Techie Takes Career Leap After 5 Years, Loses New Job Within A Month: ‘Should I Go Back?’

Changing jobs is often seen as a step towards better opportunities, higher salaries or career growth. But for one tech professional, a move away from a company where he had spent nearly five years ended with an unexpected return to the job market — just weeks after joining his new employer. The data engineer shared his experience on Reddit, explaining that he had worked at his previous organisation for around five years before deciding to make a switch. His new role, however, lasted barely a month. According to him, changes to a project and client, along with budget constraints, left him without an assignment. The sudden turn of events left him struggling to process what had happened. “Hey everyone, I’m in a bit of shock and honestly looking for some perspective. I had been working at my previous organisation for around 5 years in data engineering. Recently, I decided to make a switch and joined a new company,” he wrote. He said the problem emerged soon after he joined the new firm. “Unfortunately, within a month of joining, I was told that the project/client situation had changed and that there were budget constraints. I was essentially left without a project and was asked to resign. So now I’m suddenly back in the job market after barely a month in the new company,” he added. What made the situation particularly difficult was that he had voluntarily walked away from a relatively stable position. He stressed that his departure from the previous company had not been related to his performance. “The frustrating part is that I left a relatively stable job after 5 years, and this happened almost immediately after making the move. I didn’t leave because of performance issues, and the reason communicated to me was essentially business/budget related,” he explained. With his new job gone, the techie is now considering whether going back to his former employer could be an option. “Should I approach my previous organisation and ask if they would consider taking me back? Should I completely move on and focus on finding another company? Would going back to my previous employer look bad or hurt my career? How should I explain this very short stint in interviews?” he asked. The post, titled “Got laid off within a month of joining—should I go back to my previous company or move on?”, drew advice from other Reddit users. One person suggested keeping both possibilities open: “It’s better to look for new opportunities. If you don’t find anything suitable, there’s no harm in reaching out to your former colleagues.” Got laid off within a month of joining — should I go back to my previous company or move on? by u/Less_Sir1465 in developersIndia Another user shared their own story: “It happened with me too. It was 6 months in new company and project got cancelled during Covid and layoffs. I went back to old company. I provided enough value there that they went ahead and helped me with making all my past 6months look like sabbatical for skilling and on papers it’s total clear. It was a big damn company with 10k+ employees in India, and one of the premier banks. So it all depends on if you provided enough value so they can bend themselves for you or not. If not, then look for other company. if yes, then they will love you to join them and they will of ofcourse do whatever they can.”