What should I say to recruiters/hiring managers for why I am looking for a new job after only 1 year?

Anonymous

November 18,2023 at 3:02AM UTC

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What should I say to recruiters/hiring managers for why I am looking for a new job after only 1 year? The real reasons include: being lied to about work/life balance and the workload, being moved to a different role/department than I interviewed for less than 2 weeks after my start date, a weird culture of people not providing answers or pointing the finger to avoid taking responsibility, the industry being under a lot of regulatory scrutiny, etc. I can honestly say I'm feeling burned out after a year and I don't enjoy any part of my job. The only positive has been the pay but I'm ready to throw in the towel. Unfortunately, my reasons may come off as bad mouthing my current employer. How should I answer the dreaded question, why are you searching for a new job? I'm applying to lateral roles if that makes a difference.

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AnonymousNovember 18,2023 at 3:09AM UTC
That your current role is much different than the role you accepted and while you gave it a chance you'd reallt like to get back to your passion which is...xyz.
Drea RahmingNovember 18,2023 at 3:43PM UTC
This is very succinct
AnonymousNovember 18,2023 at 2:33PM UTC
Just state that the job description for the role you started at the company has changed and no longer aligns with your desired career path. This is specific enough not to ask for embellishment and vague enough not to be bad-mouthing because company roles constantly change. If they ask how it changed, you can say, "I'm no longer doing ..., which is where my strength and interests are."
AnonymousNovember 19,2023 at 12:25PM UTC
This and a similar reply are perfect. A friend of mine was in a similar situation in the past year to the OP. In interviews, she answered questions about why she was looking for a new job in this way - essentially, the job she was hired to do was not the job she was doing. She addressed the issue neutrally, focusing on why the potential job interested her. She had a number of job offers.
AnonymousNovember 19,2023 at 1:10PM UTC
Leaving after 12 months won’t look like a weakness. I have just got a new job after 14 months and said my reason for looking was it’s time for me to move on, I have done what I was employed to do and the company isn’t big enough for me to progress any further. You got this :)
AnonymousNovember 19,2023 at 3:35PM UTC
Leaving a job after one year happens all the time. Most managers/recruiters appreciate there are some really lousy companies out there. But, when you answer the why you are leaving question, just say "cultural fit" and be PC about the rest of your answer. Leaving after one year once is perfectly fine. You can do it twice if you have a good story as to the reasons. I do have pause when someone does it three times. In summary, it's all about how you weave your career story and leaving after a year once or twice is not a big deal.
AnonymousNovember 21,2023 at 2:09PM UTC
I’d say that in a restructuring, I was moved to an area that did not appeal to me though I spent some time learning it and trying to build interest. I’ve given time to what I’d like to do next and the area for this role really appeals to me. I’ve been in roles that I liked for long time (if true in your resume).
AnonymousNovember 23,2023 at 3:17AM UTC
This is really good! Thank you
AnonymousNovember 28,2023 at 6:28PM UTC
I would advise saying that the leadership of the company has changed the path you understood the company was on when you interviewed and just after joining they moved you into a role where XYZ was part of the function and you were not interested in that when you first applied ( be sure the new companies don't expect you to do that thing) then say so after giving it a year its time to move on since there is not the ability to transfer internally. End of story.