Getting Your Old Job Back After a Layoff
May 19, 2010 by admin
Filed under Layoffs & Firings
By DENNIS NISHI
As companies’ hiring freezes start to thaw, many laid-off individuals may see a chance to regain a position in their old companies. The odds of getting an old job back are better if you were let go for budgetary reasons and the company outlook has improved. But if a position was lost as part of a restructuring or consolidation, it may not be worth the effort. Here are a few things to consider if you’re trying to get your old job back.
• Do a self assessment. Be honest with yourself. “Sometimes there is some selectivity in who is laid off,” says Jerald Jellison, a psychologist and professor of social psychology at the University of Southern California who specializes in the workplace. “Maybe there’s something in there that you need to understand about how people at the company perceived you.” He recommends asking yourself whether you created any bad feelings when you left.
Also consider what you could have done differently when you worked there. Is there a way you could have provided more value in your department or team that still applies now? You should also consider whether or not you feel a renewed commitment to the work you’d be doing, says Mr. Jellison. “I liken it to returning to an old flame. Is it really a good idea? Do you really want to be there?”
• Improve yourself. Consider what the company will need as conditions improve. If you were a marketing manager, return to the job with a new angle of attack that can help make the company more competitive…
Read the original article from wsj