In today’s economy it is not unheard of to make use of contacts you thought you would never use again and the one that surprises most people is the simple fact that you can get your old job back!
It happens more than you would think…
Think about it like recycling…if it was good enough at one time and you know your skills are valuable to them..then what is wrong with it?
In some ways it is truly going backwards…but is being unemployed that much better?
Would it be a blow to your ego?
Did you leave on good terms?
If not..why not?
In general we can assume that there is a need to learn from our mistakes and that being said we can return to a job under the following conditions:
We offer our previous experience as well as our most recent experiences to create a best of both worlds proposition.
We let bygones be bygones
We do not compare our previous company to the “old” company-we take everything at face value
We do not offer criticism or reasons why we left
We humbly offer to explain what we like and miss about the company
The return on this conversational investment may be be fairly high but be prepared for some skepticism…it is only natural.When confronted with old dirty laundry surfacing as objections..it is better to anticipate what items are likely to be discussed..and then counter them with thoughtful validation…
Example:
I am surprised…you left because you were obviously looking for something you would like better…why the change of tune?
Why didn’t you just remain here?
How do I know you aren’t just going to leave again as soon as you discover we are the same old company?
How come you waited so long?
Why weren’t you in touch?
You must be down on your luck to even consider this?
We don’t rehire people…
These objections, though reasonable, are fairly easy to overcome when you think about it..the main thing is to validate what they are feeling…if you really are sincere you must consider the delicate position you are putting the employer in…and specifically the ticklish nature of how it will effect staff members. It sends a strong message in the event you will be rejoining former coworkers…in fact, one of the dangers might be the perception that you left on bad terms…and your return reveals a weakness in your employer…or it sends a message that they will tolerate bad behavior.
These things may or may not be true…but your job is to consider how much effort you are willing to put forth in your career search.
What if you saw the error of your ways and wanted to prove you are a new and improved version of your former self?
Can you convince them of that?
If not..why not?
Life is too short to leave a mess behind us everywhere we go..it is the mature adult that can smooth over differences and make peace with his past!
