one job, performed another (great) one for 6 months and now its turned more into a call-center role. It went from financial analysis to call-center (don't ask) due to some internal structure changes. You can imagine how disheartened I am.

 

2. The company is doing great and there are a lot of opportunities internally & abroad. Even if my current role does not offer great prospects, my background my allow me to move. There's a lot of material for personal and professional growth as they have a large network, seminars, great social life etc..

 

3. The company is very large and you're dealing with a lot of people. My former employer was also a large corporation, but the proposed location for new prospective job has very few people in the team. I'd be going from floors with around 100 people, to a floor of 20 people. Given I'm in my twenties & dynamic, I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable in a floot with 20 people who are all twice my age. Having worked from there a few times, there is no one in my age range. I'm afraid of getting bored going from a factory to a small house.

 

I still adore my former employer, but I'm not sure if going back is the best move for my personal growth even though my current role is less than ideal.

 

Obviously, we're still in the initial stages and just discussing, but any insight/help would be appreciated.

 

Thank you,

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damn, well I'm in the medical/health care field so I don't know too much about your sector, so not sure how much I can help you...

 

all I can say is don't ever let a company place less value on you when you know you can bring more to the table. you seem like a young bright guy and don't seem too enthused with either option. in the meantime, I would just stay at your company while keeping your eyes peeled at better opportunities. in the meantime, keep your resume up to date and increase your skill set so when the best opportunity arrives, you can pounce on it and have an even better job and position. good luck.

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Maybe this isn't helpful but this seems to be a really tough decision. Over the years have you become acquainted with any headhunter/career coach type people who would be willing to speak with you and talk this out with you -or a mentor? Or someone at one of your former schools who works in career services? I feel like you might do well to speak with an industry person who is more seasoned than you and has shown an interest in your career in the past. Good luck!!! (It's not the worst problem to have).

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Thank you, both.

 

My mentor is the one who called me in relation to this job. She's one of the senior people I worked closely with, but she was definitely a mentor.

 

Thus, I would need advice from an external party, but I need to think of someone because no one really comes to mind. Perhaps, I'm just tired. It would indeed be great to speak to an industry expert who might have seen this scenario in the past.

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You may have loved your previous company, however you also describe them as a toxic workplace, that they are currently performing poorly and have a high rate of attrition.... and while I can understand why you may be drawn to return to a place where you could shine as a high performer, strategically I am not sure how much sense it makes to take a position with a company knowing it has all of those issues; eventually they will drain you of your energy the same way they did previously.

 

Not to mention that a company that can't get it's $hit together is not long for this world... consumers have little patience for organizations that don't change with the times... we have seen many companies close their doors for these and other reasons.

 

In my experience, here are the things that tend to build the highest level of engagement and motivation in people:

 

Great office culture

Good people to work with

Opportunities for growth and personal development

Supportive management

A thriving and growing organization

 

From what you describe you have all of these and more... and while you might not love your current role, you can choose to empower yourself by developing in the areas you do want to go. Work on building your network, find opportunities for people to get to know you and what you do, find out what it will take for you to get where you want to be, and start taking the steps to get there.

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...Even if my current role does not offer great prospects, my background my allow me to move. There's a lot of material for personal and professional growth as they have a large network, seminars...

 

This is all you really need. Don't overthink it. Decide what you enjoy doing, go back to school, streamline your profession and get very good at it. Get the work experience and your designation, mingle around others in the same industry but stop looking over your shoulder and checking to see how you're not measuring up because of unrealistic expectations (grass is greener syndrome). Don't worry so much about your employer right now (you're new). Worry about you and at the most, worry that you are getting the correct work experience related to your designation. Get the right designation and certifications for where you want to grow. Go from there.

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This is all you really need. Don't overthink it. Decide what you enjoy doing, go back to school, streamline your profession and get very good at it. Get the work experience and your designation, mingle around others in the same industry but stop looking over your shoulder and checking to see how you're not measuring up because of unrealistic expectations (grass is greener syndrome). Don't worry so much about your employer right now (you're new). Worry about you and at the most, worry that you are getting the correct work experience related to your designation. Get the right designation and certifications for where you want to grow. Go from there.

 

From an educational background, I have nothing to envy to the people who hold positions in the department I wish to move into. As a matter of fact, I have a similar background to theirs as most of them are law educated, engineers, IT etc..As a matter of fact, some of them worked in the same company I did before or studied in the same college. I checked the profile of some colleagues (at my level), working in the department I want to move to and I don't see much of a difference between my path and theirs.

 

I have two Bachelor degrees and a Masters degree in Law which are both extremely well recognized in the country & abroad as one of them was earned abroad. Those were actually part of a selective degree.

 

In addition, I have several law/business related certifications via additional courses abroad etc. I'm not mentionning this to brag, but just to say that I already have the relevant professional and educational background/necessary skill-set to move into the role I want to move into (consultancy for financial institutions/banks). It just so happens I was recruited for the role I am currently in, but I could have easily applied for a consultancy role if I had thought of it. My mistake when I went through the recruitment process was that I didn't study the opportunities in the company more thoroughly or I would have seen that my profile is a fit for other roles. I simply went along with the role presented by the recruiter because I wanted to get out of my former role due to the increasing negativity. It's just a case of me not taking the time to do proper research, as opposed to me not having the right credentials.

 

I should have looked at the other opportunities before joining blindly and moving into a role where I'm slowly but surely all of my hard acquired skills & knowledge.

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I worked for a company that had locations abroad that ONLY hired people in at entry level. you had to stay at that level for at least a year, and then based on what they saw in you, experience, training, you were offered/had the ability to move around and up. It created an ennvironment where everyone was professional, was able to relate to the entry level people because they had been there before, and gave people who maybe didn't have the chance to go to the most esteemed college or had different life experience to shine as well. If the company was like mine - everyone came in at the bottom, but once you had your year or two in, you could go wherever - then its a good idea.

 

In otherwords, stay put for awhile.

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I worked for a company that had locations abroad that ONLY hired people in at entry level. you had to stay at that level for at least a year, and then based on what they saw in you, experience, training, you were offered/had the ability to move around and up. It created an ennvironment where everyone was professional, was able to relate to the entry level people because they had been there before, and gave people who maybe didn't have the chance to go to the most esteemed college or had different life experience to shine as well. If the company was like mine - everyone came in at the bottom, but once you had your year or two in, you could go wherever - then its a good idea.

 

In otherwords, stay put for awhile.

 

To be honest I think it’s becoming more and more rare that corporations are hiring for anything but entry level positions... for the reasons above, and because why should they when there is such a competitive job market? It’s like doing an extended interview where they get to see how you work, what kind of person you are and thus assess your potential.

 

OP you seem a bit impulsive... going where the wind takes you instead of making strategic decisions... what are your future career goals?

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I suspect you'll need a lot more experience than five years for a consultancy position in a financial institution. I wouldn't go back to the previous position as it's unreliable.

 

I do agree with you that you're wasting your time in a call center type role. Try mixing around more with other industry professionals. Keep an open mind.

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It depends on the level you’re seeking.

 

I deal with consultants on a daily basis since I monitor their sales pipelines. Some of them are straight out of college, others have 3 years experience and the more experienced ones with more than 5-10 years usually lead those projects. It’s definitely feasible. As I have direct exposure to the deals and the levels assigned to those deals, I can safely say 5 years is sufficient to get your foot into the door.

 

I have former colleagues who have less experience than I do who joined other consultancy companies as financial institution consultants with only a Bachelor degree.

 

It also depends on the expertise you have in a specific field. If you have thorough knowledge and can contribute, you may as well try.

 

Usually those consultants start at the lowest level as graduates or associates and work their way up. They’re nonetheless consultants.

 

The new role is not to my liking as I’m wasting all of my knowledge and not capitalizing on it. I really like the new company, which is why I joined despite fully knowing the role wasn’t really to my liking. I wanted to get a foot into the door. It was not an impulsive move, but a rather strategic one. I moved into a higher rank, higher salary and respected company. It took me a year and many offers to finally resign from my former job of three years. Yes, the new role isn’t exciting, but the company offers prospects.

 

I’m afraid the former company is a dead end. I just of it today and I realize the position they want to hire me for is definitely a step down. They normally hire graduates with no real degree into that role and train them up. The girl I would be working with fits that profile. I used to do project management in the heart of the corporate banking business and they’re offering me an administrative role now that I have a Big4 on my CV and can definitely find better on the market? Sounds to me like they’re just trying to find any position to bring me back because they can’t get any approvals for any roles. They waited until some entry level guy left and called me to fill in his role. I don’t think they realize their offer is unreasonable. Who would leave a healthy company for this? They seem to forget I also gained experience elsewhere and I’m not in the spot I was in when I left months ago. Plus, moving abroad for this is more than unreasonable.

 

I’ll need to talk to them. Either they call me for a suitable role or else. Calling me for this type of admin role is a joke. I don’t want to be wasting my potential any further.

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It seems like you know where you're going and what you want. I don't suggest calling your previous company. It hasn't proven reliable in its structure and you seem increasingly frustrated with the way the company is run.

 

I think I still have some frustrations towards my former employer indeed. The company is run pretty poorly which is probably the reason why the stocks are going downhill, they are undergoing a hiring & promotion freeze and people are leaving left and right.

 

They're aware that when I left, I was still fond of my job and the team, but there was too much toxicity around me for me to carry on. Thus, they're trying to recycle me into a role which I know will end up in me doing more than what the job spec entails. I believe they want me to perform a large part of my former job under the new role's umbrella and dump everything onto my desk. I used to work pretty closely with the team I'd be joining, even helping them out with compliance/legal work which should normally be in their remit not mine. I was happy to help, since I have the knowledge. However, at this stage, I fully know there is more to this than they're telling me.

 

My gut feeling is also telling me I should not go into that direct as it would be shooting myself in the foot. Yes, the new job isn't great, but the prospects are far greater than the former company's which are frozen from every angle. I'd be locking myself in a cage.

 

I'm getting worked up and I'm not even back! I'm pretty sure that if I were to go back, once the honeymoon phase dies down, I'll probably wonder what on earth came over me. It's a choice I know I would regret immensely. The thought of moving to that city to work in that office is giving me anxiety. A few months ago, I would have been delighted. Now, that I've seen something else, it's a different story.

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Hi all,

 

So, my former employer today called me again with HR on the line to offer the following:

 

- 13k salary increase from my current salary, but bear in mind the taxes are higher in the country they want me to move to, so more than likely the increase will go into taxes. As a matter of fact, I used a simulator & my net salary will decrease by 500 monthlyIt's not worth it.

- Health & Life Insurance

- No relocation package

- I asked about he corporate title and their response was: "Based on the salary we're offering you, you can assume this is not an entry level role".

 

I didn't like the response to the last point. Why be so coy about the corporate title? Every job I've been offered or headhunted for had a proper corporate title. If they're unwilling the advise on the corporate title, then more than likely, they will get me at entry level/no corporate title. I need to understand where I will land, because if I land at a lower grade, there is no point. I was offered far more in the country I'm in with a lower tax rate.

 

Something about this while thing is fishy. I'm not feeling comfortable with the offer and the approach they took. They didn't ask me for my current base salary before making the offer, nor did they ask about an updated CV. I'm a bit surprised they want me to uproot my entire life for this.

 

I'll have a further thought, but my gut feeling is telling me to stay where I am.

 

Additionally, there are plenty of entry level roles within the salary bracket they offered me, so I'm surprised they think this is a good salary for someone with 5 years experience.

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What really stands out to me is this:

 

1. Is this an entry-level role? The company has a history of hiring entry-level people for this type of role because it is obviously cheaper. Given I have 5 years experience and a solid educational background with 3 languages, I would not let myself slide back into an entry level role. The senior person I spoke to said she's going to investigate as she's not sure of the title.

 

How can she not be sure of what level of responsibility she is hiring for? Sounds like bad news, based on this piece of information alone. Sounds like they're looking to hire a sucker.

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I'll have a further thought, but my gut feeling is telling me to stay where I am.

 

I think you would be right to stay where you are.

 

I didn't like the response to the last point. Why be so coy about the corporate title? Every job I've been offered or headhunted for had a proper corporate title. If they're unwilling the advise on the corporate title, then more than likely, they will get me at entry level/no corporate title. I need to understand where I will land, because if I land at a lower grade, there is no point. I was offered far more in the country I'm in with a lower tax rate.

 

I don't know why you are so hung up on having a "proper corporate title." Unless you are an officer of the company, a licensed professional, or managing a department, the term a company chooses for your package of responsibilities is not particularly important and varies from company to company. The important parts are your actual responsibilities and your compensation. That is what they mean when they say "Based on the salary we're offering you, you can assume this is not an entry level role." I sill wouldn't take the job though.

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HR knows the title. They just don't want to tell you for some reason.

 

I never agree to accept a job unless and until I get an offer letter with everything spelled out clearly.

 

I wouldn't take them on faith. This is your career they're talking about and you shouldn't be getting deliberately vague answers to your questions.

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