Three weeks into her new director role, She was lying awake at 2 AM wondering if she'd made the biggest mistake of her career.
The old job had been draining, sure. Micromanaging boss, no growth opportunities, and she'd been complaining about it for two years. But at least she knew what to expect every day. This new role? Everything felt foreign, overwhelming, and honestly, terrifying.
Sound familiar? If you're second-guessing a recent job change, you're not alone. And more importantly, you're not crazy.
Feeling Regret After a Job Change Is More Common Than You Think
I've worked with hundreds of professionals who've made job changes, and I'd say about 70% experience some level of regret in the first few months. Even when they logically know they made the right move.
Here's what's really happening: your brain is wired to prefer the familiar, even when familiar wasn't serving you. That old job might have been slowly killing your motivation, but your nervous system remembers it as "safe" because it was predictable.
Take my client, she left a comfortable but dead-end role at a small company for a senior manager position at a Fortune 500. Better pay, better title, better everything on paper. But two months in, she was in a panic, convinced she'd ruined her career.
"I knew exactly how to succeed at my old job," she told me. "Here, I feel like I'm starting over as a complete beginner."
That's the psychological toll of growth. When you push yourself into a new environment, your confidence takes a temporary hit. You go from being the person who knew all the shortcuts to being the person asking where the bathroom is.
The "what ifs" start creeping in. What if I'd stayed and tried to make it work? What if they promoted me eventually? What if this new place doesn't work out and I burned bridges?
It's exhausting. But it's also completely normal.
5 Signs It's Just Transition Regret, Not a Real Mistake
Before you start updating your resume to go crawling back, let's figure out if you're dealing with genuine regret or just the growing pains of change.
You're missing familiarity, not growth
When you think about your old job, are you missing the actual work and opportunities, or just the comfort of knowing exactly what to expect each day?
I had a client who kept talking about how "easy" her old job was. When I asked her to describe what she missed most, every single thing was about predictability. She knew which meetings were pointless, which deadlines were real, and exactly how to coast through her days.
That's not missing a great job. That's missing the illusion of control.
You're only focused on what the old job "fixed" after you left
Funny how companies suddenly become amazing at communication and employee development right after you quit, isn't it?
Your old boss is probably being extra nice to your replacement. They might have even addressed some of the issues you complained about. But ask yourself: are these real, sustainable changes, or are they just reacting to the wake-up call of losing you?
I've seen this pattern dozens of times. The company makes a few surface-level improvements, people get excited, and then six months later it's back to the same old problems.
You're worried about proving yourself in a new setting
This one hits hard for high achievers. You went from being the go-to person who could handle anything to being the new person who doesn't even know how the coffee machine works.
That temporary loss of competence feels awful. But it's not permanent, and it's not a sign you made the wrong choice. It's a sign you're stretching yourself professionally.
You haven't given yourself a true adjustment period
Most people judge their new job decision within the first month. That's like judging a relationship after the first awkward date.
Real integration takes time. You need to learn the unwritten rules, build relationships, and figure out how to be successful in this new environment. That process typically takes 60-90 days minimum.
The fear is louder than the facts
When I sit down with clients experiencing job regret, I ask them to make two lists: concrete facts about why they left, and specific concerns about the new role.
Nine times out of ten, the "why I left" list is long and factual. The concerns about the new role are mostly emotional and hypothetical.
Fear has a way of drowning out logic, especially when you're already feeling vulnerable.
What Happened When My Client Had Job Change Regret
Let me tell you about client, a marketing manager who was absolutely convinced she'd ruined her career by leaving her agency job for an in-house role.
Her old job was objectively terrible. Sixty-hour weeks, impossible deadlines, and a boss who took credit for her work. She'd been burned out for months and knew she needed to leave.
The new role offered better work-life balance, a 20% salary increase, and the chance to build strategy instead of just executing other people's ideas. On paper, it was perfect.
But three weeks in, she was miserable. The company moved slower than she was used to. The team seemed cliquish. Her new manager was nice but hands-off, which felt like lack of support after years of micromanagement.
"I think I made a huge mistake," she told me. "At least at the agency, I knew I was good at my job."
Here's what we did to help her work through it.
First, I had her write down every specific reason she'd left the agency. The list filled two pages. Then I asked her to identify which of those problems had actually been solved by leaving. All of them.
Next, we looked at her concerns about the new role. Most were about adaptation, not fundamental problems. She was worried about fitting in, not about the company culture being toxic. She was frustrated by the slower pace, not by a lack of meaningful work.
We set up weekly check-ins for the next two months. Each week, I asked her to identify one small win and one thing she'd learned about succeeding in the new environment.
By month three, everything had shifted. She'd built relationships with her teammates, figured out how to navigate the company's decision-making process, and started seeing results from her strategic initiatives.
"I can't believe I almost talked myself into going back," she told me. "This job is exactly what I needed. I just had to give myself time to see it."
How to Handle Regret After Changing Jobs (Without Self-Sabotage)
If you're in the thick of job change regret, here's my step-by-step process for getting clarity without making decisions you'll regret later.
Step 1: Get clear on what's real vs. emotional noise
Make two lists. List one: specific, factual reasons you left your old job. List two: specific, factual problems with your new job.
If list one is long and list two is short or vague, you're probably dealing with transition anxiety, not a bad decision.
Step 2: Track the reasons you left (and what's changed)
Go back to your original decision-making process. What were the top three things that made you want to leave? Have any of those actually been addressed in a meaningful way?
Companies love to make grand promises when people quit, but real change takes time and sustained effort. Don't let temporary improvements cloud your judgment about long-term patterns.
Step 3: Give your new role a full 90-day evaluation
Set a specific date on your calendar - 90 days from your start date. That's when you'll do a real evaluation of how things are going.
Until that date, focus on learning and adapting instead of judging. Every new job has a learning curve, and you can't fairly evaluate your decision until you've climbed it.
Step 4: Focus on progress, not perfection
Instead of comparing yourself to how competent you felt in your old role, track small wins in your new one. Did you navigate a difficult conversation well? Did you contribute something valuable in a meeting? Did you start to understand how decisions get made?
Progress in a new environment often feels slower than it actually is.
Step 5: Talk to a coach, not just your own thoughts
Your brain isn't always your friend when you're dealing with uncertainty. Find someone objective who can help you separate emotional reactions from strategic thinking.
If you can't afford a coach, at least talk to someone who's been through similar transitions and can give you perspective.
What to Do If You Truly Made the Wrong Move
Sometimes regret isn't just transition anxiety. Sometimes you actually did make a mistake, and that's okay too.
Here's how to tell the difference: if after 90 days, you can identify specific, ongoing problems that affect your ability to do good work or grow professionally, it might be time to consider your options.
Red flags that suggest real misalignment: the company culture truly conflicts with your values, the role was misrepresented during interviews, or there are serious ethical or legal issues you weren't aware of.
If that's the case, you have options. You can try to address the problems directly with your manager. You can look for a different role within the same company. Or yes, you can start quietly looking for something else.
The key is being strategic about it. Don't make impulsive decisions based on temporary discomfort, but also don't stay in a genuinely bad situation just because you're afraid of looking flaky.
How to Talk About Regret in Future Interviews (If Needed)
If you do end up leaving sooner than planned, you'll need to address it in future interviews. The good news is that most hiring managers understand that not every role works out perfectly.
Position it as learning and growth, not failure. Instead of "I made a mistake," try "I learned that I thrive in environments with more collaborative decision-making" or "I discovered that I'm most effective when there's clear alignment on strategic priorities."
Focus on what you learned about yourself and what you're looking for, not what was wrong with the previous company. Hiring managers want to see that you can extract value from difficult experiences and make thoughtful decisions going forward.
Keep it brief and honest, then pivot to why you're excited about the opportunity in front of you.
FAQ: Regret After Changing Jobs
Why do I feel regret after leaving a bad job?
Even bad jobs offer comfort through familiarity. Once you leave, uncertainty creeps in and makes you second-guess your decision. Your brain prefers known problems over unknown possibilities, even when the unknown is objectively better.
How long does it take to adjust to a new job?
Most people need 60-90 days to fully settle into a new role. Don't judge your decision before you've had time to learn the systems, build relationships, and start seeing results from your work.
Should I go back to my old job if they fixed the issues?
Not right away. Ask yourself: are the fixes real and sustainable, or just a reaction to you leaving? Most companies revert to old patterns once the immediate crisis passes. Focus on succeeding in your new role first.
How do I manage regret while adjusting?
Focus on small wins, ask for support when you need it, and remember why you left. Growth often feels uncomfortable at first. Track your progress instead of comparing yourself to how you felt in your old role.
About Career Coach and Founder
Theresa White, Career Clarity Expert, 5x Certified Career Coach, and the Founder of Career Bloom, is known for her expertise in guiding people to get unstuck and find the direction they need to move forward in their careers—fast. In a time when so many people are re-evaluating their work, Theresa offers actionable insights that empower clients to identify their true strengths and pursue work that genuinely aligns with their goals.
Theresa’s clients often call her sessions “epiphanies” and “transformational.” She brings immediate clarity to career goals, helping people unlock a deep understanding of what makes work fulfilling for them. Past participants consistently describe her approach as “spot on” and an “answer to questions they’d been asking for weeks.”
Theresa’s approach is empathetic yet practical, and she’s known for empowering clients with a clear direction in as little as 30 days, guaranteeing results.
Connect with Theresa on LinkedIn, listen to the Career Clarity Unlocked Podcast, or schedule your free 30-minute career clarity consultation.
Your Career Isn't Over, It's Evolving
Job change regret feels overwhelming because it touches on some of our deepest fears: that we don't know ourselves, that we can't trust our judgment, that we've somehow damaged our professional future.
But here's what I've learned from watching hundreds of people navigate career transitions: regret is often the first sign that you're growing.
When you stay in comfortable situations, you don't question your decisions because there's no risk involved. When you push yourself into new territory, your brain goes into overdrive trying to protect you from potential threats.
That discomfort you're feeling? It's not a sign you made the wrong choice. It's a sign you made a brave one.
Clarity doesn't come from overthinking or trying to predict every possible outcome. It comes from moving forward, learning as you go, and trusting your ability to adapt.
You made a move for good reasons. Now give yourself the time and space to make it work. Your future self will thank you for having the courage to grow, even when growth felt scary.
The regret will pass. The growth will remain.
Related Reads + Freebies
Subscribe now to never miss the latest blog!
Every Thursday, we cover an important topic, actionable advice, and inspiring content to help you find work that makes you feel like *pinch me* I'm getting paid to do this???
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.
