Lifestyle

Go to Greg: Is it okay to go back to a former employer?

I recently left my employer of five years for a new job. I liked my former company and position, but thought the new job was a good career opportunity. But I think I made a big mistake. Is returning to a former employer after only a few months out of the question?

It depends on the employer. Some companies have a practice of exiting employees out the door on the same day they resign: “Thank you for your five years of service, and don’t let the door hit you in the behind on your way out.” Such companies generally also have a practice of not rehiring former employees. Sometimes it works out well when talent leaves to gain experience and perspective elsewhere, and returns later. But your situation sounds more like a job mulligan: “Oops, I made a mistake — can I come back?” Leaving a former employer on good terms is critical, not just so you can get a good reference, but because life and careers are long, and the employment market is dynamic. Contacting your former employer about a possible return at some point, should an opportunity exist, is fine. But first make sure that you have given the new opportunity enough time to make a fully informed assessment. Job changes often result in early anxiety, and buyer’s remorse may be more about the time it takes to adapt to a new culture and establishing new relationships than reflecting a mistake.

Gregory Giangrande is an executive vice president and chief human resources officer in the media industry.