Leaving a job after a few months

Career Topics General
42

Yea I am close to early career than senior but not pure EL

Unfortunately this just confirms that the decision to take this job was wrong

43

Just so I’m understanding correctly, you only just left your last job in December and have been at the new job a few weeks so far? So as of now there’s no gap even if you were start a new job in January.

If so, I don’t think your situation is nearly as bad as some other posters are making it out to be. If you know for sure this position is not for you, get out ASAP. Like others have said when asked to explain, just be honest that the new job isn’t a good fit for you and especially if it involved relocation to an area you didn’t like, that’s much easier to explain.

If you get a new job quickly then great! You don’t even need to list this current job on your resume. And if not, you can still keep interviewing and use this explanation until you eventually land something. Especially since you’ve already been at one place for 4.5 years, one short stint isn’t going to hurt you. Where are you at on the exams? If you’re credentialed this will be even less of an issue.

45

Yea just started. If you mean a fellow, no. Associate, yes.

In your opinion is it worse to be leaving right away or after 4-6 months?

46

As in worse to prospective employers? What does “right away” mean? The first month of employment?

I think it depends on well how you can explain your situation, and I do believe having good reasons makes a difference when explaining shorter tenures. There still will be some hiring managers who will fixate on it and refuse to give you a chance but you just keep going until you find one that will.

47

Yea worse in the eyes of people interviewing you-right away being first month or first couple months, I guess.

As I think about it more, I agree that lying about it isn’t a good solution. I also fail to see why presenting yourself as unemployed is better than just saying that you are working.

48

In my opinion, it’s still better to leave sooner than later since it isn’t worth making yourself miserable at a job you hate. But in general, it probably depends on the hiring manager, since people have different opinions on this.

For your situation, the main benefit is you don’t need to put the job on your resume if you leave immediately whereas if you’ve been there 6 months you probably do. However, it might also be easier to explain at that point

49

Not sure I’m following. You’re saying you think it’s better to present yourself as unemployed?

51

I think it’s better to be present as working if you are working is what I meant to say. I guess you mean at 6 months it’s fair to say I tried it and don’t like it whereas immediately is better, but some may not really buy it.

52

Why did you take the job? Did those reasons fail to materialize or is the location so horrible that it erodes the positives?

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53

Yes I’m confused, we left the last job in December and have been at the new job “a few weeks” (so basically we just finished the HR onboarding) and have decided it’s a catastrophically bad fit… because of the geographic location? Was the location a surprise??

54

I think you’re overanalyzing this way too much. Analysis paralysis.

Just start looking. When you find something, explain it was a poor location, you regret that it’s such a short time but want to get out before the company has too much vested in you. And deal with that as it comes.

4 Likes
55

The company/people/pay are perfectly fine. I thought I would come around more to the location but so far I haven’t.

56

Seems like this is the answer still.

57

So -

Company Yes
People Yes
Pay Yes
Location No

3 out of 4 is better than ain’t bad.

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58

Sounds to me like you need a hobby more than a new job

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59

Study time.

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60

FWIW, at both my second and third jobs/companies, the job I was hired into was not the job I applied for. In both cases, I ended up in a job that was about to be posted.

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61

Is this a common feeling when starting a new job?

62

To be content with everything about the job except its location? I’d guess it’s not that common.

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63

Agreed. Location is one of the things you can get a very good fix on before committing to the position.

Leading up to the first interview, there are plenty of online resources to research a location. Assuming there was an onsite interview, that’s the opportunity to spend a couple of hours in the city/town/'po to see if it’s a place you could live in/near for the next few years. I would even ask during the interview what it’s like to live there.

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