It Happens: Stories of People Who Returned To Work After Launching a Business, Being Fired or Having a Conflict

How often have you wanted to say everything you think of an annoying executive to their face? How often have you dreamed of moving to another country and developing your competencies in a new professional market? At some point in their lives, our heroes stopped counting times and decided to make a radical change. Then, they returned to employment - in the same company, country, or a related position. Below, we detail each of these stories.

Founded a business and then returned to the company he left

Victor, 40, founded his project three years ago. During this time, he had managed to go through all the stages of frustration with his own business: many things worked and didn't. Employees were constantly quarrelling and refusing to fulfil their duties; inflation was going up every month because of the cost of living crisis. Victor had no idea that managing the company would be so challenging. He tried to improve the project's situation: he attracted professional managers, took consultations, analysed clients on his own, and held custom meetings with regular customers. Lack of knowledge about building a business and forced focus on the specialists hired led to the project closing: Victor could not understand if he was reporting correctly, whether everything was correct in his tax returns, or what the auditors were telling him. As a result, Victor posted on his LinkedIn profile that he was closing the business. He talked to a few recruiters who were his friends and remembered him from his previous job, and accepted an offer to work for the company he had left three years before. True, he got accepted for a different, higher position.

So, what's the moral of the situation?

Before starting your business, you should study the market and competitors and understand how to build the project, manage people, and submit tax returns. Free courses in these areas are available at Lectera - if you have been thinking about your project for a while, we advise you to look at them.

Resigned and then stepped back into a leadership position

Elena quit her job at the age of 50. It was her conscious decision: she wanted to rest, spend more time with her family, and take up hobbies for which she always lacked time. Her savings and contributions from her former employer allowed her not to change the quality and standard of living. Additionally, Elena invested a lot of money in property and could count on a permanent passive income. In general, she had enough money, but at some point, she got bored with life without work worries, meetings with colleagues and partners, and new ambitious tasks. So, when a corporation representative from an industry she knew very well approached Elena, she agreed to talk to him. It turned out that the corporation urgently needed a CFO who could help with unresolved issues. Elena was not interested in the high salary, but the ambitious tasks and fascinating corporate culture appealed to her. Thanks to her work experience and realisation of its value for the company, our heroine managed to negotiate a gradual entry into the position, work from home and receive many "perks" that are not available to other company top managers. Now she can take a paid sabbatical with the preservation of her job, travel the world with a hundred per cent insurance against anything and is served in the best establishments in the city.

So, what's the moral of the situation?

When you are sure of your value to a company, you can be comfortable choosing both employers, the "perks" they offer, and the salary. And to be sure of your value, you need to learn new things in practice and improve your skills in theoretical courses. We can help with both: Lectera offers many programmes for employees with existing experience. Find the right one now!

Fell out with his colleagues but had to go back to work in the same team

Mark was 23 years old when he decided to try a new role. He was extremely tired of working in his position and didn't like the team. Moreover, he didn't like the office, he didn't like the managers, the lunches in the local canteen and the bonuses offered by the company. So, he decided to take French leave, and when asked why he no longer visited the office or answered customer questions, he went on a tirade about how he didn't feel appreciated. Mark left for a new industry after arguing with everyone, including his boss. He had to re-learn and start from scratch, which meant giving up his previous income. After six months of trying, it became clear to Mark that he needed to change his approach. However, no motivation was left by then: he didn't want to learn, gain experience and a name, and thought he burnt out. Mark didn't understand what he liked and was flitting between industries and functions. Since his qualifications didn't change, after a few months of trying to start a new career, Mark had to find a part-time job in the industry he was trying to leave. It just so happened that it was the company that Mark had so ungraciously left before. The organisation was going through a terrible time, so it hired specialists through outsourcing. In Mark's former team, only the manager who had decided to give him part of the tasks had changed, but his colleagues, who still remembered the insults he had thrown around, remained the same. Sadly, as a result, Mark did not last long there.

So, what's the moral of the situation?

If you change your profession and want to build a new career, you should prepare for a lower salary first. You will also have to study a lot, spend time on additional courses, feel like a beginner and go through the vicissitudes familiar to everyone starting a career. You can do it all if you want to! Come to Lectera courses - we quickly and clearly explain everything you need to know to get started in your new profession.

Moved back from another country and went to work in a lower position

Rose moved from the country she had lived in for 25 years, about two years ago. She wanted to build a new life in Europe: study for a master's degree at a local university, win a study grant, start working on campus, go for an internship, get noticed, become an employee of a local company, and assimilate into society. She managed to get into the local university, but not the one Rose dreamed of. Likewise, she could reduce her tuition fees, but not by a hundred per cent. The financial burden increased: Rose needed to work to support herself, but the currency of the country she grew up in was worth very little in her new country; she had to work on campus for pennies and a maximum of twenty hours a week and living in a hostel sometimes cost more than her official salary. Rose completed two internships during her studies, but a year after receiving her master's degree, she still didn't get invited to work. Rose's attempts to stay in the country were not in vain; she managed to travel and visit exciting places. However, her professional life did not go well, and Rose moved back: the conditions of her visa did not allow her to stay in the country she had dreamed of for so long. As her master's degree and work experience did not match the old qualifications and specialities that were in demand in her home country, Rose had to work in the same field as before, but in a lower position. Her salary decreased, and her interest in the profession waned.

So, what's the moral of the situation?

Make any decision considering maximum data. Think ahead, build hypotheses, and beef yourself up to be at the ready. You can do this even if you study and work simultaneously. Just take free courses from Lectera, learn new skills, and practise them on case studies. It's accessible and advantageous!