Am I thinking about this correctly?

I'm at a point in my career where I have options as to where I want to work.

In my field, currently work is plentiful. I'm a contractor and I get to choose where I go to work. I could apply for full time, but I'm still choosing where I want to work. This is my second year entering the workforce.

I've been offered positions due to huge vacancies in the field. Currently, I just got an offer at another company. Sadly, my seniority won't transfer over but that is fine because I would have just lost a year. At the last company, people were divided off into factions (sometimes these were racial factions too) and politics. I worked with very shitty people and insecure women who got together to play games on me. One woman spoke to two of our seniors about me. Fortunately, one of the older seniors had worked closely with me so she just kept her distance, because she knows I'm not like that. She didn't taunt me privately, but she would publically pick sides. The other one however, lashed out at me (sometimes in front of clients) whenever she had the chance. I can still remember how she took out her frustrations on me when she was passed up for a position in front of client, because I had left him unattended to get documents for him. I was so embarrassed, and the client just sat in his seat stunned and his eyes were like these wide orbs. Needlessly to say, he just signed the documents and got the hell out of there as quick as possible. There's another women who is in her 50's and dating a co-worker and feels threatened of me since she thinks I'm going to steal her man; in truth, he's dusty af and old enough to be my father. There's another senior that thinks I'm going to steal stuff from his desk since we share an office, and he didn't get along with my past mentor. He spends more time clearing shit off his desk because he thinks I'm gonna steal his usb cables 😂 and sabotage his presentations. Whenever he leaves for the washroom or wherever, he always logs out of his computer, clears out his desk (along with his cables), and runs over to my desk to have a quick look to see if I have stolen anything from him, and leaves. There's more stories about other colleagues, but I'm still processing whatever happened to me last year.

In truth, I was going to apply for full time at this place since that was my only option at the time. However, things changed as I was given the same position as I currently have with my current company.

During my transition, there was another colleague who didn't want me to go and said that I was making a huge mistake since that company is known to treat people badly and pay people less. my only thought was that it could not have been as bad this place. Personally, I just think that he's angry I won't be able to help him out as often, and that I called in sick when my new employer asked me to do an extra day of work for their company. With that, it's whatever because I was perfectly within my boundaries. I did not break any rules, and cancelled within a good amount of time. He said I was quick to forget where I came from, but I don't care since I've adopted this new ideology of doing whatever that benefits me. I'm just tired of being treated like trash at my old place. To be honest, I think the relationship that I have with this workplace resembles an abusive relationship. These people don't want me to leave, but if I stay, I get treated like shit. When there's people to fill up the spots, they throw me aside, but when those people prove to be unreliable and quit within the first few days, I get called back and asked to fix everything. Seriously, last assignment I took was for someone that resigned after two days. Trust me, it was messy since she pissed off one her clients. With this company, I feel like I'm just doing clean up work every time I get called in. just don't want this torture.

It has been a dream of mine to work at this new place and this is my opportunity. It's been two weeks and I love it. Granted, it might be the honeymoon phase, but I come home happy. I'm excited and eager to learn. I don't mind doing overtime. When my new hire probation is over, I will have access to more opportunities and positions that could lead to full time employment. In my perspective, losing one year of seniority doesn't mean anything to me a few years down the road.

Part of the reason why I'm making this post is because I think I'm looking for reassurance and validation that I made the right decision, because I'm getting a lot criticism from all areas of life. My parents and old colleagues think I'm making a bad decision since I already have seniority at my old job and could have a shot at full time.

I would like to think that I know myself better than anyone else and that this is the right thing to do. Whenever, I go back into the old company I feel a sense of dread, and I get a really bad headache from just talking and being in the building. When I had no choice but to work there, I struggled getting out of bed and it took a toll on my body and mental health. I feel working at the place will horribly age me. For example, I gained 10lbs working at the place last year, and gray hair started to grow at the front of my hairline. I applied for the other company thinking that I had no chance. Lo' and behold, I was given an interview a month later and hired four days after the interview. Due to an injury, I took two months off, and now for the last two weeks I've been transitioning to the new company and I've noticed that the strands of my gray hair have grown out to my original hair colour and I lost 4 lbs.

The only time I feel dread is when I get calls and messages from my old colleagues. Since I'm new to the field and to the old place I feel jaded that I had the misfortune of meeting these horrible people. With the new place, it's amazing. Despite having to share my space/desk with eight other women, it's literally heaven. These women actually help me grow. Everyone is just so happy to help out. Especially when I needed to have clearance to use company printing, they just gave me their code. My colleague who sits right next to me literally has a bowl of loose change and she isn't checking up on me whenever she leaves, or counting the change to see if the exact amount is still there.

I have been telling my parents and friends about how huge the differences is, but they still think that I'm making a huge mistake because of my one year seniority. They keep telling me that there are people who don't have options so they have to endure this treatment for their loved ones. I'm young with no family or commitments so I can afford to pick where I want to work. My friends are telling me that it's not always going to be this easy to get a job. I agree with what they said, and honestly, getting full time with the new company is harder because of their demanding expectations and hiring process. However, I'm not brave enough to work in a toxic work environment.

Part of me is scared that this is it and that I just missed my opportunity, and I'll be stuck as a contractor. In a way, I feel like I'm backing myself into a corner and making myself pick between working in that toxic environment or being a contractor as my only two options. Hahaha I know I have way more options.

I have no one to talk to since my parents don't understand, people in this field that I know of are from the previous company, I don't want to bring this into the new company, a few of my personal friends are clients of the old company, and I don't want tell him about the shit and mayhem that happens behind closed doors.

Another reason why I wouldn't stay at the old company is because that company, specifically that branch has been rumoured to close down because they're not meeting their quotas. As of last year, that branch was on the official list of closures and we don't know when they're exactly closing. In theory, if I were to work with them full time, I'd either laid-off or be transferred to another branch (if I'm lucky).

Edit: With that colleague that wants me to stay, he hates the place too and he's been trying to transfer to another branch. Long story short, he was another transfer from another branch. He didn't know about what this branch was like, and he's been trying to get out eversince. Despite knowing that there's a vacancy at his old branch, there are strings that are pulled to prevent him from transferring; he's pigeonholed here for life. Here's where I'm very angry and confused because he himself is trying to leave and yet, he's not happy when one of us is able to leave (with some sacrifice), and tries to convince the other person to go back? That's fucked up!