What was the shortest amount of time you remained at a workplace? (analysis, interview)
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Less than a week. When you leave, I find it best to simply walk out or not show up one day, if you don't have direct deposit make sure they have your current address, or you can walk in to pick your final check up from them directly. If possible, formally tell them you've quit via email and keep a record so they can't say that you never told them you were quitting or that they didn't have your current address. Look up the labor laws in your state to ensure you're getting your final check in a timely manner per your state's laws. Many employers won't pay you on time because they assume that you're ignorant of the law and that you won't report them to your local labor department
I did that once. I had a concrete-forming job while between jobs. Did it for a few weeks. Did not show up one day and wrote a kind e-mail to my employer explaining why I would no longer work for him. He actually very much appreciated this, and told me that, should I ever be in need of extra income and need work, even if just for a day, I'd be more than welcome.
One day. It was a good job and I've regretted it often, but when I started I had recently been ''canned'' by a crazy manager for no reason at all on the previous job and my nerves were raw and I harbored a deep hurt going in.
At this ''good job'' I went in, had a pretty good day, even met some old co-workers. The counter-part staff member to my position was going over procedures with me and I asked a question.
She turned to me, eyes hateful and tone nasty and said, ''Don't you dare question me!'' I saw the eyes wide reaction of 2 people sitting near by and I said nothing.
At quitting time I walked out and did not go back the next day.
I left a voicemail with HR the next morning and told what happened and said I would not work with someone like that training me. That was it. Never heard from a soul.
The ''me'' now would have done it differently, but that was a really rough time in my life and my coping skills were zilch at the time.
Location: Scott County, Tennessee/by way of Detroit
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Worked at a really popular bar/restaurant and it was my first night..the bartender didn't like me I guess...some regular at the bar ordered a salad and he didn't get it in 30 seconds and she was on me like a cheap suit all night... Some guy came in and started fighting and hit another patron with his cane and the guy who he hit threw him through the plate glass front window...a classmate worked there and he drove me home at like 230am and as I got out of the car he LAID ON THE HORN all the way down the block.. My parents were MAD....since it woke them.....I didn't go back...bad vibes there!!!!!
I worked 2 weeks at a steel warehouse in a Midwest rust-belt city. It was a startup that had bought an old facility from a manufacturing company that had gone belly-up. In the first week a co-worker got whacked on the head by a forklift. He couldn't see for several minutes and had to go home. I witnessed several other near-accidents. The manager's response was to yell his head off at whoever was handy. I figured that it was not worth losing a leg or getting decapitated, so I left.
Hmmm over 25 years ago I had a job going door to door selling cable. I sucked at it. Really badly. They let me go after 4 weeks, and I didn't blame them a bit. I did manage to sell cable TV to a blind guy so his neices could watch it, but he wanted it. I had issues putting pressure on folks-the hard sell. It just wasn't my thing.
One day--the worst job I ever got from a recruiter.
My new boss introduced himself to me with, "Listen. I'm from Philly. We do things differently in Philly." There is no way that introduction could end in any positive way.
As it turned out, I was right. The job had nothing to do with what was offered, people were screaming behind closed doors in every other office, I showed up overdressed (not because I made an effort), and then they were generous enough to threaten me with not "volunteering" to help out (unpaid) on a Saturday installation (not my job), and that, if I didn't take their generous offer of volunteering to do work on Saturday without pay, it would be bad for me. It wasn't.
I subbed for a classmate at a Chinese restaurant doing busboy work, but also bringing over tea and drinks. I wasn't officially employed. Did it for one day, and didn't go back. Main reason being he over stated the pay I would get. Did get a free meal though. In hindsight, I could've stood to try it 1 to 3 more times, but oh well... live and learn.
I got transferred to a new project after the previous one fell through. I left after another project got back to me and said they wanted me. The one I was at... the manager told me that they were having issues with budget and physical office space, and said they couldn't guarantee this would be a long term thing. When I told him I was leaving, he was quite understanding. Only after 5 weeks on the job. I don't even bother putting this on my resume. Too much extra work to explain this, and could make me look like a job hopper.
Not counting temp jobs or jobs during high school, the shortest job I had was about 3 months working in a crappy law office. I only had a few working years behind me, and still was new to the entire "office politics" crap. I didn't fit in and was not good at the job either at all. Also, one of the lawyer's ex-wives worked there along with a son from one of main lawyer's other marriages, so there was this very dysfunctional dynamic in part because of that. The main think that sucked is practically everyone there seemed to hate their jobs and took their frustrations out on everyone else.
A day and a half; it was a highly-regimented and extremely-repetitive job packing food in a very sanitary environment -- lots of uncomfortable protective equipment.
Fortunately for all concerned, my supervisor recognized that the problem was partly rooted in some physical issues caused by a spinal deformity and the surgery to correct it, and simply allowed me to go back on Unemployment rather than challenging the claim -- and I was at another, more-suitable temp job within a few days.
I worked at RaceTrac for 4 hours. Quit, and earned a check for $28.
I worked at Wal-Mart for 3 nights. Walked off. No regrets. (The manager said "You're burning your bridges with the company. You know you won't be able to get hired at ANY Wal-Mart from here on, right?" Oh, really? Boo-hoo! I don't even SHOP at Wal-Mart. Working there was the ultimate nightmare.
A few months. Maybe 5? I was unemployed and took the job to pay the bills while I applied for other jobs and waited for another job offer.
Although my first job was when I was 14 or 15 at a dry cleaners. I don't recall if I made it longer than 4 or 5 months before I was fired for calling off too much and leaving pens in dirty old man pants.
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