Should I leave my job after 3 months? [closed]

Question

So I took a new job about 3 months ago. It appeared to be a good fit as it was closer to home and still in the same field that I am in (business intelligence). The company is great, both with work culture and the other people working there. It is also my 4th job in 9 years (I involuntarily left one).

It was once I was in the role that I realized that I wasn’t comfortable. I don’t feel challenged or feel like I am learning anything new. It feels that I am overqualified for the role and there is not much for me to grow into. The possibilities for advancement also seem fairly slim. There are some skills that I have used my whole career that I haven’t done in my 3 months here. I tried talking to my boss and most of his senders were vague on what I would be doing.

So I started interviewing around. After a while, I was finally able to get an offer. The offer is 10% higher than what I am making now. The commute and company size is about the same. However, since it is a new job, I don’t know much about the new company (I.e. their culture or work environment). The role does sound like a better fit and I will be challenged more. One thing that did concern me as well was that the hiring manager did say that this was a new role that he was fighting for, he spoke of some others wondering if the role was needed. This last point makes me nervous.

I guess I am at a loss here on what to do. Should I stay or go? Am I moving jobs too often (considering that this new job will be my 5th job in 10 years)? Will having so many jobs in 10 years look bad on my resume? If my new job is also not a good fit, will I essentially be stuck there?

Answer 1

It's hard to quantify what "too often" is. However, if you're already having thoughts about moving on this early, then there are two things to bear in mind:

• At 3 months, it's relatively easy to explain quitting as "I made a mistake, the job didn't suit me". Most companies have probation periods for precisely this reason; if it's not working, either side can walk away while it's still relatively cheap to do so. The longer time goes on, the less convincing this argument becomes.

• If you're this unhappy at 3 months, what do you imagine a year will be like? The image of being a job-hopper won't be much different but mentally you'll be in a worse place.

What you really must do, though, is full due diligence around the next job. Get a lot more detail on what you'll be working on, ask around about the culture, etc. etc.

I was there myself, I took a job hurriedly when a previous company folded and I felt like it was my duty to stick it out for "long enough" to look like I'd really tried to make it work. It was not a wise move; I ended up more frustrated and fed up, angry with myself for compromising my values and wasting other opportunities, and it made no difference in the long run.

Answer 2

While I cannot make a decision as to whether you should switch job or not, here are my views on other questions.

Am I moving jobs too often (considering that this new job will be my 5th job in 10 years)?

Some people stay in the same jobs for 30 years, while some change jobs every couple of years. It is completely subjective. At least the company making you an offer doesn't seem to think of it as a big deal.

Will having so many jobs in 10 years look bad on my resume?

Again, if a company is willing to make a decent offer to you, they probably aren't concerned about this factor. Plus, instead of thinking "5 jobs in 10 years", you should think of it as "5 jobs in (10 + x) years" assuming you stay at your next employer for x years.

If my new job is also not a good fit, will I essentially be stuck there?

That's just pessimistic. If you have done due diligence in ensuring that the next job is likely to be a good fit for you, there is no reliable reason to worry too much about it.

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Overall, I would say not considering the offer purely because it would appear as too many hops to a future employer is illogical. If you are truly uncomfortable in your current role, you should try and do something that helps improve the situation.

Given you say that,

I don’t know much about the new company (I.e. their culture or work environment).

it would be a good starting point to do some research on company culture and your role before you make a decision. That should also boost your confidence for any decision you make.

In particular, you need to ensure that the position they are hiring you for is needed, and that they may not plan to lay you off after a while. Just ask for clarification from the hiring manager if you're not sure who to ask.

Answer 3

When you say "he spoke of some others wondering if the role was needed" then are you sure the grass will be greener on the other side?

Should you continue to wait for a position to come along that does not have that type of concern - a hiring manager saying that does raise Big Red Flags...

Some change jobs often for many valid reasons - just think about why you want to move in this case.

Answer 4

Since I know both sides (I'm a hiring manager and I have changed jobs fairly often for some tastes) I can say:

If you can give valid(*) reasons for every job change the last 5 or 6 years (older history normally is much less interesting for hiring managers) you're in a good position. "This job culturally was not a good fit" is a valid reason. But be prepared to elaborate on that with some details. Changing because of a bad fit after 3 months for me sounds more legit than doing so after 6 months or later.

Having a hiring manager that fought to create the role you're going to fill can be a good thing because you probably can shape the position a bit to your preferences. However it also puts you maybe in the spotlight of your boss's manager's attention because she/he is interested if the position she/he granted funding for really works out.

However your hiring manager wondering if the role was needed sounds a biot strange at least. If you have any chance to ask about the history of how the role was created this might clear up some things. Asking that way might seem less direct than asking him directly for his statement.

(*) Valid reasons should be expressed in a positive way. Don't say "Oh, my last boss was a jerk" even if that is true. You could however say that you had some differences you couldn't get over completely and that you agreed to go different ways.