Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

I think I may have finally reached complete and utter desperation in my job search. I was looking on Hot Jobs yesterday and saw that my old company has a position similar to mine open in another imprint. I know the person who would be the boss to this position and she is great and has always seemed to like me. The two catches are this:

1) The job is the same thing I was doing in my old imprint except one level up in title (probably a little more money) I vowed when I left that I would never go back to that area of work...

2) This is a company that downsized me. How do you go back to that?

A former colleague (who left the company before me) described our former employer as a 'bad boyfriend'. One that was comfortable but not healthy.

It has been 3 1/2 months without a job and I am losing all sense of self worth and value as a person.

Do I swallow my pride and crawl back to the company (and make sure I continue looking for a better opportunity even after I get the job) or hold out as long as possible and see what else turns up?

This is just me but if my old job was available in my old company (with just the small differences as in your situation), I would return in a heartbeat *except* I would have to pay back my severance (if it was within a year, I believe, of my layoff).

Now why would *I* go back? Well, the fact that it would be as sure a sure thing as possible.


Let me edit because in my situation, I was told my job was being eliminated and they would help me find another job but anything would have been in the city. So I don't *resent* as much as you may for being let go (although, there were a few losers who should have gone in my place but they had slightly different positions under a different mgmt chain).

It's a tough one because I know you're going stir crazy over there...but I think if you've decided that you want to do something else career-wise, then you really need to pursue that something...

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Posted by corinne7477

did you try flipdog.com i found several jobs on there that were decent. dont give up and settle.

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it's now part of monster ...

Hi, Juliet!

This is a tough call, career-wise. Your decision, I think, depends on the following elements:

1. When you vowed never to return to the kind of work you were doing at your old imprint, what were the reasons for that vow? In other words, when examined with the benefit of hindsight, do those reasons stand up, and why? If the reasons are still strong and persuasive, I'd pretend you never heard about this new job opportunity and look elsewhere. You have a strong application -- I know that for certain.

2. Think about how committed you are to the career change idea. If the new direction means a great deal to you, be patient and stick with it.

That's my two cents! Did you call TH about your application status, by any chance? Let me know if I can help... you know where to find me!

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Posted by usuk2004

It's a tough one because I know you're going stir crazy over there...but I think if you've decided that you want to do something else career-wise, then you really need to pursue that something...

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I know, I am trying. I have a huge log of all of the resumes I have sent in and aside from the few that I got through headhunters, the only one who responded was one for the same job I had before at another company. It seems that no matter what I did in my old job that will pertain to a new job, they seem to only be looking at my job title and I can't seem to cross over.

It is insane. I did SO many different things in my old job that weren't just exclusive to my job title and they still mean nothing to potential employers because my title was XXX

3 1/2 months is not a long time when you are looking for something specific. I've read that 4 mos is about average for a person looking for a career position, not just a job.

Stick to your guns about what you want. Don't settle. You will get the right job, not just any job. If money is an issue, by all means take something that you can tolerate until you land the job you want.

I don't thik you should be at the point of desperation yet. It seems like there aren't an abundance of jobs available for what you do, so you may just have to wait it out a little longer. I would give it at least 6 months before true desperation.
However, if you think that you may be happy back with your old company, then send in your resume and see what happens. I know for me, there is no way in He!! I would go back to my old company. I truely don't think there's enough money in the world.

Unless you are really strapped for cash, I would hold out for something else. It is really easy to get 'stuck' in a field you hate, and if you go back you may 'waste' years of your life working in a field you don't love (when you could be working in a field you love and building your resume in that field).