Acceptable Reasons for Quitting Job After 3, 4, 5, 6, months... ??? Are there any??? (employment, applying)
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I left a job after 5 months b/c of horrible micromanager and a general bad fit with the company. I could afford to leave without having another job lined up so I did. But I want to work. I love working. So I have been looking for a new job. I have good experience so I have been getting calls. The phone screenings go well until they ask about my last job. I say I left to pursue more entrepreneurial roles full time. Or I've said that it wasn't a good fit. I don't want to lie but I feel the truth isn't helping. I don't have a history of job hopping so why is this one short stint hurting my chances? Whatever I say seems to kill the conversation. HR/ Hiring Manager - What is a valid reason or acceptable reason for someone to leave a job that they just hate? Why is it so taboo to quit an unhealthy work environment? What will I need to tell you to convince you that I am willing to work and be committed to your company? What should I say?
It may not be hurting your chances. You left a job you were unhappy with. In hindsight you should have lined something else up first but that's water over the dam.
Acceptable Reasons for Quitting Job After 3, 4, 5, 6, months... ??? Are there any???
Yeah. It's called not liking the place where you work.
Look, life is too short to hate going in to work every day...I'd say you made the right call.
I don't know why people feel the need to kowtow to employers. I know it's harder these days to find work, but remember that if the roles were reversed, they would terminate you in a second if they felt things weren't working out. It goes both ways--so don't feel bad about leaving.
By the way, I have no qualms about job-hopping, either. I like to pursue new opportunities every few years or so...a change of scenery makes things interesting. If they ask, be honest and say it was a hostile work environment. They might appreciate your candor and the fact that you got out of there so quickly.
Not being happy with your job is reason enough to pursue other employment. No more complicated than that. Recognize that companies are only interested in your labor, for which you are compensated, and as stated above likely wouldn't hesitate to release you to suit their needs.
You could say it wasn't a good fit, you weren't happy and you felt it would be better for everyone to remove yourself from the situation before it started to affect your performance. That way you could make yourself look like the good guy.
My cousin hated his job a month in but he moved his family to a new area and they tried to hang in there. He refused to quit despite panic attacks and a general sense of never being good enough--which they let him know over and over.
He would not quit though. Eventually they fired him and he gets UE now but is unhappy without a job and hates where he wound up.
Sometimes a job IS a bad fit and you can't always line up a new job but I wish you good luck.
When explaining the situation , say 1 sentence or less. Don't go round and round into a paragraph of why you resigned. then stay silent and wait for the next question. They have a list of questions and they are waiting for your answer so they can go immediatly to the next question.
Some acceptable reasons are: Long commute(you thought you could do it but 2 hrs each way became too much over time), working hours changed, 70 hr week of work on a salary week after week, duties not what expected(no good growth for your career),middle of the night emergencies on regular basis, company or departmental reorg, potential for raises or promos dried up.
You can say it was not a good fit for your long term career plans. You could have easily learned this after your started once you found out that nobody ever got promoted no matter what or once you learned that they used old technology that was not good for your career growth or that the training that was promised has been cut. Or you could have seen high turnover and you realized it was not a good long term fit for you and you were constantly training folks and after 6 months you had the most seniority on the team.
Or you could have relocated. Or they could have promised you telecommute after a few months or a raise after a few months but then they said no.
here is the issue...some might be thinking you were fired for non performance.
I say I left to pursue more entrepreneurial roles full time.
This is a terrible explanation. They're left thinking 1) you will leave them in a few months to start your own business; 2) you're lying (and were really fired) because you are already looking for a job; 3) you're looking for a job ecause you failed as an entrepreneur. Would you want to hire someone who will leave in three months, is lying or is a failure? No. Bad excuse.
Quote:
Originally Posted by crradv
Or I've said that it wasn't a good fit.
This simple sentence without further explanation sounds like you were fired. I worked with a girl who came out of the meeting after she was fired and she said she "wasn't a good fit" as she walked around saying goodbye to her coworkers. It's something managers say when they are firing someone. As a result, it sounds like you were fired when you say it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by crradv
I don't want to lie but I feel the truth isn't helping. I don't have a history of job hopping so why is this one short stint hurting my chances?
If you only worked there for 3 to 6 months, consider leaving it off your resume entirely.
sware2cod offered some good excuses. Just make sure you pick one that matches the job you're applying to. For example, you can't say you quit because of a long commute if the new job is a long commute too. Just as you can't say you quit due to too much overtime if the new job will require overtime. Etc.
I was at one employer for 6 months but before that, I was somewhere for 5 years and 3 years before that. Employers aren't going to be too worried if your past work history before the short stint was stable. I have said that I am looking for a new work environment where.... (insert phrase) that new place would have. I placed the 6 month stint on my resume because I was changing careers and it showed that I had at least a little bit of experience in my new field.
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