Career Decisions

[legion]

Seven months into my new gig in Atlanta and I am at yet another decision point.

The long and short of it is that my current manager has neither the temperment nor the aptitude for managment. The work is not what I was told it would be. Things I was promised in the interview were denied by my manager once I was here. He is a micro-manager like I've never dealt with before. We have a 5-person team and only about 1.5 people's worth of work--because that is all he is comfortable micro-managing. He has told me to delay completing assignement for people he dislikes (which I have ignored). He has told me to take vacation/personal time so that I could do things like go home and pack for business trips. His biggest priority is that his people attend meetings where other managers see his people. (He likes to brag that HIS PEOPLE always attend department meetings, for example.) Actually completing work barely registers with him. (I have been told it is okay to let deadlines slip as long as I attend all of the meetings that he thinks bring him visibility.)

Add to this that Atlanta traffic is horrendous and my manager will not allow me to pick my own or adjust my hours in any way. Those that live close to the office hurry home and stay pinned-down in their house for 3-4 hours until traffic passes. Those of us that live farther away get to sit in traffic for our mornings and evenings. My drive can take anywhere from 25 minutes (no traffic and showing up 1.5 hours early for work--which does not earn me the ability to leave early) to 3 hours, one way. It is pretty unpredictable what each commute will turn out like.

I made the decision to leave this job about 2 months in, but I need to stay a year or I owe for relocation costs. I started contacing managers in my old department as I saw job posting go up this month. I reached out to my old boss last week. (Different department, same company.) He referred me to my old director, who essentially told me to decide where I wanted to work (Illinois or Atlanta) and who I wanted to work for, and he would make it happen.

My wife wants to return to Illinois. I kind of do too. Even though I dislike the state, I miss my old town.

I now have a choice between two jobs (applying for both would probably send the wrong message):

1) Work as an analyst in my old area whose responsibility it is to discover and document risk in our computer systems. These risks would then be prioritized and addressed. This job sounds interesting because it would bring visibility with management and allow me to work with a variety of teams. The one big drawback to being on this team is that one of my personal friends is on it, and we have very different approaches to work.

2) Return to my old team where I would become a lead and be responsible for a sub-team of analysts. I could probably walk right into this and start being effective right away. I know I could do the work. I liked my old team. The work was varied enough to keep me from being bored for the first 12 years I was on the team. (I only left to pursue a promotion.) The only issue, is that if I go back, I'm pretty much accepting that I am the "expert" on the team and it would be hard to leave again. I'm not sure that I would ever want to leave again.

[ckelly78z]

The safe and less stressful option would be to go back to your former team and be thier leader. You pretty much know what to expect with that, but I understand that it could become tedious after awhile, and feelings of "if only I would have" might come into play after being settled back into this job.

I believe that option #1 sounds like it might be more challenging, thus, more rewarding with the possability to be noticed and move forward up the ranks.

[bivenator]

I would find it hard to go back to the job that you vacated. Full speed ahead.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I would find it hard to go back to the job that you vacated. Full speed ahead.

Same here. Always look forward, never back. I vote #1.

[oldE]

Legion,

About three decades ago I did step back into an old job for a few years. It allowed me more time with my family and worked for me at the time.
When you say your friend has a different approach to work, are you referring to a differing work ethic or a thought process?
If it is work ethic, I suspect you might be suggesting you would be trying to push him along to get work done. If it is thought process, that can be very interesting in terms of tackling a problem.
All the best with your decision.

Les

[VincentVega]

Cant go wrong with either one, good luck.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by bivenator

I would find it hard to go back to the job that you vacated. Full speed ahead.

I did this when the company I went to started going out of business when the subprime bubble burst in 2007. I couldn't imagine going back to my previous job. But by then, that company had been acquired by a bigger one, my old boss was now a big boss and, after having lunch with him one day, he asked me to come back. I literally had no interview process, went to his office in jeans and a fleece, he printed out an offer letter for more money, giving me all my old accounts back and said to start the following week. It was a good and seamless jump.

I could never live in Atlanta, but if I did, Porsche N. America seems to have job ads on Indeed.com every day for all kinds of positions.

[legion]

Originally Posted by oldE

When you say your friend has a different approach to work, are you referring to a differing work ethic or a thought process?

I'd say thought process. My friend is very "by the book". He usually goes with the most strict interpretation of a guideline and tries to enforce it, top down. I'm more "spirit of the law" and try to allow breathing room, get buy-in, but allow people to get their jobs done without unecessary interference.

[Rikao4]

given those commutes to a dreaded environment..
your miserable once there...
then it doesn't get better during the day..
and once finally home...
your probably not good company either...
time to pack..

Rika

[Porsche-O-Phile]

You were miserable in IL and left it for a reason... I think you'll be quite disappointed in yourself if you go back.

I say gut it out for now and see what opportunities present themselves in your new home.

[Norm K]

Originally Posted by bivenator

I would find it hard to go back to the job that you vacated. Full speed ahead.

I would too - would seem like a tail-between-the-legs scenario.

That said, here are two of my top half-dozen or so rules in life;

1) Be married to the person you want to be married to.

2) Live where you want to live.

Get these two things in order and so much of the rest will fall into place.

[Miguel Antonett]

Illinois is soooo "FLAT" for P-cars... I'd never go back just because of that. M2c

[Charles Freeborn]

Sounds like it's all over but the crying. Suck it up and choose the best option for you and your wife. Including her in the process is essential.
I had a similar job scenario not long ago. Owner seemed great - enthusiastic, energetic... turned out to be, shall we say "less than honest", total micro-manager, indecisive and ADD. I bailed after 7 months and never looked back.
Maybe the new job will pay off the re-location bonus from the old one.
-C

[Bill Douglas]

Sorry it hasn't worked out. Do what makes you happy. Not necessarilly the "sensible" choice

[Z-man]

Is looking for a new company an option for you? I know a company that is relocating to Sandy Springs and is looking to hire local talent...

-Z

[legion]

I have an interview for #1 on Monday. I talked with my old manager (manager for job #2), and even though he wanted me back, he thought #1 would be better for my career.

[masraum]

Sounds like a good choice.

IT Risk analyst. I'm in IT, those guys and the rules they send down suck, but I understand the reason for them even if they aren't always well thought out.

Good luck!

[legion]

As a former developer, I'm hoping to bring some reality to these kinds of procedures.

[jyl]

Remind me what you didn't like about Illinois? My impression was your objections to the place were more political and philosophical than practical.

The traffic you describe in Atlanta sounds non survivable to me.

[legion]

Well, I didn't consider the high taxes in Illinois to be philosophical.