Do you stay in touch with co workers from past jobs??
By iowamomof3
@iowamomof3 (30)
United States
August 28, 2009 11:43pm CST
I am wondering if others have found that when they quit a job, the coworkers that they have been friends with for years slowly drift off? I worked at a job for over 5 years and thought that I had very good friends there but when I quit we slowly grew apart. I didnt live close to where I worked so when I did quit I wasn't around hardly at all to visit or stop in and see them for lunch. The emails slowly became less and less and the calls became non existant. I am not for sure if it was because I had a new job and had new responsibilities and new coworkers or their job continued on and they didn't have time but..... it is just strange that even though you work with people every day, went to work and told them about your kids and family 5 days a week that once you quit and go somewhere else they are easily replaced by new coworkers that become your good friends? Doesn't that seem strange? has anyone else experienced this?
1 person likes this
17 responses
@izardy (60)
• Malaysia
30 Aug 09
It happened to me. The coworkers I worked with drifted apart. I used to get text messages, outing invitations and such in the first few months I changed my job. But 2 years now, they hardly even say hi to me in Facebook. Infact I have deleted them from my list since it is hurtful to see posted pics of them going out together and without me
@gracefuldove (1668)
• Malaysia
30 Aug 09
Ill at ease, that is the feeling when you do not call someone after a long period. The same goes for those friends we hardly meet. If perchance you meet a friend at a supermarket or a shopping mall, then you have much to talk about. The interesting thing I find about friendship-you must have a constant activity that involves them with you. If that be so, then your relationship continues and become durable. Emails fly and hand phones beep. Texting becomes second nature as you text them on your hand-phone regularly.Luncheons are organized frequently and relationship remains intact. Do you believe in my theory?
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
30 Aug 09
I have kinda experienced this. I did send holiday cards for a couple years after I lost my last job to a few people. but that peetered out like it does in time anyways. I do have 2 of them on FB but we are not buddy buddy or anything anymore, I don't hold anything against them, just the boss'.
But honestly this is no different than when you left highschool. YOu keep in touch with a few folks for a few yrs but eventually everyone moves onto different paths and like you said the communication no matter the form disappates.
@taztheone (1721)
• India
30 Aug 09
Life has to move on & changes has to happen in life. Well, that's how it goes, so I really don't keep up with my Ex-colleagues. However I do keep in touch with my friends which I made from the past job as friendship is something which is not meant to be abandoned
@realan (518)
• United States
30 Aug 09
I have stayed friends with a couple of past co-workers. But, both parties really need to make an effort. I think that we are still in touch because we would do many family activities outside of work, so we became close. I have lost touch with many co-workers that I considered friends.
@LittleMel (8742)
• Canada
29 Aug 09
I didn't. well I did for the first 2 years after I quit but then I never received any reply so I never kept in touch anymore.
I wouldn't find it easy to work with new staff but if the old staff was bosy and not as good as the new staff when it comes to work, I would at least enjoy working.
I once worked in a place that the bosses changed 3 times.
From the first to the last boss I didn't enjoy working for them at all
It's too bad I didn't mind the work at all
but I guess it's not what you know but who you know in many cases
@Keola12 (823)
• United States
29 Aug 09
I do stay in touch with coworkers from past jobs. In fact, some of my facebook friends are coworkers from past jobs.
@dianmelydia (2269)
• Indonesia
29 Aug 09
I always keep all of my co workers contacts, no matter if they are new or from my past jobs. I think keeping our friends contact number is important because we don't know when will we need them in the future. Our lives is dinamically change. No one will still stuck on his/her last condition. So, if we can have a new job and new co workers, or perhaps new job position, then why our old co workers can't be the same? Sometimes they could be more successful than us. I don't mean about taking advantages from our old co workers. But i mean about cooperation. If some day we have to find a competence person, and coinsidently we have our old co worker who fulfil that criteria, then it would be better if we contact our old co worker for being our partner. Good luck and have a nice day. Happy mylotting.
@smartboy826 (553)
• China
29 Aug 09
hi friend.i am student in junior hight school.i want to find a part time job to do,and earn some money to do somethings.but i can't do well job so that the box always let me out
@patofgold23 (5069)
• Philippines
29 Aug 09
yes I do...
it is great to keep in touch with them and be updated with what's going on where you used to work...
it doesn't really follow that wehn you leave your job you totally forget about everything and everyone there..
@vandana7 (100617)
• India
29 Aug 09
Yeah. But then, we are not really attached to them. There has to be some crisis situation in which they rise to occassion, or we do, if required, which makes us go beyond the superficial shell of their persona. We were always hi and bye friends, as we can call it. Those who come further in are those who have been with us through tougher phase. So expecting them to have left an indelible mark on our minds is kind of naive. :-)
@Care4Pets (176)
• United States
29 Aug 09
I have experienced this on more than one occasion and it is sad. However, in my case, I'm as guilty as the other people because when the calls and emails stop coming, I don't make a huge effort to reconnect and stay in touch. The one exception to this has been one of the co-workers from my last job. Her and I have kept talking and emailing despite the distance (a good 40 miles) between where we live and we try to get together at least 2-3 times a year. It's hard to do more often with her kids and my hectic schedule, but we make it work and I am glad to have her as a close friend. Good luck at your new job!
@123amy (31)
• China
29 Aug 09
now i am a college student, i have no coworkers, but i think i should keep in touch with my coworkers in the furture...i like to make friends. but people always say that it is not very good to stay too close with your coworker. i also agree with it....i think we should just keep in touch, but not to be very good friends...
@krupesh (2608)
• India
29 Aug 09
To be frank I haven't worked for anyone else till now.I have my own business.But your point just compares our old school & college friends.I still have contacts with my school & college friends even though it is deceasing now.Its not regular meetings but just inviting them for parties or functions.Other than that we really dont meet much.
@zoey7879 (3092)
• Quincy, Illinois
29 Aug 09
I used to do this... but experience taught me the hard way not to be too friendly or close to coworkers. I have tried to reconnect with old coworkers and Ill initiate the contact.. but it always seems that if Im not the one making the first effort, that they make none.. so simply put, I just don't bother anymore and try not to think about these people.
@underdogy (700)
• Thailand
29 Aug 09
Yes it is indeed strange that old co-workers being replaced by new ones. I had so many friends on my previous job and has a lot of fun as well with them, but when i quit the job and work somewhere else, i lost contact with them. We are still friends in the social networking site like facebook but we don't talk much nor even send message anymore. I think there are many people who experienced the same way and I wonder why it is happening that way.
