How soon is too soon to leave a new job?

14 Comments

1. AnonymousFebruary 26,2022 at 7:25PM UTC

   It depends on the situation. If it's a toxic environment, I would suggest leaving as it's not going to get better. A short stint doesn't need to include on her resume. While if it's more than a few months, she can explain that it wasn't the right role.

   Every job has a learning curve so if it's not a toxic environment, I would give it a chance to get better. The more she acclimates to the culture, the more settled she'll feel. In the meantime, she could always start looking to see what's out there. That way, she has options.

2. AnonymousFebruary 26,2022 at 7:30PM UTC

   I think it depends on what’s going on, and I don’t think doing this once in your career is the worst thing, they can leave it off their resume, but they’ll need to be diligent confirming their next gig is a good fit .

3. Kryssy SantanaFebruary 26,2022 at 8:29PM UTC

   Its ultimately her decision in the end. As a friend you can & should offer support.

4. Wendy LunkoFebruary 27,2022 at 1:30PM UTC

   I think there are a number of factors to consider. 1. Is it a matter of the employer not providing the training needed to succeed at the job? 2. Has the job description changed dramatically from what she was told? 3. What does her past employment history look like, i.e., was she at the previous job for years? 4. Is this situation likely to change, based on personnel turnover, acquiring new skills, etc.?

   If it is a matter of training, she should ask for more training and/or seek out more training. If the job description changed dramatically, she should first have a conversation with her manager about that. If it is a toxic environment, then she should just get out now. If her prior employment history shows long-term commitment to jobs, she can easily answer any questions about leaving as, "Company X wasn't a good fit, and rather than waste their time and resources, I opted to leave."

5. BeaBoss750792February 27,2022 at 5:27PM UTC

   This is a great answer. Some of these things (e.g. needing more training) are fixable with a reasonable employer. A toxic work environment is not.

6. AnonymousFebruary 27,2022 at 2:48PM UTC

   Maybe she only regrets it because she hasn’t found the right job yet.
   I landed a job right after I quit an 8-year stint as an HR director. It was something unrelated to HR and what I thought was a no-brainer. Turns out the change in culture and the boredom of the repetitive tasks was mind-numbing. I quit after 4 weeks. Now I am, after 2 additional months of job searching, tempted to regret my decision. I refuse to dwell on it. I trust my judgment and know it will only a matter of time before something more “me” comes up. In the meantime I have more information on my needs in the next position and am less likely to make the same mistake.

7. AnonymousFebruary 27,2022 at 2:59PM UTC

   Your friend is going to be okay.

   I went through this too. I had a job I loved for 4 years. I never would have left if it weren’t for the pandemic basically shrinking all of my hours. I stayed with shrunk hours for about a year and half into the beginning of the pandemic with the job because I loved it and enjoyed the time off. Eventually, I needed a new job with full time hours. My old job while it wasn’t going away was never returning on the hours.

   The first job I took I had such high hopes for. I was so excited to start my new life. It wasn’t at all like it was advertised, there were a myriad of things that if I’d known prior to accepting the job I wouldn’t taken the job for example the person hired before me was fired with in a month, there were 2 other people in my role before her, I had a bullying coworker that management loved, the work pace was unreasonable and there was zero training. They knew I didn’t have experience in the job. I felt very deceived. I wish I hadn’t accepted the offer. While I was okay leaving my old job I had wished I had picked better.

   I kept that job for 4 months. I left with out a new job. I don’t regret it.

   In all of my interviews I was honest. No one had a problem. I was hired within 3 weeks with multiple job offers.

   BUT…. I’m not happy at my current role. It’s much better than my other job by a million degrees. I have this job so I’m financially stable while I figure out my next moves. It’s not all bad but it’s frustrating because I want a job I can see myself at long term.

   The point is now I’m going to need to eventually explain why I had two jobs in a short time period.

   Again, I’m going to be honest and the right people will understand.

   When I say honest I don’t mean talk to people like you would your friends but there’s no shame in admitting taking a chance and it wasn’t right.

   Your friend is going to be okay. I’m pretty sure the rules are different since work has changed for everyone. Her time will come. :)

8. Shelby CFebruary 27,2022 at 4:34PM UTC

   It depends.

   Sadly, it is not uncommon. When I was in HR, I saw a lot of women that would job hop because they were bored, avoiding conflict, or couldn't handle criticism. I finally had to counsel one employee because, after her seventh assignment/employer, she told me that "they were all attacking her". It was her perception when they were attempting to train her. Then, she would withdraw and become adversarial.

   Typically, when it becomes a pattern, that is when it is an issue.

   The key here though is that it is your friend - not you. You are a good person for being concerned about her, but you should stay in your lane for now unless you see some type of destructive behavior. You have to keep in mind that not everyone welcomes criticism and even those of us that do, are not always in a place to accept it. You need to meet her on her terms IF she asks. People grow when they are ready and not when we would like them to.

9. Keisha JonesFebruary 28,2022 at 1:27AM UTC

   Hi Anon,

   I don't think you were wrong. However, you should tell your friend to make sure she's has other options if she plans on leaving her present job. This might be rough patch she's going to have to maneuver until she gets to where she wants to be.

10. Paula BrantnerFebruary 28,2022 at 6:03AM UTC

    I think it’s best to move on as quickly as you can. I don’t think it’s as much of a ding as it used to be, since you’re getting out before wasting too much time and investment in training. Especially if you’ve been in jobs before for much longer, I think you can say: “It’s important to me to have the right fit so I can do my best work, and this job wasn’t the right fit. I decided that it was better to move on right away than spend more time trying to make it work when I knew it wouldn’t work out ultimately.” Then pivot to why the same thing won’t happen in the new job for….reasons.

11. Barb HansenFebruary 28,2022 at 4:47PM UTC

    Your career is just that - Yours! If a job doesn't work for you, find a better job.

    Where is the rule that you need to stay in a bad job for 4 days, 4 weeks, 4 months or 1 year? If you asked hiring managers and recruiters to define "job hopping," you would not get one answer, you'd probably get hundreds of different answers.

    If you are being underpaid at your current job, and your current company won't pay you more, find a better job.

    If your manager is a jerk, find a better job.

    We are told that one of the best ways to move up the corporate ladder and make more money is to move to another company, but then we are told to "don't job-hop."

    We are told to continuously build our skill sets, and when we do, and our current job no longer is a good fit for our skills and we need to find a new job, we are told "don't job hop"

    Why would anyone stay in a job that doesn't work from them, other than to get a pay check while you are looking for another job?

    Perhaps the "don't job hop" myth was created by big business to keep underpaid employees from leaving to find better jobs. :)

12. Faith SaundersMarch 1,2022 at 5:34PM UTC

    This is a difficult question to answer because there isn't much information. However, I think the question is not when is a good time to leave a new job, but HOW you leave. On both sides—employees and employers may find early on that the relationship does not lend itself to a good job match. If this is the case, I think it is okay to leave the job, but in the proper way. Most companies ask for 2 weeks' notice.

    P.S. There are always exceptions to the rule.

    All the best.

13. Kryssy SantanaMarch 1,2022 at 7:44PM UTC

    Same here, If it's toxix, just move on. I need a paycheck yes, but nobody needs or deserves the trauma of a bad boss, bad environment, etc...

14. AnonymousMarch 17,2022 at 3:31PM UTC

    At the end of the day, only the individual can make that decision. There's so many nuances that can play into why the individual isn't able to stay longer. Before making any life altering decisions have a plan, identify incremental goals/tasks to help you achieve long-term goals, stay positive and trust the process. It is in the journey that will help teach you life's greatest lessons.