By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter
Have you ever quit a job for greener pastures only to discover the pasture you were grazing in looks pretty good from the other side of the fence? Some departures are well thought out, while others are decided in a fit of emotional turmoil.
If you have ever left a job under the latter circumstance and are hoping for a chance to redeem yourself, take heart.
The following five tips are excerpted from my latest U.S. News & World Report post (the complete post with fully defined tips can be found here).
1. Reach out to former colleagues. If you have remained in touch with any former co-workers, use those relationships to ascertain whether or not you would even be welcomed back.
2. Prepare to explain yourself. If no. 1 went well, your next step should be to prepare yourself with answers to questions you will certainly be asked.
3. Plead your case in person. DO NOT call, text, fax, or email the person you must appeal to gain re-entry. It is too easy for them to ignore these messages or to simply say, “No.” Your willingness to plead your case in person, is certain to earn you points.
4. Leave your pride out of the discussion. You may have been the best (insert formerly held position here) the company ever had, but this is not a time for you to remind them of that. Instead, focus on the lessons you’ve learned through your departure and how you plan to apply those lessons going forward.
5. Be open to taking a cut in pay or benefits. It may be painful at first, but it does show a willingness to work with an organization you may have left in a lurch.
You have, no doubt, heard the old saying about “burning bridges.” Well, just remember, a burnt bridge does not preclude building a new bridge to get back across to the other side.
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Click here to read the fully detailed U.S. News & World Report post.
What I like a lot about this advice is that it is not often talked about and not easy to dispense (by a coach) or to deal with (the person in a tough transition) but as sobering as Jacqui’s advice comes across it’s quite sound.