Advice on leaving a new job

[homeismyhaven]

After 6 months of interviews finally success- started my new job last week. On paper it sounds good, is a slightly new sector to me so the challenge was appealing, however in reality it is v quiet, small team and my role is effectively on its own, and workload depends on external meetings a few times a year. There is literally nothing to do except familiarise myself with documents and background reading until mid Sept when the first meeting should take place! They don’t seem worried I am not doing much and reassuring me it will get busier, but I am used to working at fast paced, being proactive and working to tight deadlines…

I knew it would be a slightly different pace but not like this and I can’t shake this feeling I’ve made a mistake…maybe I should have asked more questions, maybe it’s just nerves of having to learn the new sector, maybe I was caught up in finally being offered a job…

Have seen a job come up in my previous sector that I know would be perfect. It is only fixed term contract for 18months, whereas this is permanent so it’s a choice over job security or job satisfaction and then repeat the job hunt again in future…

I know I can physically hand my notice in at any point but I don’t want it to look awful on my CV . I only need to give a weeks notice if I leave as on probation. At what point can I reasonably jump ship? Am thinking if I get this other job then I’d only be 3ish weeks in by the time the interviews are held/find out- can I do that and then leave it off my CV in future as a short gap?? I would feel absolutely awful for the company to leave them in the lurch though and then have to recruit again!!

Otherwise if I don’t get the other job then maybe I stick it out for a while to bump up my CV for future employers and then what is a reasonable time to start looking again?? A year? 2 years??

my husband says I should give it a chance and might enjoy it once I get into it, and also enjoy the down time that it will give me whilst getting paid for it but that just makes me feel guilty!! I find it so demotivating and painful to work like this..!

Jeez. Listen to your husband.

You’ve been considering this for six months so I think you should give it a chance. Plus there’s no guarantee that you will get the other job that has cropped up and then where does that leave you?

Your husband is right imo.

Sorry I worded it wrong- I was job hunting (unsuccessfully) for 6 months- for other positions- not this job! I only accepted this one a few weeks ago.

also I wouldn’t leave unless I knew I had that other job to go to. so if i didn’t get it then I stay and suck it up, hope I get into it more with time, but question is, if I don’t enjoy it over the coming months then what is a reasonable length of time to stay before I start looking again?

I'd apply for the other job. IF you get an interview etc it should be a few more weeks into this new job, IF they make you an offer then you can make a decision.

What job is this? I find it incredible that it would even be viable.

It is an odd time of year to join, many colleagues will be taking leave in August so the pace will likely change come September. Enjoy the more gentle introduction.

You started last week during peak holiday season - I don't think you've really given it a chance! But, if you do decide to leave, I wouldn't worry too much about one short stint on your CV - I think you can get away with 'it wasn't the role I was led to expect so I made the difficult decision to move on...' on your CV once. It's only an issue if you're repeated job hopping, imho.

By all means apply. It’s a decision to make once you’ve been offered another one.

Equally, it took you six months to get this one.

Put some effort into making it work. Find some excitement outside work. Not writing it off because it doesn’t sound like alternatives are easy to come by for you.

All I can assume is that it’s easier to have someone permanent than get a temp in for short periods multiple times a year when these meetings and the actual work takes place. Of course I knew the meetings were key activities but the job description made it sound like there was a continual work load.
the only hint from the interview looking back is that it is part-time and when I asked if it could be an option to go FT in future they said there wouldn’t be enough work for that…

I’d use the down time to upskill for a move later down the line whilst sitting in a perm role. The economy does not feel strong your safer in a perm role than temp?

I think you need to give a job three months before you can tell if it’s for you or not. Give it time.

Thanks- @SunnyCycling def feels the safer option staying in a permanent job! And yes you’re right maybe I could use the time more productively.

@AngelaBB and then at 3 months is it acceptable for people to leave then?? I’m happy to give it a chance but thought it would be better to back out as soon as possible otherwise I’d be stuck there for at least a year??