Author Topic: when was the last time you jumped ship?  (Read 4199 times)

apple_ya

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when was the last time you jumped ship?
« on: July 02, 2012, 09:54:06 AM »
1. what was the reason that made you leave?
2. is your position and pay now better? did you secure a job before or after leaving
3. how long were you at your last job and how did you give notice (how long, with a letter or just a meeting).
4. any difficulties along the way? like not being able to use old companies for references, no severance pay

Shandi76

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Re: when was the last time you jumped ship?
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2012, 10:32:54 AM »
1. My partner got a job 500 miles away. But I was thinking about leaving anyway because the company was involved in a merger, terms and conditions were worsening, and they were offering a generous voluntary severance package. I was also getting itchy feet as I'd been there a long time but there was no progression due to several rounds of redundancies and a flattening of the hierarchy.
2. Currently on "garden leave" and not allowed to have any job offers on the table before the severance deal is agreed or they will not pay it, so I am currently unemployed. I'm hoping to change career direction a little so am expecting to have to take a substantial pay cut. Luckily my partner will be footing a lot of the bills until I get back on my feet.
3. I was there for 6 1/2 years, which is the longest I have been with one company. I applied for Voluntary Severance in March, it was accepted at the start of June and I officially leave in 2 weeks time, so they had about 4 months notice but I only had 6 weeks.
4. My current and  most recent former line manager (I've had 4 over the 6 1/2 years...) will both provide excellent references on request. I also got very generous severance pay (6 months pay tax free).

gooki

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Re: when was the last time you jumped ship?
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2012, 03:29:57 PM »
1 - 7 years ago.
2 - Similar role, better pay, no I didn't secure a job before leaving the last one. But I did walk into a position very quickly (the place I turned down to take the job I left was hiring again).
3 - 5 months, had a meeting with the boss.
4 - No severance pay, but old boss was happy to be a reference. Although he died a few months later in a jet boating accident.

catalana

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Re: when was the last time you jumped ship?
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2012, 05:00:41 AM »
1. what was the reason that made you leave?  I had a new manager who was micro-managing me.  I was also in danger of becoming too sector specific thus limiting future options.
2. is your position and pay now better? did you secure a job before or after leaving  I secured a job before leaving.  Base pay is higher, but total including benefits at the time of transfer was the same.  However I have since had a bonus and better annual increase than I would have received at old job.
3. how long were you at your last job and how did you give notice (how long, with a letter or just a meeting).  4 years at last job, notice at a meeting, followed up by a letter once we had agreed notice period of 6 weeks.  Letter was friendly and I also gave thank you cards to a couple of managers.  Best not to burn bridges!
4. any difficulties along the way? like not being able to use old companies for references, no severance pay
No difficulties - my old place was a large company with well established HR policies, and I wasn't leaving under a cloud.  I still have lunch occasionally with the micro-managing boss.  She is much better as a friend!
 

What makes you ask?
« Last Edit: July 03, 2012, 05:03:24 AM by catalana »

Fuzz

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Re: when was the last time you jumped ship?
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2012, 11:26:14 PM »
Nice thread topic.

I'm thinking about jumping ship. I've been at my current gig 22 months. When I was hired, my boss asked for a two year commitment on a gentleman's handshake. I've come close to breaking it a couple times, but want to go for the right opportunity. I'm thinking about leaving right at the 24 month mark, whether or not I've got another job lined up. I've got savings and want to be some place new.

igthebold

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Re: when was the last time you jumped ship?
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2012, 06:51:56 AM »
I jumped ship from a large corporation back in 2009 and went solo. I was too divorced from seeing any customers benefitting from what I did, I was too fed up with large companies and their inability/unwillingness to innovate (this was a technology company), I was too fed up with the commute, the schedule, the false notion of a 40 hour creative work week. Also, positively, I had wanted to be solo out of college but had been too fearful.