Should You Ask An Old Employer For A New Job?

Times are tough for the job seeker – there’s no doubt about it. Job seekers need to utilize every resource at their disposal if they want to get ahead with their careers.They may find themselves calling up old co-workers  and managers just to see what opportunities are available. Since there’s already the foundation of a solid relationship (having worked together in the past) these ex-employees have the advantage of personal connections, work history, and one foot in the door. Even so, after an few awkward phone-calls and perhaps an initial loss of pride, job seekers may find themselves asking, “Should I really be asking my old employer for a new job?”

The answer, of course, is that sometimes job seekers need to take one step back in order to take two steps forward.

• Pending you weren’t fired for a serious offense and you left the company on your own amicable terms – it’s not necessarily a outlandish idea for a candidate to return to their old haunts. You’ll obviously need to reconnect with your old coworkers and managers and let them know you’re interested in returning to the organization. Just make sure you’re interested for the right reasons.
• If you feel stuck in your job search and hope to go crawling back to your old job – then you should stop right now. If you would only accept a new position from your previous employer begrudgingly – then it’s not wise for you to revisit your old employer. Your old boss will see right through your emotional baggage and tell you to take a hike. Your old employer isn’t in the market for a sympathy case or a dead weight candidate that doesn’t actually care about the job or the company. So if your seeking shelter from the poor economy, or you’re just an aimless candidate, you’ll most likely have to take your chances somewhere else.
• In order to revisit an old company you’ll need an serious attitude adjustment and a very good reason for returning. Perhaps you learned a few things since you were away? Leverage the growth and personal insights you’ve experienced while away by presenting a portrait of yourself that it is full of fresh determination for success and the desire to add value to the company.

Old employers can be the shortest path to another job. However, be sure that you are presenting your assessments honestly to yourself – if it didn’t work once, ask yourself if the same problems will happen again. If you had a bad manager, is that manager still there? It’s never worth putting yourself into a bad situation again. However, if the issue was more you than the old employer, than as an ex-employee, you may have a significant advantage to getting hired.