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 😊

I would be looking to see if your roles before that were longer; if nothing went over 3 years then it would be something I would ask about and hope to get career progression answers plus max 1 mistake. 3 years + 2 years makes a short term error fine on the CV, and cutting short at 3-4 months is really no different than anything else under 1 year, so you might as well cut your losses now. Be prepared that permanent role recruitment is looking to be minimum 5 years, so your next role you ought to be picky about to hold onto longer.

If you can afford it, leave now. The gap could have been travelling maybe?

I left a job I hated after 9 weeks, I said it was a temp position.

Good Luck with your new application OP. You definitely need to leave your current place sooner rather than later

Just leave as soon as you can and say it wasn’t a good fit or the job wasn’t as described or some such, don’t make yourself ill.

I once left a job after a short time and I just explained at interview that the ‘office’ was actually a converted warehouse, which I hadn’t been shown at interview, and was so cold in the winter months that other staff members wore fingerless gloves all day to type, which I didn’t think was reasonable, and the cold was making me ill with repeated chest infections when I wasn’t usually prone to illness. Everyone I spoke to accepted that as a reasonable reason to leave a job quickly.

Leave. I had a manager who would ignore me in the office all day then email me at 4am micromanaging and checking up on everything I was doing that day. I walked out one day and didn't look back. I truthfully explained everything in an interview (I felt comfortable and confident enough to), they appreciated the honestly and I got the job.

Scaremongering people into staying in shitty jobs because of how it would look on a CV is wrong. It's the 21st century, businesses need to conduct themselves better and realise that they need us as much as we need them.

Good luck OP!

I found myself in a very similar situation, the job was horrendous and I ended up with terrible stomach problems from the stress.

I basically ended up doing 3 people's jobs in the end. When I did mention it it my manager I was told I was 'good value for money', she was absolutely vile.

I started applying for another job after 9 months and had 2 months notice to buy the time I left it was just about 12 months. If anyone ever asks me about the short time period I am totally honest about why I left. It's never been a problem. I was so worried after I left that the next place would be the same but I loved it and stayed almost 5 years there.

Good Luck OP x

Leave! Twice in my career I have left a role within 3 months. Both are on my cv and I have been honest that the job wasn't what it was set out to be. It's not an issue.

Depending on your financial circumstances resign immediately or start job searching immediately and resign when you have something.

Staying in a job like this can be counterproductive - you could stick it out for an arbitrary period of time and erode your confidence and be in a worse position.

A one off short role won't look bad - somethings just don't work out. If you have four jobs lasting three months that would be different.

Back yourself 💪🏻

If I was interviewing you and you said it didn’t work out after a few months I would admire your honesty. A few months is nothing. Less impressive would be a several year long gap of unemployment.

I emptied my desk last Friday so I could get through the weekend pretending to myself I wasn't going back.

But this morning I thought "Fuck It!" And phoned them to tell them i wasn't coming back.

I'm a single parent to two kids, no savings and a huge mortgage, and only been in the job for 8 weeks.

I have worked full-time for 40 years and have never done that before. But the job was making me ill. Never had such an awful job with such an awful director. I was a senior manager.

Anyway in this morning phoned up four care agencies and had 2 interviews and 2 job offers by this afternoon. I told them the truth, I was unhappy in my current role and for personal reasons had walked out.

They were bemused but I did not gossip and tell them the exact reasons but assured them it was the first time I'd ever done it.

Life is too short to be unhappy. Give your months notice and get applying for a new one.

There's nothing wrong with saying it wasn't the right fit and poor mental health etc as long as you dont slag off the company just keep it brief. I've done it. Any reasonable employer knows not every job works out but not putting it on your CV is worse and trying to explain a 4 month gap than having it on your CV.

Exactly this! I'm in a senior position too and I would honestly be proud of you if you professionally explained truthfully what had happened.

Every CV has a blip and it's absolutely fine.

Wow thank you so much everyone. I’ve just updated my CV and applied for three jobs online ! I was in a very sorry state earlier today but your wise words and kindness have picked me up from the floor. Thank you all so much (and I’m sorry to all of you that have been through similar). I haven’t time this eve to reply to people individually but I will be back on later / tomorrow and will keep you all in the loop.

I never stayed in any job for as long as a year, it wasn't a problem at all with anyone. It doesn't make your CV look bad, that's a myth.

I'm glad we've made you feel better OP.

I'm old and I remember the time when jobs were nice to do. I mean, don't get me wrong, work has always been hard but at least it was enjoyable.

The minute it stopped being enjoyable (the last 7-8 years really) then I stopped, and went self employed.

I hope you're happy in the new job. You'll be fine.

Employers have been really awful for a few years now but hopefully they'll get the message soon and stop making people doing the work of 2 people and stop promoting bullying thugs into management positions.

Say it was a temporary job, or you left for personal reasons.

Good!

You have been so pro-active already!!

I also have managers that treat me and other staff like poo, so I know how it feels!
Despite grievances being submitted, and senior managers knowing about it, it's all swept under the carpet.
it makes me cry that so many people suffer because of others at work.

i hope you get a new position ASAP!

Fail fast - if something isn't working or right then move on quickly. Absolutely nothing wrong with having a blip, just do what you're doing and take positive action to change things.

I would advise against lying or leaving things off your cv, simply because some sectors might do enhanced background checks (in some cases using tax records) which would check career history. Obviously only you can make that call as to how likely this is. Nothing to be ashamed of, and if anything, as a recruiter I'd have respect for you acknowledging that things weren't working and actually doing something about it.

Good luck!

Absolutely just provide a reference from the previous place and put it down but as others have said, say it was temporary or wasn't offering what you were looking for (which the new place has in spades obv 😜).

Absolutely this. There's no shame in a job not being for you, particularly when you are the one making that decision!

I've a couple of 6 months, awful horrible roles and companies.
What can you do, life happens!

How exactly do you see if someone leaves a job off their CV? Who even checks that these days?

I worked in one job for 3 weeks it was horrific I put it down as temp position on cv no issues raised I've had 5 interview offers since

Haven't RTFT.

One thing I've seen friends do is sign up to open ended online free courses, so "six months I was enrolled on a legitimate course and learning X skill".

Futurelearn or similar, Futurelearn may be out of date. Tailor the course to the jobs you are applying for.

It covers CV gaps and although of course you can dip into the course as you have time (at least know what it is!) of course you're not obligated to take exams.

If your face fits I don't think interviewers care.

Good luck with your job hunting and I hope you find something good soon.