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Topic: I made the biggest mistake..............
| Author | Message |
| mfs000 | Posted – 6/26/2006 10:57:55 PM | show profile I was an associate editor at a NYC pub and after a company takeover and an evil publisher, I was very unhappy. When he proposed to cut my salary in half, I left. This was only a month or so ago, but I feel like I made a bad decision. I absolutely loved the people I worked with, except him. My hours were also reduced so in theory, I could have freelanced and worked this job part-time. I cannot work full-time so this set-up was ideal ( part-time) . Right now I am freelancing but I miss the environment and my staff so much. Is it normal to grieve so much after you quit a job? My EIC was lovely and I didn't have much interaction with the publisher. So I guess the question I need to know is: Has anyone felt this way after quitting a job and more importantly, has anyone ever gone back? I was miserable since the takeover but I think I am more miserable now-kinda don't know what you got till it's gone thing. I feel like an idiot and I'm sure I've caused irreparable damage ( I said I had to leave because I just could not survive on that money) and I'm stuck, but if anyone has any advice, please post. Thanks! |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 6/27/2006 1:00:32 AM | show profile If you are sure you want to return, just call your old boss and make your case. Tell them you have reconsidered because your freelance writing has provided more income than you expected and, since money was the only reason you had to leave, you want to return because you miss the work and people and the part-time job at the hours they want fit in perfectly. Assure them you won't flake out. |
| A. Shaw | Posted – 6/27/2006 11:41:57 AM | show profile But before you pick up the phone... make sure what you think is there, is REALLY there. Sometimes we look at the familiar misery with a fond eye when faced with an unknown comfort. I once worked for someone who threw temper tantrums in the office when something in her personal life went awry. I loved my coworkers. I loved my work. I loved the aesthetics of my office. My salary wasn't so beloved, but it was such a great job and I was young, carefree. However, the temper tantrums seemed to get worse, or I seemed to loose patience with this woman (not my direct supervisor; my supervisor's supervisor, but I was in daily contact with her). In either case, the atmosphere in the office began to deteriorate, and the job began to loose its shine. Eventually I found something else and left. But I did not move on. I missed my coworkers, my work, my office. The situation and atmosphere that drove me away began to fade from my memory as the yearning for my old job grew. I liked my new job ? a lot, in fact. But I was still the ?new person.? I wasn't doing exactly what I had been doing before, but close enough to it that I thought I could be happy at the outset?until the yearning set in. It took a casual dinner meeting with my old boss to wake me up. Greg was a good guy, excelled at his job, and a wonderful person to work for (one of my favorite bosses of all time). He was patient, kind, and did not loose it under pressure. He wanted me back, but unfortunately he needed to blow off some steam. The stories he told at dinner that evening made me realize that the situation in the office was the same if not escalating. I still look back at that job and that time with fondness ? I just don?t want to go there again. I'm certainly not saying your situation is the same, but use caution when looking back - some times objects appear more desirable than they really are! |
| mfs000 | Posted – 6/28/2006 12:28:09 PM | show profile Dribble -thanks for the reply and giving me the guts to do it but after reading the next post I kinda started doubting my wish. Smfisher- Thank you so much because I am starting to feel like I am blocking out all the bad times and your story really illustrated that for me. WIth me too, it seems as if things have gotten even worse- I just had a really wonderful group of people I was working with but that couldn't make up for the total lack of humanity by the big boss, not to mention the ridiculous pay. Boy a job really is alike a former love, you only remember all the good parts in your moments of desperation. |
| media_zero | Posted – 6/28/2006 12:46:58 PM | show profile Life Advice Whatever you do, don't get involved with an alcoholic. I only say this because you may have a too forgiving personality that allows you to subject yourself to abuse, which will certainly recur. |
| beachbum | Posted – 6/28/2006 5:02:50 PM | show profile i'm not sure about going back Personally, there's been many times I grieve over the loss of my old jobs, all of them: one where I was let go and the others where I left. I always miss certain aspects of all of them. I think it's normal, especially if you made good friends there, it feels like you're moved to another state. I agree that you mostly remember the good times, it must be the brain's ability to forget bad moments (something very healthy, actually), but I'm not sure about going back to a job I left. I think it would be weird, like people wouldn't trust you as much as before and think you're a little flaky. Even in my relationships, once I'm done with a person or a place, I'm done. Ready to move on. I think you should allow yourself some time to grieve and think about it before you call your ex-boss. The second time around might feel worse. Sorry to be pessimistic :-) Sometimes it's better to just move on and try something new. |
