Hi Tina, I need advice about my career. I left my part time job for a full time job in another company a week ago and work as an administrator which is a step up from what I was doing.
Recently, my last job offered me a full time role as an Assistant Supervisor which is like a promotion. My dad thinks I should wait a month to decide on my future to see how this job works out.
I feel like I'm being offered it because another woman whom I didn't like has left and they need someone to do that job, in fact, they are desperate for someone to fill this role.
When I had a problem with this woman, my boss seemed to take her side over me, even though she was at fault, so part of me is glad I left. I knew she would let him down when I wasn't there to step up. To be honest, part of me wanted that job when I was there but it meant a lot more work.
I'm wondering If It would be a good career move for me to take on as I might not get the opportunity again? My boss was a great mentor for me and I loved learning from him, he himself is only using his job to climb higher. Should I do the same?
Tina's response:
I completely agree with your father, stay put in your new job for the moment. See how you like it, remember it is a promotion from your last job which you left for a few different reasons.
Get to know these new work colleagues, you don't have to live with them, just hit it off with them on a day-to-day basis and you may find that unlike the lady in your last job, some of these may be a whole new set of friends.
You have only been invited back to your old job because THEY NEED YOU! You know the job, they know you and they would probably prefer to wait a month for you to make up your mind rather than go to the hassle of interviewing lots of new people who may not work out.
The woman in your last job would possibly have to give a month's notice anyway and remember, your old boss took the side of your work colleague.
That lady must have known she was leaving her job long before you handed in your notice and left to join your new company. You seem to infer that she had a good relationship with your last boss so I'm wondering why she didn't give him the nod to keep you on, knowing she was leaving and saving him the hassle of looking for someone new or, maybe she disliked you too much to see you get the promotion?
Your old boss was slow off the mark as well in asking you to reconsider after you had already accepted a new post, he was possibly seeing if he could do without anyone in that position to save money and now he's got a problem that only you can solve.
As I say, give it a month in the new job, see if you can manage the work and you find the working conditions pleasant. I'm a great believer in always moving forward, especially if you have left a person or a job situation because you found them, for some reason or another, unacceptable to deal with anymore.
I know you say your old boss was a great mentor but you've probably learnt all you're going to learn from him so wouldn't it be a great idea to use that knowledge in your new job and see if you can gain some fresh ideas?
If you really want to be cheeky, you could ask your old boss to put in writing exactly what's on offer, your new title, salary etc so that even if you don't return, but in time you feel you want to move on from your present job, you have it in writing that you were offered the assistant supervisors job.
You can always say the reason you didn't take up his offer was because you didn't want to let the new company down having accepted their offer, that lets you off the hook in case they think you felt you weren't up to the job.
I know you may have felt safe in your old job but things happen for a reason, prove yourself in this new job and you may climb the ladder even higher.
Good luck!
If you have a problem and you want Tina's advice email: asktinak@gmail.com.
