Leaving a senior role less than a year in..?

[Wonderbug81]

I've been in my role for 7 months. The commute is v long (90 mins plus) but I was willing to be flexible as I'd been made redundant a while before and the role seemed - on paper - like a good one.

It's actually a very toxic work environment, I dread going to work and it's impacting me mentally.

For those who've left senior roles after less than a year, how did you explain it? Did you have challenges showing you'd made an impact in that time? I have a few things I can point to but worry an employer will be suspicious of my short tenure (I was freelancing for a while before I got this rol).

Or should I try and wait it out a bit longer before I start looking for roles?

Only you can know the balance....
I def left it too long which is prob why I got to the point of getting signed off.

my job literally had nothing going for it excepy money. Every other dimension you can think of was bad.

The work, the culture, my manager, my org, the company trajectory, my growth, my dead behind the eyes coworkers....

It made me physically ill to the point i needed surgery... i then stayed off on the basis of stress hindering recovery which my surgeon supported.

I wasnt asked about sick leave at all in my new role (which as good as i took more sick lwave in 2025 than I did between 2007 -2024....)

Quiet quitting might suit better.

Get meeting people for coffees and start scrolling LinkedIn jobs while watching yltv in the evening

This is what I think too I’m afraid

I just opened the work topic to post the almost exact same issue hoping for an answer. I read yours OP and initially wondered if my husband or friend had posted for me! I started my Director level corporate role in July. It's toxic. I ended up taking one week off with stress (a first for me in 25 years) in December but am back now. Also peri menopausal and struggling to sleep but more so on nights before I have to go to the office (which is 3 days a week.) Managing Director is the worst I've ever had (bullies and harasses direct reports), role is completely not as described (even down to the staff I was told about not working for me.). Colleagues are all stressed.

I've applied for some jobs but am concerned about having the energy to prep for interviews.

I'm afraid I was wondering if I need to be honest about sick leave in this role when I apply for another as I'm hanging on but only barely as I'm constantly tearful.

I have decided to try to look now and ring fence a bit of prep time if I get interviews. If I don't find anything until the 12 month plus mark then I've lost nothing. In the last 18 years the shortest tenure at any other company that I've had is 8 years so hopefully they won't think I've failed my probation period but that is a concern (ironically there isn't one!)

Honestly, ladies, those of you trying to get out, I hear you - prepping for interviews felt utterly horrendous for me.

The way this worked out was I applied/was approached by recruiters directly. I was signed off with stress for 3 weeks, then went on a prearranged holiday for 2 weeks. Those 5 weeks didn't cure me but they gave me some mental clarity. When I got back, the only thing I chose to really focus on was interview prep because I really wanted to get out. Got the job. Negotiated a shorter notice period. I could've stayed on paid garden leave but honestly, I wanted nothing more to do with my ex-big boss. So I chose to get out ASAP and started my new job.

I have to say, looking for a job, interview prep and then the first 6-7 months in my new job felt horrendous to me. I was so drained, so low on energy, felt useless and like I couldn't perform, I was totally burnt out. I went through a period towards the end of my previous role when I started having panic attacks before work and on leaving, when I had to pick up my DCs. So you can imagine how hard it was to focus and find some energy to do all this. I somehow did it but if you can get out before you get to that stage, please do.

I actually really don't know how I survived the last 5-6 years. I had so many negative events in my life alongside my former job that I look back at it and feel disassociated because I was so traumatised. I don't want to believe all this happened to me. In terms of recovery, removing the stressors has been huge, but it's a long road. I had to change my lifestyle and it's still in some aspects work in progress. I still haven't recovered fully in terms of energy or mental capacity, it's been 18 months. But I am getting better.

Please, please, please don't get to the stage when your bucket gets overfilled. You never know what may happen in your life that will tip you over the edge, you can't be running on fumes all the time, it's not living but survival. No job or money is worth it.

I did. Absolutely hated it and was making me ill. Got another role very quickly. I explained it away. Didn’t like some aspects of the role. I don’t think people ask too many questions unless you do it repeatedly. I would not stay in something I hated.

Edited to say handed in notice at 7/8 months left at 11 after notice period

This is a really helpful perspective thank you. So sorry you went through all that, sounds absolutely awful.

I have all the same issues as you mentioned in your role but quiet quitting might be the way for now.

This

Oh wow, sorry to hear you're having these issues too but hey, at least we can share war strategies!

Peri is definitely complicating matters and like you, also really don't have full energy for job hunting.

That said job hunting at least gives back some control and reminds us that there's life beyond today's pain, doesn't it?

I think I'll at least speak to recruiters and get active on Linkedin with my network until the 12 month mark hits.

Hope you manage to find something quickly and then it's at least bearable in the meantime. If you don't feel sick leave is an option, can you book some holiday time so at least you have something to look forward to?

I'd look first and try to secure a new role before leaving this one. But meanwhile, find ways to bolster yourself against the toxicity. Take all your entitled leave, and try to use some of it to book a day off once a month to do some job hunting. Keep as low a profile as you can - don't rise to bait from difficult people, don't over volunteer and don't try to change or criticise the environment. It never works. You'll just get scapegoated. Keep paper trails of everything you agree to so no one can challenge you or claim you haven't done what was expected. Keep a log of your progress too.

I am just wondering - has anyone used a career coach to help navigate this type of thing? Wondering if that could help?

I really appreciate you sharing this. So sorry it was so difficult for you. Sadly looking at this chat it seems far too common. I don't know why so many people/team members/managers think it's fine to behave this way.

Your posts made going into work easier today (first day back) and reminded me to stay focused on what matters. Thank you again.

It’s a tough one. For some types of business, the senior team will be all about culture and will find that a perfectly acceptable answer. Others will be suspicious and think you’re hard work and maybe not worth the investment.

re not mentioning certain roles - just leave them off your cv. So either, roll it up into other freelancing period. Eg. 1.1.23-5.1.26 - freelancing for various companies doing X role/position.

There’s no requirement for you to tell anyone it’s a permanent position!

Reading all this with interest. The job market is not great but I also think mental health is more important.

Great advice and I like idea of using annual leave for job hunting as one of my issues is lack of energy from stress plus perimenopause.

Thank you so much!

Very helpful thank you!