To leave this job after 5 weeks

[WhoKnewBeefStew]

I left a well paid job with lots of flexibility, 5 weeks ago. I left due to the instability and lack of direction.

I joined a multi national company (with a substantial pay rise) via someone I’d worked with before. I was recommended for the role, however pulled out of the interview process as I had concerns about ‘work life balance’. They approached me a week later and convinced me that this wouldn’t be an issue (I have a dd with adhd and my eldest if off to secondary school this year, so need/want flexibility). I’ve been in the new role for 5 weeks and I hate it!

I’ve had to travel abroad once already and I’m away for one night most weeks, I’ve got another trip abroad booked in 2 weeks time and another in October. My customer I work with is a nightmare and my boss hasn’t contacted me for weeks. Add that to the fact I’ve worked until 7pm several times a week it’s really too much. I’m working from home but I’m so busy I’m never out of my office.

The chap who I’m taking over from (my old work colleague) is really helpful, but he’s so engrained into the company it’s difficult to keep up with him. I can see when he moves onto another customer, I’ll simply be left floundering. I wake up with that horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach and I’ve had a headache for weeks due to stress.

My old boss has always said that if I ever want to work for him again just give him a shout. We had a great working relationship and my customers always gave me glowing feedback.

AIBU to see if my old boss has any vacancies and bin the new job? I feel bad as I was recommended by my friend.

I would talk to them first and explain your issues and that the job is not what you were sold. If things don’t improve after that then leave. Did they not tell you about the travel when you applied?

Definitely give your old boss a ring. The new company have promised you something (in fact convinced you) that you would have the flexibility you needed and haven’t delivered. I’m assuming g if they’d told you about international travel and being away you wouldn’t have considered it as an option? So leave and just “Sorry, the flexibility I needed (and you told me was available) isn’t there so it doesn’t work for me”.

No the international travel wasn’t explained. I was told I’d need to visit the customer once a fortnight (they are about 165 miles away), this is fine, and the rest I’d be working from home.

If its making you miserable, leave OP. I've left several jobs after a couple of days/weeks if they're not right for me. That's what the probation period is for - use it!

There are more important things to worry about than a job you find no joy in

Thank you @MissYeti it is making me miserable. I’m going to email my old boss and start to look elsewhere. If it’s making me miserable now then god only knows how I’ll feel in a years time.

My probation is 3 months with a 1 week notice period.

I once left a job after 9 days. It wasn't what they said it would be, the "team" I was working with turned out to be one other guy who then quit on my second day, and my boss spent exactly one hour with me on my first day and then just plonked me at a desk with no direction whatsoever and no contact until I went into her office to quit the following week. I called my old boss, he said I could come back to my same role so I went back with my tail between my legs! Life is too damn short to be in a miserable job, especially if you have children that need you to be around a lot. People will tell you to tough it out, and I've done that before too and it's got better, but go with your gut and do what's best for you and your family.

Not quite the same but I resigned then went for a handover before signing a contract with the new place - got a really bad feeling so asked to take back my resignation (which thankfully they allowed me to do!)

I think 5 weeks is too soon

It takes a few months to be comfortable and confident in any job.

Its not to soon, you shouldn’t be feeling this way!! Do what’s right for you , your health and family. Hope your old boss has something for you

If whats happened in 5 weeks is going to continue then id look into getting another job especially if youre really unhappy. In my current job i was ready to up and leave 2 weeks in, but luckily things got better and ive now been there 3 years. If its too much though then be honest and go

I've kind of been through similar recently. I have absolutely hated my new job and got a job back in my old company but have decided not to take it as things seem to have changed a bit. I have decided to stick with my new job for the time being in the hope that things will improve. Funnily as soon as you say you have a different job to go to then managers start trying to help and address the problems.

Sounds like the usual stress and pain points of moving company / role to be honest. It's all new so takes you longer, in a few months tasks that now take you ages you'll do very quickly without really thinking. You'll build a relationship with your customer or if not internal relationships that make it fun to take the rise out of what a moron the customer is. The travel usually decreases once you have made relationships (unless in an international role. I'd say stop panicking, take a deep breath & give yourself 6 months, maybe listen to some pod casts on mindfulness & dealing with change.

I’d look for something else and stick it out in the meantime. I left a job after a few weeks because bosses yelled at people, and were generally abusive. Some of the employees yelled back. A woman I worked with told me I’d get used to it, but I thought “I don’t want to get used to it”. So, I found another job and literally walked out one day and didn’t return. Life is too short to put up with a crappy job. They’ll probably just think you’re uncooperative and not a ‘team player’ if you make an issue of the travel and long hours.