Contact old boss or wait? (interviews, job, interest, money)

[Tac-Sea]

So, I left a VP counter offer to take a gov job. Gov job not that great. Boss told me before I left door is open.

Two weeks into new job I took him to lunch (on his day off). Tried to go back and he said door was open several times, with wheels turning on what position to bring me back in since he hired the runner up from interviews from when I had been hired months prior. Said a person wasn't working out so maybe that position. I later sent him a proposal of a position.

That was a month ago. Is it too soon to reach back out? When to reach out and how to go about it? I think another lunch meet might be best. Invites open ended conversation. Thoughts? Best things to touch on during conversation?

[galaxyhi]

I'd say he's not interested in rehiring you.

If he was, he'd have jumped at the chance to rehire you.

I'D send a nice thank you note for his time, a d remind him of your proposal. If you don't hear back, he's not interested. Open door or not.

He may feel you left, and are coming crawling back, not an attractive attribute.

Or, the proposal you have doesn't fit his requirements.

That's just my take.
Good luck.

[treemoni]

I think this warrants a phone call. Personally, I wouldn't ask the person out to lunch if I hadn't been in contact for a month. I'd feel like an opportunist. But I've never been a hiring manager, so I don't know how one would view such a gesture.

I wouldn't act on any assumptions. I reached out to someone I hadn't talked to in yeeeears recently because I needed advice on a work-related issue. I wasn't even sure this person would remember me (ha!). This person is an investment banker, so time is money. I thought up a bunch of, "X will probably think this, this and that..." but I placed the call anyway and got the information I sought.