Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
(OP)
Could someone offer me some advice on how my resume will look to potential employers? I graduated college in 2009 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and took a job at a consultant who I had interned with one summer. I stayed at that job 21 months and then moved cross country for a job with a government agency. That was a huge mistake, mainly because I didn't know what I wanted. I thought I wanted to travel the country with that position, but I didn't. Also, the work was mainly administrative, not 'engineering.'
I left after 5 months with a late funding offer to grad school back in the region of the country I'm from. It's a year and a half funded program for an M.S. with a hydraulics emphasis that is thesis track. I'm not positive I want to work with hydraulics, but as I saw it, it was my best option to move in a direction I want and this was my best chance to get a hydraulics focused position if I decide I want to do that type of work. I'm kind of hoping I might be able to return to the first company now that I know more what I want, even though they don't do a lot of hydraulics work but time will tell. I would make a VERY firm commitment to them this time around.
Do I look like a flake?
I left after 5 months with a late funding offer to grad school back in the region of the country I'm from. It's a year and a half funded program for an M.S. with a hydraulics emphasis that is thesis track. I'm not positive I want to work with hydraulics, but as I saw it, it was my best option to move in a direction I want and this was my best chance to get a hydraulics focused position if I decide I want to do that type of work. I'm kind of hoping I might be able to return to the first company now that I know more what I want, even though they don't do a lot of hydraulics work but time will tell. I would make a VERY firm commitment to them this time around.
Do I look like a flake?





RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
His reaction will probably dictate where you go from there....
Why do telephones weigh 2,000 lbs????
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
I've heard of 'relocation expenses' or reimbursement for education etc. being tied into guaranteeing to work for the employer for a certain amount of time or else having to pay it back. However, outside of this nothing springs to mind of a promise to work for the Engineering employer at least X years or similar.
Though now I've typed that, I may have heard similar for high level execs or even folks in entertainment, so maybe, but sounds questionable.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
as far as "signing a contract", employment agreements are more likely the norm for nearly all employees (i.e. at-will employees). for example, if your employment ends within x-months of hire date, you will reimburse the company for moving expenses.
try not to over-complicate matters . . . appears you picked up that behavior while working at the gov agency . . .
regardless, good luck!
-pmover
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering
www.bluetechnik.com
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
I would not offer to sign a contract, just contact your old boss, explain to him you have gone back to grad school and will be looking for a position and that you enjoyed working at the company and were looking to return. They won't expect that you are planning to spend your entire career there, and you shouldn't either...you never know what might come up to change your situation. If they do ask you to sign some kind of contract, and you're willing to, go ahead...but don't offer, it may make you seem desperate. It's pretty standard that you pay back expenses paid by the company (relocation, hiring bonus, education, etc.) if you leave the company with 2 or 3 years.
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
Mike is right - call your old boss and feel him out.
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
Has anyone had any experience returning to a former employer? How did it turn out?
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
My suggestion would be is if you aren't sure about pursuing hydraulics, dont spend the time getting a MS in it just to fill your time. It will make employers red flag you if you try to get a job in anything else. Consider investing in a MBA or even a JD if you want another degree.
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
I basically regret leaving my first employer because of the quality of life I experienced, in general, and was trying to get back on track. This move got me back in the area I want to be as a first step, with lost work experience and income because my main opportunity costs.
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
I'll quote your first thread
"I went to a pretty good school, at least in my region, got good grades, but didn't make a lot of special connections or do anything special with civil engineering related clubs or competitions. I'm worried this company is kind of getting me off track for getting into a large company with interesting projects to work on because it is a smallish (40 people) regional firm. The work is very bread and butter - urban street reconstructions, other municipal work, some highway design and dam rehabilitation, etc.
An important thing to note is I LOVED my classwork in college. It was really stimulating work and I felt like I had a lot of interesting things in my future, but I don't know that I've really applied any 'engineering' to the work I've been doing. It's been a lot of project management, actually. The work just feels so asinine... hearing local residents complain all day, fighting with rogue contractors, trying to build off of plans drafted by lazy designers that aren't properly reviewed..."
From what I can tell, you really just want to be close to family, make a decent wage, and work for a cutting edge company. That's commendable, but how realistic is it based on your family's location? It sounds like your family is located in a smaller type city/town area so your options may be limited and you'll have to make some hard decisions or branch out into something else. The work your first company does just doesn't sound like a good fit for you.
Honestly the sky is the limit. You're still really young and have a lot of time to make up for any career change. Does anything in the medical field make sense? Heck, you could go into pharmacy school now, and even with the extra tuition would still come out way ahead. How about looking into law? Having a civil background is useful for several branches of law. I would have mentioned getting a PhD in civil, but that could make you end up anywhere in the country.
RE: Is this viewed as flaky behavior?
Talk to your former employer and be honest with him. Sometimes old farts forget what it's like to be young and uncertain about life but they will remember, if you talk long enough. Lots of older people want to help young people but they don't ask. He may not rehire you immediately or ever but if you work at that relationship, you may be able to rebuild it. You don't know until you try. He may not think ill of your departure anyway. Don't build walls where they don't exist. That's one way I see people, including myself, defeat themselves before they even try.