How many people from work once you've left do you actually keep in contact with?

[Stressedgiraffe]

I'm about to leave my job. I was wondering about keeping in contact with people? Not via LinkedIn but Facebook or WhatsApp. We don't live close enough to meet up.
I've a few friends from previous jobs on fb but they aren't necessarily the people I thought at the time I would stay in contact with.
Its odd Isn't it? We're so close to people we work with then they disappear from our lives.

I've never really managed to make work friends, I feel a bit of a weirdo about that.

I have a two that I consider best friends, one in my most previous job and the one from a job we had as a teen! But the vast majority were only “friends” bc we saw each other every day and worked in the same place! It’s true, they know so much about your life then it’s never really the same.

I didn’t return to work after maternity leave (which was all planned) I worked with a great bunch and they kindly invited me out with them the following christmas… but it wasn’t the same, chat quickly turned to work and I was just out the loop.

friend for a reason, season… or life.

Last job just one person.
Job before, a few. I've got several friends I worked with before I changed careers but we mainly just message/fb.

I'm fairly good at making friends but am a bit rubbish at keeping in touch.

I have ex colleagues on Facebook and Instagram etc. I made friends with lots of colleagues over the years but have drifted apart from all of them except one, who I still consider a friend, but don't see often.
I made a really close group of friends at one job, but then changing jobs, lockdown, none of them bothering with me after I had a baby and then moving cities changed all that. I felt sad about that for a while, but have come to realise the friendships were probably shallower than I thought.
My current job I mostly get on with everyone, but wouldn't call anyone a friend.
On the plus side I did meet my husband at work!

Previous job I see 2 regularly in person. About 5 or 6 on social media but never see - but don't chat to those online, might comment on posts now and then.

Not that many - kept in touch with a few from a couple of jobs - one I met up with for drinks / dinners for years until she got married then she disappeared, others it more messaging. Some jobs not really bothered to stay in touch.

I never have anyone I work with on SM at the time, but I do have a few ex colleagues on FB and it's good to keep loosely in touch/be able to contact them if needed.

In nearly 40 years at work, whilst I've had good working relationships, I've only made one enduring friend and that was because we shared an obsession interest away from work.

I'm still friends with maybe half a dozen ex colleagues.

Kind of depends if you spend time with them out of work anyway for me.

Personally have no work friends as I am self employed. My Mum mid seventies meets with her old work colleagues every two months. They all go for dinner. (They haven’t worked together for nearly 30 years🤣)

I'm married to one of my ex-colleagues, so see quite a bit of him 😄Through him i still see other old work friends sporadically, but we live too far apart to keep in proper contact. There are some current colleagues who live on my doorstep, so I would hope I would keep in touch with them if I left, but yes, I agree they are often very transient (albeit often intense) friendships.

I’m friends with a few ex-colleagues on Facebook, but I haven’t actually met up with any of them for a few years now. I’ve realised that my current colleagues aren’t friends for life either, though I used to think some of them might be.

I have remained friends with the following ex work colleagues.
30 years since I left, I stayed with her for 2 weeks last year, speak every week and msg every couple of days.
25 years, msg about once every 2 weeks and see each other couple of times a year,
25 years, msg three of them every couple of months and meet up once a year
Couple of years, msg three of them, speak and msg once a month, meet up once or twice a year. I was also very good friends with another woman from here but she very tragically died not long after I left aged only 41.

Six women and two men.

I am married to an ex colleague, together 25 years.

From all the years I worked I have one friend with whom I maintained a relationship and we are still friends after over 30 years. In my last job I thought I had made real friends - we saw each other through births, deaths and marriages - but once I left I never heard from anyone again.

I have a couple of people from each of most places I've ever worked At. In touch with one from 1979! Obvs SM has made it much easier 😊

Job from 30 years ago - still in touch with one (must sort something for her birthday,) was even her bridesmaid. We lived together briefly. FB friends with a few more from there.

Still in touch with a few from my first tech job - we were going to have a reunion, but covid got in the way. Chat to some by FB.

Last job - chat almost daily to one, quite frequently to a couple of others, less frequently to more. We're not all in the same country, so not expecting to meet often, but went out for drinks with the local ones at Easter.

Geography often gets in the way, combined with childrearing. SM makes it easier to stay in touch.

Job 1 - only colleague passed away

Job 2 - I don't see her, but I still exchange xmas cards and a letter with one

Job 3 - used to see two older colleagues until they passed away. Still exchange xmas card and a note with another

Job 4 - colleague left about four years ago, we used to go out for coffee after work - we now see eachother about five times a year.

Still in jobs 4/5 - not overly fussed about keeping in touch with any of them, although, one I've knew before work, so maybe her.

DH is very social - he worked for the same place 40 years and still meets up with three people from years ago, . He left eight months ago and has met up with a couple of his colleagues more than once since and went out with the whole department last week.

Apart from loose SM contact, I’m only in touch with one person from each of my two previous workplaces. At my current job I have 2 colleagues who I’m really close friends with, and I am pretty certain that will endure. Also still friends with a number of colleagues who have left, we meet up regularly for cocktails, go away for weekends and I am godmother to the son of one. There are others I thought would stay in closer contact but haven’t.

Made great friends at every job but I'm terrible at keeping the contact up which is a shame, bar facebook likes and comments. Once you don't work together anymore it takes effort to maintain.

I've only had two jobs (plus a few years as a SAHM in between). From the first job I have several lifelong friends who I'm still in contact with now, many years after leaving. In fact I'm meeting one of them for lunch tomorrow! I can't see that I'll stay in touch with many people from my current job though - maybe one guy. My colleagues are all really nice but I'm not in touch with any of them outside work.

None.

Oddly enough people I thought I got on with ok don't want to know me . Yet others I didn't have anything to do with are more friendly and chatty when I bump in to them . I find male colleagues don't want to know me at all . My hubby says that's common with men as they see the connection as broken and in the past .