Minimum amount of time I can have in hell job without ballsing up my CV

[Terramom]

Hi all,

I need some help
and a handhold please. NC for this but long time poster.

I will try and keep this brief:

I have been in my new job for 4 months and it’s making me ill. My line manager is a micromanaging bully and the only person above her is too busy to care/do anything (I have tried) but also spends most of her time so busy and stressed she is unavailable and can be incredibly rude. I have far too much work, I’m interrupted constantly, there is so much pressure on top of dealing with the behaviour from my superiors.

This has never happened to me in a job before but I think I’m starting to get ill. I was in tears at lunchtime and on the way home due to the way I was spoken to throughout the day. I didn’t eat my lunch as I felt sick. I have no history or mental health issues.

it’s a skilled admin based role that requires certain qualifications, which I have.

we have no HR - small business.

Please don’t make suggestions as to what I should do differently, I have made up my mind that I want to go.

-I am 38
-been in this job for 4 months
-previous job 2 years (left as gained higher qualifications that weren’t really useable in that role)
-job before that 3 years, left due to relocation

I have passed my probation in new job and have become aware that they have had problems getting someone to “stick” in the role, the person before me lasted 3 days.

Looking at these facts- how long do I need to tolerate my current role before I can leave without it making my CV look bad ? 12 months ?

if I have an end point in mind I think it will help me cope.

thanks 😊

Sorry, just seen you're not. The advice on here is sound. Years ago employers were very iffy about CV gaps but that's changed a lot.

You can leave now and simply remove the job from your CV.

A 4 month gap is nothing.

You could simply say you were looking for the right job or taking some time off/travelling.

I would not stay too long somewhere that is affecting your health so badly.

As you have admin skills you could sign up to agencies and do temp work instead while you look for something else.

That would also help you justify any gaps in your CV.

Thank you so so so much for the encouragement and kindness.

I have started to feel so hopeless recently and even when I am at home with my family I’m not myself.

I have a 1 month notice period so perhaps if I start looking now I could claw my way to 6 months. I think I will feel so much better if I have a plan.

This. I have LOADS of jobs that I don't put on my CV.
Only the tax man knows the truth 😂

I left a job after 3 months. Just said the job wasn’t quite what I expected in the interview for next job. They were sympathetic and said it happens to everyone at least once.

As others say, if it’s just this occasion and not a pattern on your CV, you can explain this pretty easily. Just keep it professional, don’t slate your current employer.

I’ve done temp agency work before and really really enjoyed it! Problem is now I live rurally rather than in a city but my skills lend themselves to remote work …
so maybe just maybe

6 months
take 4 weeks annual leave

Oh Terramom. I have been you!
I am sure you are brilliant at your job. But life is too short to be miserable like this.

Soon as possible - it's not the right job for you and it's perfectly normal and reasonable for people to do that when they've realised very quickly it's a Them Problem.

Just be honest. None of this BS about short-term contracts or going travelling etc. @LisaD1 explains it well ^^

If the job is not a good fit you'll still be able to explain why in a mature manner to any new employer - and any decent employer would understand the issues. The job (the work itself, use of your skills, workload, culture, etc) is not what you were led to believe it would be, so you're taking a considered decision to leave.

I would be absolutely stuffed if I was in an area where every job has to be on the CV and any gaps accounted for. I temped for years and there are several jobs I've happily consigned to oblivion.

Id start looking now. I have one permanent career job I had to leave after four months as it was insane there. Did some agency work after and then stayed permanent with that employer. Noone cares if it's not a pattern

Leave now. IMO saying it was a bad fit after four months sounds better than after six months. Good luck!

Just put your years of employment on your CV, not the month.

I would just take it off your cv and put that you were still at tour previous role as it seems your previous roles all haven't been for that long really Job hunt now and pretend you are still at your previous role.

Start looking now OP!

if you make it to six months you can say you were Mat leave cover.

don’t be in tears over a job

I’ve just been in your position OP!! I knew after a couple of months it wasn’t for me and started looking seriously at about 4 months in, between some leave and a months notice I was there about 6 months but I’d have left sooner if I could’ve done.

Same as you I was micromanaged and it was beginning to affect my mental health and knock my confidence- sod them you owe them nothing, start looking or if you can afford to just leave then do.

Don’t do this! You’d be found out as soon as anyone asks for references and it’s so much worse to lie!

just stay in current shit job, job hunt and when asked say you don’t like the role. No one will care!

Your job is making you ill,making you cry at lunchtime and on your way home - what would you say to a good friend in that position? Would you tell them to soldier on because of what some hypothetical future employer might think? Or would you tell them to take care of their mental health and leave before they breakdown?

Just leave. If asked about gap in CV explain that the job wasn't the right fit for you. I don't think it's waiting a few months then leaving. What would you gain.

Be honest. I did similar after being in a job 6 months.

The job I interviewed for I’ve been in 9 years.

Find a way to say you want to leave in a way that frames it about your development and the role rather than the company.

I told them that the job wasn’t what I’d hoped for, that I was discouraged from using my initiative and the bureaucratic nature was a poor fit and that I wanted a role where I could get stuck in and make genuine improvements.

I left somewhere after three months - just said the job wasn't what I had expected and I thought it best to move on. It was never an issue at interviews as previous jobs were longer term and I stressed that it made more sense to get references from these jobs. The real story was I had similar troubles to you. It was so bad I resigned. Doubted I would get a good reference although I had left with good grace saying I needed to spend time with my mum who was ill.

Asap. A single short blip is not a problem in your CV. Just explain that the job didn’t work out for you. You have a decent track record. Start looking at least or your confidence will be on the floor in no time so all. As well as degrading of skills. Just leave - I did the same 2 years ago after 3 months. No problem at all when interviewing for new roles.

One small tip - get your interview questions primed to try and assess that the next one will be okay (as leaving another one quickly does become a bit of a problem..)

I gave it six months then started looking, hasn't held me back. I moved to a new role and have already had a promotion

I have a job like this and I started in Nov and left in Feb. I just put the years and omit the months. I actually have another job I left on Dec 31st and started my current one Jan 1st (some years ago) and nobody has ever asked.