Now, a few weeks into your new job, you realized that this job wasn’t really what you thought it would be. Now you want to get your old job back—but how? Here are a few things to keep in mind as you approach this potentially awkward situation.

Consider your reason for resigning – Employees choosing to seek other employment opportunities usually have a reason why they do this, and this reason should be the first thing you consider before asking for your job back. You need to seriously consider whether it is worth going back to what you wanted to get away from.

How you left – How your relationship with your boss was when you left will largely determine your chances of getting your job back. Leaving a company because of a confrontation with a coworker or supervisor will likely kill any chances of being rehired.               

First contact – If you are ready and willing to go back to your old job, your first communication is vital. You have to be up-front with your boss; let her know that the job you pursued wasn’t what you thought it would be after all. It might be better for you to contact her via email rather than calling because she might be caught off guard and may want to gather her thoughts before responding.

If everything was good before you left, there’s a fair chance that your old boss might consider hiring you again if the position is still open. After all, you already know the company and may even bring additional expertise that you didn’t have before. But remember, it will definitely be a challenge to convince an employer to hire you back, and trust will need to be reestablished over time.

One last tip: Be sure to stick around for a while this time, as you don’t want to completely burn the bridge by starting to look for a new job again after a few months. Leaving your job is what got you into this situation in the first place!