How to explain leaving a new role after eight months

[Holidaymodeon]

I changed jobs in September after seeing what I thought was an ideal role in a field I’d previously worked in for years.
I left a stable, part time remote role to return to that type of work because I missed the energy of that role, there was nothing wrong with my old job, I guess I was just bored.
i was in an unhappy relationship too and I think I just needed to change my life!

Before starting, I had some concerns after meeting my new manager, but went ahead.

On joining, it quickly became clear the role was not as advertised.
There are significant issues with structure, safeguarding, and organisational culture, alongside poor processes and a clear values mismatch.
I’ve also experienced bullying and harassment, and HR support has been minimal. I’m now actively looking to leave.

I regret leaving my previous role, but that’s not reversible. The funding has been redeployed elsewhere.

I’m finding fewer opportunities than expected and, for the first time, I’m not being shortlisted like I always was before .
I think that changing roles after 8 months and moving back toward my previous type of work may be a concern for recruiters .

I’m seeking advice on how to present this in applications and interviews please , particularly how to explain in a way that reassures employers, why I’m leaving so soon and returning to a previous career path .

Consider leaving this job off the CV? Say you took a year out to better yourself / educate yourself/ travel/ pursue some interests.

Thank you. I did consider this but I live in a small town and the type of roles I can apply for are all in linked fields or part of a wider organisation- local authority and affiliated services so it would be almost impossible to hide it really , I’d be paranoid about it coming out later then Being sacked for gross misconduct of lying on application! 🤣🫣

I think most people are familiar with the idea that you can try a new job, find it isn’t a good fit, or a good environment and choose to move on promptly. I personally wouldn’t give anyone any points for staying in a crap situation when reviewing candidates, so no need to do the reverse either. I can imagine attitudes and sensitivities are a bit different in local government to the corporate world but it can’t be everyone. The job market is very tough at the moment. I would see if you can stick it out until you land something else, practice ways to spin the situation and what you learned from it in an interview. I once stayed in a job 4 months, it was utterly toxic.

Sorry I pressed send too early. I would explain 1. It wasn’t a good fit for x reasons (lack of the work you really enjoy, lack of opportunities for progression, role not as advertised) and you wanted y (things in the new role). 2. Rather than stay in a poor situation that wasn’t going to resolve you decided to take action, that’s why you have researched new role very thoroughly and know you can make an impact in y ways. 3. Overall I learned z from the experience (resilience, new skill/way of working)

Thank you. This is job is genuinely completely and utterly toxic.
they have so many shocking practices, I used to assert myself constantly but now I just don’t have the guts, it’s sapping me.

there were lots of reasons I doubted the job in the first place, partly because I learned that my predecessor was an ex colleague from a very old job and they made my life a misery at work and they are absolutely a carbon copy of my boss in terms of attitudes.

my predecessor retired, hence my post coming up, my boss and her are very chummy and meet regularly, and my bosses frequently says how much they want her back and are planning on giving her a project to manage as she’s decided she now only wants semi retirement, which makes me even more desperate to get out!

I really appreciate this, very helpful, thank you ☺️

I would explain that you were in a bit of a rut, saw the advertised role, applied and got it only to find it wasn't completely as advertised and not a good fit.

Personally I would

1. Recognise the job market is even tougher than it was 8 months ago and be mindful that you are probably not being shortlisted because there are hundreds of applications for every job rather than anything bad about your application.
2. Just say that you wanted to develop x skills or y experience and that you’ve enjoyed it, and keen to bring it back to your previous sector/role. In an application you just need to say why you want a job, I wouldn’t get fixated on why you want to leave the current job - that’s always a red flag and I probably wouldn’t appoint someone who was giving some of the answers given in previous posts. Keep it upbeat!

Thank you, I agree, i definitely want to try to keep it as positive as possible without appearing deceptive!
I’m shocked at how the labour market has changed since I was last actively job searching.
I wasn’t actually job searching when I applied for this job, it popped up on social media and I actually applied on a whim.
even though I was bored in my previous post, I was planning to wait at least another year before making any changes due to practical reasons.

That’s exactly what happened!

I just wouldn’t recommend saying that. I’d use the question to emphasise the new skills and opportunities you have gained and then pivot back to why you love/want this new job you have applied for “to bring those skills back to x which I love” or similar.

8 months isn’t long, but equally, it’s not like you can’t stay more than a month or two in any job - that’s when I look at an application and wince slightly!

Just say it wasn’t a good fit for you and you want to use more of the skills from you previous workplace.

I wouldnt worry about it too much. In my role I meet with representatives of other companies that we partner with all the time. In one company i was introduced to our new account manager one month and she voluntarily left the next. I had her in linked in so a while later had a look and she had left the next company after 6 months. Another contact- had had 3 jobs in less than 2 years.
Sometimes it just happens. People are more willing to move on now if a job doesnt "serve" them.
It wasnt a fit, you decided to move on.
By the time youve found a job- applied- work notice youll be close to 1 year anyway!

Why do you think the job market is so much harder in such a short space of time? I’m trying not to take it personally!

If you’re worried about it looking bad on your CV, could you tough it out for another 3-4 months to get to a year? Can you use annual leave to reduce the total amount of time you have to work (even taking two weeks off will make it more bearable).

Unfortunately the old advice of ‘it’s easier to find a job while in a job’ is true, so leaving without anything to go to could be risky.

That being said, I left a job after 6 months without anything to go to because I hated it so much and it was destroying my mental health, so I can sympathise hugely with what you’re going through. Everything worked out okay, but this was in 2017 when the job market was a bit better.

Just to add, I’m absolutely hating my job right now, but I’m an expat on a non-transferable visa so I’m stuck here. Literally. If I quit I have to leave the country. So you are in a fortunate position to have the option to leave @Holidaymodeon 😊

What helps me is to think of the job as a means to an end and to try to detach from it emotionally (not easy I know!). So I do two things:

1. think to myself “this week increased my pension by $xx, my savings/investments by $xx”

2. live for the weekend! I pack my weekends and annual leave with fun, exciting things and make the most of living somewhere fantastic, and reminding myself that without the shitshow job I wouldn’t have the great life outside work that I do.

Thank you for sharing this, I am sorry for your situation too.
I have a longterm health issue which makes it harder to just walk into any job and things have happened in this job which have exacerbated my poor health leaving me with zero energy to live my life evenings and weekends.
plus the psychological aspect of constant mental gymnastics dealing with such inept people is draining my nervous system!

i am literally living to work and I barely do anything with my children so I have zero work life balance, no money is worth this!

i know that doesn’t compare to your situation though, what is your long term plan?

Thank you. The rate things are going, I will be there a year anyway 🙈🤣