Reader question time again:
After being laid off of a contract position, I was lucky enough to land a full-time job immediately. This job is in my field and is what I thought I wanted to do, but it isn't working out.
The problem is my boss (the owner of the company). He is rude, unprofessional, and has extremely unrealistic expectations. He regularly implies that we are unintelligent and lazy. He expects us to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, and lunch breaks (we are exempt) and tells us that if we start meeting his requirements, maybe we can "only work 40 hour weeks". We haven't received any training and are all entry level workers. We are expected not to have outside commitments, and when we do, he tells us to go late and tell the person we have an appointment with that work is more important.
Let me be straight with you here: I am a hard worker, and I am an adult, so I know sometimes long hours may be required. However, I also know poor management, and this is it. We are not given the tools to succeed and then we are berated for failing. He asks for one thing and we do it, then he tells us, "You should have known I wanted THIS instead," when there truly was no indication (and again, I am smart and can figure things out if they are reasonable).
Recently, I was all but told to shut up during a meeting, and I have seen him do this and worse to others. It's an unhealthy, stressful environment with a management style that DOES NOT work for me, and I am trying to find other employment.
My question, then, is how bad is it going to look to have left a job after a few months? Best case scenario is I get a job ASAP, meaning I'll have worked here 3 months. Even if it's six months or eight months (I hope not), I feel like it looks bad, especially since my previous job was a short-term contract. I am not sure what to tell prospective employers. I have no desire to trash talk my current boss and I know that would look bad, but I am also not "seeking a new challenge" or "trying to move up" either. I could say I'm concerned my position will be eliminated due to the economy - which is a legitimate concern - but beyond that, I'm not sure how to make quitting a short-term job look like anything other than job-hopping or trash-talking.
Recruiters and hiring managers are just people. They are not perfect and most of them have either worked for a-holes or found themselves in a job that was not a good fit for them, for whatever reason. It happens to the best of us, sometimes more than once.
Most likely, you are not going to find a *good* job right away. I could certainly be wrong, and I hope I am. However, I've looked at a gazillion resumes in my time and here is how my inner monologue goes when I see a resume like yours, "Wait, she just got there...is it a contract? No, can't be a contract because her job before this one states
that one was a contract so it looks like she is specifying which is which. Hmm guess she is hating the new job. NEXT".
I don't want a rebound relationship. I don't want you to want my company and my position just because the one you're in right now sucks basketballs. See what I mean?
The worst thing to do when you're in a bad situation is panic. Do not jump ship without another job under your belt. Trust me on this. I am saving you thousands of dollars in therapy right now.
Let's say you get past the resume screen and a recruiter or hiring manager calls you up. If they ask why you're looking (and they should), just tell them the truth: You thought the position was going to be one thing and, unfortunately, it turned out to be another.
If you are pressed for details (and you should be), you will have to be more stealthy. Be sincere, not sarcastic. Be professional and not overly familiar, as you would be with your friends. Be matter of fact but not icy or fake. "The job was presented as having occasional overtime, good work life balance, etc etc.........unfortunately I've worked 60 hour weeks since I started, am told to not eat lunch, etc etc and I'm not productive in that type of environment."
This is all true, but sounds better than, "My boss is a piece of shit and I want to scratch his face off". The recruiter will know you're telling the truth and respect you for it (as well as for being professional about it). Depending on what the competition looks like, it may or may not do you any favors....but at least you are telling the truth and dealing with the situation professionally.
That's all I've got for this one. Readers - hit the comments with your suggestions.
