Moving on after only a short period?

paradigm

paradigm

paradigm

Caporegime
Joined
26 Aug 2003
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Leafy Cheshire
So, I’ve only been in my current role since August (coming up on 5 months), but I feel that I was mis-sold the complexity of the role, the potential for greater exposure to my current siloed position, and that the business as a whole has so many deeply ingrained “culture” based processes and “legacy” solutions that already I can see the same mistakes getting made over and over. It’s not as if the business has cash-flow problems, we’re very large and with a very healthy IT budget, but the business seems insistent on not allowing inter-team collaboration/up-skilling/knowledge sharing, that I feel my skill set it really going to waste here.

I’m paid healthily for the role (actually I feel for the amount I get to do, I’m over-paid), but I’m simply not being challenged, and my rather broad skill set is starting to get dated and stale as I’m not using 75% of what I know/used to do.

Now usually I’m not one to ditch and switch roles in such a short period, and I certainly don’t want it to look bad on my CV, but I can only stick this out for so much longer.

What would you guys do? Stick it out until the 6 month mark? The 1 year mark? Not worry about just getting on with moving?
 
If your roles prior to this one haven't been short periods then I'd not worry about it at all and say just get out of there. Ideally you do then want to make sure your next role isn't a short 6 month stint too (unless contracting).
 
dowie said:
If your roles prior to this one haven't been short periods then I'd not worry about it at all and say just get out of there. Ideally you do then want to make sure your next role isn't a short 6 month stint too (unless contracting).
Click to expand...
My last role was 2 years, and prior to that 8 years, both within the same company! So 5 months to me is incredibly short!

billysielu said:
Don't worry about it and get on with moving.
Click to expand...

Cheers, that’s 2 for 2!
 
You can get away with an occasional short stint, provided it's surrounded by longer periods. But make sure you've got your explanation ready for interviews, including things like "why should we trust that you won't leave us after 5 months"...etc :)
 
Even if you got a job offer today it would look like 6 months on your CV anyway by the time any sensible notice period is served. Your 10 years with the previous company would show me you're not a job hopper, so don't worry about this one.

As an aside, if you got the current role via an agency, avoid them when looking for a new role as it may cost them money if you move too soon (a clawback of their fee is fairly common practise).
 
1 short term role on your CV won't be an issue, especially if you can explain what you were sold and what you actually found.

Try to frame it positively, e.g. that you feel you could add more and that you want to be somewhere that you can use your skills and experience to their full potential.
 
Is there scope for you to use your experience at the current employer, and expand your role to help them drive culture change and prevent making the same mistakes you've seen elsewhere? That would undoubtedly be both challenging to achieve, and rewarding if you were successful.
 
Takes a good 6 months to get to grips in most rolls tbh, however if you are getting negative vibes now maybe its worth a chat with your bosses boss.
 
I know the question is a few weeks old and you’re already sorting out a possible move, but just to echo the comments that it’s fine to do so ;)

I had two roles in succession where I was only there 5 and 6 months respectively.

Never caused in an issue in my following roles, was clear and easy to explain the moves, I don’t think nowadays it’s something that is really much of an issue.
 
I’d rather meet someone that said “I moved on because the role wasn’t what I thought it would be” after 6 months than someone that waffled a nondescript answer with 12 months or more on the CV.
 
Do not worry about it, When i was contracting years ago i only ever did 3 months stints then moved onto something else.
 
Another vote for get moving. Good luck with your upcoming interviews.

If you are successful make sure you highlight in your exit interview your reasoning. The company will never learn otherwise.

If I interviewed someone I would definitely ask them about the short period, if that person gave the reasons you have given, I would not be concerned at all.

I would not be surprised if some even saw it as a plus.
 
I left a job after about 6 months before - I actually moved to a company where I had interviewed at the same time originally.
It's fairly easy to explain that the job was made out to be something that it wasn't and after a three month review which didn't change anything it became clear it was never going to change.
It's never come up in any interview since tbh!
 
What about an internal move? I had a similar issue and was honest with my boss that I wasn't happy with the work. He gave me something else, but still not right.

He then helped me move else where in the company and now I'm pretty happy.

In fairness, my company is massive, so quite easy to do.
 
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