I left a good job for more money, but I think I made a mistake and want it back
I am 28 years old and have eight years’ work experience. Because of financial problems I was not able to go to college. I started doing jobs early in my life in international BPOs [business process outsourcing] but I never took my career seriously and changed jobs frequently.
In 2009 I started working for a very good firm. Life was good – I had weekends and public holidays off, free transportation and meals from the company and free medical cover for myself and my parents. All the major clients and key management people knew me because of my work. However I left the job because I wanted to do sales and marketing and get better pay. Although I got a 25% hike I did not realise about the other benefits I would lose out on. Although I was doing well I decided not to continue. I am currently out of a job and surviving on my savings.
I am an avid trekker, which is my passion, and I write travel blogs. This was also a reason for me leaving the new job as I would not have been getting any vacation time. I have also decided to go for a travel writing course. However, I need a steady income for my current liabilities. I got in touch with my old company and they said that they would be happy to take me back, but my position was filled. They will take me at the same salary, but the opening they have will require me to do mundane work which will really undervalue my experience and qualifications. Should I accept the offer from my old company or keep looking for some other job?
Jeremy says
Forgive me if I sound a little brutal, but I think you need to come to terms with reality. You want an interesting job with a good salary that makes full use of your experience and qualifications – and at the same time, one that provides you with lots of perks and enough spare time to pursue your outside interests which are where your longer-term ambitions really lie. Your brief experience in sales and marketing must have shown you how difficult it can be to find such a combination. Most employers, understandably, expect full-time commitment in exchange for full-time pay.
Given your priorities, I think it will be difficult for you to find another job that meets all your requirements. In fact, I think you’re pretty fortunate to be offered a position back with your old company, and at the same salary. I can understand that doing lowlier work will be a bit of a blow to your self-respect and, initially at least, you may come in for a certain amount of banter from colleagues. But the company knows you of old and is likely to raise your level of work as soon as the opportunity occurs.
Above all, take your travel writing and trekking extremely seriously. If you’re to make a long-term career in this direction you’ll need to demonstrate very high levels of experience and professionalism.
Readers say
• If you need money, take the job – they seem to want you back. But don’t give up on the travel writing: learn what you need to do to be good enough, and blend your passion with a pragmatic plan to make it pay. Andrew Horder
• If I had savings I would go and do some internships for travel magazines, live very frugally and then get a paid job with my experience. ID0437433
• I say take the mundane job because the more time you have to concentrate on your writing, the more experience you’re going to get. Pascale123
• Essentially it’s a work/life balance problem, isn’t it? Grass is always going to be greener; do you want to climb the corporate ladder or do you want to live the dream? You need to work out what you want from life. c8th3r1n3
• If they are paying you the same salary for mundane work, than that is a shit hot deal – most people get mundane work and a mundane salary to go with it. This probably means that you seriously impressed them and they don’t want to lose the opportunity to have you back – that being the case you will be in line for more interesting work and a better salary. salamandertome
My job is shrinking to two days a week – so is the pay. Should I stay or go?
I have worked for a large national public service organisation in various roles for almost 20 years. Seven years ago I sought internal promotion and secured a three-day post. This meant I kept my previous job for two days a week and worked in the new post for three. As a result I have two separate managers in two separate parts of the organisation and the UK.
It was recently announced that the three-day-a-week post is to be made redundant. The company says I can either take redundancy and lose both posts or stay in the two-days-a-week job but not be paid redundancy and receive two-fifths of my salary. It has also offered to help find a full-time job somewhere within the organisation.
It seems unfair to lose a huge chunk of my salary with no compensation if I stay. I would be free to work elsewhere for the “spare” days but I’m not sure whether to give up both posts, take the money and run.
Jeremy says
Despite this recent development it would seem that you like this organisation and that it likes you. You’ve been getting to know each other for nearly 20 years and it would seem a pity to waste all that. But I also agree that to expect you to lose three-fifths of your income with no compensation does seem harsh.
It’s encouraging that they’ve offered to help you find another full-time job elsewhere within the organisation. Might they also be prepared to help you find another part-time job – so allowing you to keep the two-day job you love? It’s certainly worth asking. And you never know: if they find you a new full-time job it might just be one that you come to enjoy just as much.
In other words, I think you should exhaust all possibilities and permutations with your existing company before taking compensation and starting again.
Readers say
• Take the redundancy and seek a full-time role elsewhere during your wind-down period. ilovespreadsheets
• There seems to be some confusion as to whether there is one single employment contract, with two roles/jobs, or if there are two separate contracts with the same employer, one for each job.
If there are two separate contracts, then redundancy should be available for the three-day job, without affecting the two-day job. DaveAlex
• You don’t mention your pension arrangements. I would negotiate protecting this as part of your redundancy package. tiniow
• Seek the advice of an employment lawyer. Your employers seem to be simultaneously suggesting that you do and do not have two different jobs, and specialist advice would help you to unpick whether their approach is correct. Persipan
