Buying my time

[malcontent]

That’s an area where I am fortunate… having worked for a U.S. company all these years, I interact with other Americans on an almost daily basis. I also have frequent contacts with my family back in the U.S. as well — my one surviving brother and I have always been close; hardly a day goes by that we don’t interact. I won’t say I have zero reverse culture shock when I go back, but it doesn’t feel significant. For example, my brother only needs to remind me a few times not to run over pedestrians before I get used to yielding for them again

[Wd40]

Now that I have officially submitted my letter of resignation for the end of this year, things are getting real.

Hi Mal, not sure if you have already mentioned this elsewhere, but I wanted to ask you, how did you go about informing your manager about your decision to move back?

I just noticed, you gave a whole 6 months notice?

My notice period is only 1 month, I plan to verbally let my manager know 2 months prior to my resignation date, but not any sooner. My fear is, if I tell him any sooner, he is going to make my life difficult by making me document everything and keep doing multiple KT sessions with different people. It is not that I don't want to do the KT. But the whole relationship turns sour, because when you are doing KT, the other person feels you are not explaining completely, you are hiding stuff. There is also some competency issue. The stuff that I learnt was accumulated over a decade and it is stuff that I learnt on my own. Nobody gave me KT. I figured everything out on my own. But when I am leaving my boss would expect to spoon feed everything and even then they will not get it because they are not handson.

Hence, I don't want this suffering to last for too long max, 2 months.

Also I am hoping, since there is too much dependency on me, I can negotiate to work remotely from India on the payrolls of an IT contractor for lower salary, but I can WFH and I can just continue what i am doing.

Any advices you have for me?

[malcontent]

The situation I’m in and the company I work for are not typical and may not apply to others. Yes, I only need to give 1 month advanced notice… I could do that. However, for someone that has over 27 years of service, is in a management position and doesn’t want to leave the company… it would be poor taste to not give advance notice, if able. Keep in mind too, I am actively seeking a position in the U.S. with the same company and have an interview later this week. If I can get a cush position that pays well, why not? It’d be an extra layer of security and it’d be something interesting to do.

I’m now on my 3rd week in the U.S. and it’s incredible how dreaming it and doing it are so different. I am definitely not feeling any great satisfaction from it yet. It took me two weeks just to find the right chairs for our kitchen island. We are going to exchange the beds we bought for new ones later this week, and we still don’t have a sofa or any other furniture.

[smoulder]

Any reverse culture shock, mal?

[PNGMK]

Any reverse culture shock, mal?

I'd be surprised it not although he goes back a lot

[malcontent]

Any reverse culture shock, mal?

California would probably be a culture shock for many Americans, but I don’t think I am experiencing that. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced true culture shock in my life. I might just be weird that way. I think it’s just such a huge move, not supported by my company, the distance is so far, the expenses are so great - it’s a little overwhelming.

[Wd40]

The situation I’m in and the company I work for are not typical and may not apply to others. Yes, I only need to give 1 month advanced notice… I could do that. However, for someone that has over 27 years of service, is in a management position and doesn’t want to leave the company… it would be poor taste to not give advance notice, if able. Keep in mind too, I am actively seeking a position in the U.S. with the same company and have an interview later this week. If I can get a cush position that pays well, why not? It’d be an extra layer of security and it’d be something interesting to do.

I’m now on my 3rd week in the U.S. and it’s incredible how dreaming it and doing it are so different. I am definitely not feeling any great satisfaction from it yet. It took me two weeks just to find the right chairs for our kitchen island. We are going to exchange the beds we bought for new ones later this week, and we still don’t have a sofa or any other furniture.

Thanks! Being in a management position indeed is a massive advantage compared to being an individual contributor at the bottom level, like me. I am sure your employer should be able to easily find a role for you in the US, you are just too valuable for the company. All the best and keep us posted.