Is it alright to go back to your previous company/employer?

Of course - but on your terms, if possible.

They will have a record of your past performance, which can be either good or bad. The theory being that everyone should get better at their work, and if you haven't been there for awhile, you mmaybe better at it than they have seen - there may be a blind spot in their image of you, and you may be treated as a lower-ranking employee, just like a child going back to the parents - if you were with them early in your career...

If you were already skilled, and they know you are capable, it could be a benefit. You could be given a little seniority - it works both ways. You haveto judge where you fit in to that particular company, before you decide to go back, and make sure they aren't just slotting you back in where you were before you worked somewhere else. Make sure when you negotiate going back, you aren't sacrificing an opportunity elsewhere to *vary* your experience- because that is how you learn the most. On the other had, if you are young, going back to the same company will later show others you can be loyal, and good enough that the previous employer would actually rehire you.

It just matters whether you would be stagnating, taken for granted, or in fact strengthening your image. If you're 19, go back. If you're 30, think about who else might help you widen your skills - and pay you more.

Why not? If you left with a clean and good record, return for sure. A lot of people do.