From my perspective, you don't really have anything to lose here. If the recruiter/hiring manager are concerned, they won't interview you, same result as if you hadn't reached out. On the other hand, if they aren't bothered by your recent short stints, then maybe you get an interview and a better job.
What made you leave your previous role (company 2) after only a few months? Why are you looking to leave your current role (company 3) after just a few months?
I can see a pretty clear potential narrative here. You got laid off from your company of 10 years, and because you needed a job to feed and house yourself, you accepted the best thing available in the moment so that you had a paycheck and health insurance. Perhaps you were overqualified, underpaid, or the role was a step back in your career. Regardless, people understand that having paycheck is extremely important, and that sometimes you have to take whatever you can find to survive. Once you were employed, you began looking for a job that was a better fit/paid better/etc, and accept your current role at Company 3.
The question left to answer is why you are looking to leave Company 3. Having a thoughtful, logical reason will go a long way here.
If the environment is intolerably toxic, then you should do what is best for you and look for another role. As I said above, it can't hurt, but staying absolutely can hurt.
Also, this is just my personal observation and opinion, but "job hopping" and "employment gaps" seem to be talked about almost exclusively by Career Coaches/Resume Writers/LinkedIn "Influencers." These aren't people who are currently recruiting or hiring, and too often the advice is outdated and a reflection of the time when employees stayed at companies for 25+ years before retiring with a pension and when getting laid off was not commonplace. Some giving advice in the space have never been hiring managers, and might not have much professional experience at all. so their advice comes from the LinkedIn Influencer echo chamber. This doesn't mean that they're ill-intentioned, or that they can't have good advice, I'm just generally wary of anyone who is trying to sell me their advice.
Again, this is just my personal opinion, and not an attack on any individual. I point it out because there are also people in recruiting that post about applying/hiring/interviewing topics, yet these career "mistakes" aren't significant enough to warrant discussion.
My frustration comes from the fact that seeking a new job, potentially while also being unemployed, is scary enough. It's not helpful for job seekers to be trying to figure out if they've already "failed" by having one too many roles, or *gasp* they have a three month employment gap that NO RECRUITER WILL UNDERSTAND, EVER. Better prepare a portfolio to show all the new things you learned when unemployed for three months DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
Is there a point where having many jobs for short periods will become concerning? Of course. But there is no official line, and it is heavily influenced by a candidate's background and what the hiring manager is looking for. If the job is "fine" and you're just "meh" about it, then general rule of thumb is to stay a year. This gives time for someone to get onboarded, up to speed, fully assume the responsibilities of the role, develop comfort/proficiency, and have enough familiarity with the role to know they're looking for something different in a position/company or are ready for a new challenge. Lotsa words to say that it shows you gave the position and company a fair shot.
If it's a bad environment, then just look for a new role. People rarely look back on their time in toxic companies and think "I'm so glad that I spent more time there than necessary because of an arbitrary unwritten rule."
Also, if that dream job comes up, you don't know if/when it will come up again.
TL;DR Since COVID, things are a lot more flexible. Do what's best for you. Good luck!
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