You’ve been through the recruiter screening, interviewing process and claimed victory by a getting a job offer. After your first day on the new job however, you quickly learn that it’s not a good fit and quickly entertain the possibility of leaving. A lot of people have been here, so you’re not alone.
You might have some questions such as:
I don’t like my new job what should I do?
How long to give a new job before quitting?
Not so fast…
How long have you been in the job? If you’ve been in the job for a day or week, that’s too soon to call it quits. Understand that the first 90 days of any job is known as the “transition period.” You will be uncomfortable. It will be tough to learn everything you need to know because change is hard for everyone.
If you decide to leave…
Don’t perform poorly in your new role. Reputation is everything and can follow you from company to company even industry to industry.
For example, when I was in college studying Mechanical Engineering, I had a Physics lab partner that never did any work. The initial plan was to split the work down the middle and come together a day before the assignment was due. I always had to track him down to get his half of the work. 98% of the time I went ahead and did the work myself. He was completely unreliable. Although we graduated from Saint Louis University, a college with a great reputation in the aerospace industry, I would never hire him or give him a recommendation.
#1 Look for other opportunities quick! Although this may go without saying, start looking for other opportunities as soon as possible. If you’re in an environment that is not a good fit due to the boss, job responsibilities, work atmosphere or other contributing factors, you won’t thrive.
#2 Have a great story. You might be seen as a job hopper. While looking for those new opportunities, many employers will question whether or not you are a job hopper. Hiring managers often avoid theses candidates like the plague.
Make sure you have a great explanation as to why you are looking for a new job after being in your current job for a short amount of time. Above all, be honest about your situation.
#3 Leave on good terms. Make sure you leave your new job gracefully. Remember, your reputation can follow you for years after you leave.
For example, I currently work at Northrop Grumman and I’ve run into people I used to work with at Boeing. Often times hiring managers will ask me about people I may have worked with during my time at Boeing to see if they would make a good hire.
Don’t make the same mistake twice…
#4 Learn from this situation. Ask better questions during the interview and have a follow up conversation(s) with hiring managers before accepting the offer. Make sure you fully understand the scope of the job.
Every time you accept an offer, there will be many things you will not anticipate such as not getting along with the boss, your coworkers and the lack of interest your work. By asking the right questions up front, you will be able to make the best decision with the information you have at the moment.
Happy job hunting!
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