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TLDR - I have a role on my resume that has a duration of 6 months, and I'm unsure if I should keep it or not. I'd like to keep it since it was a high role within the company, but with a short duration of 6 months I don't want it to have it come across like a red flag. More context ahead!

Some time ago during my previous company I was promoted to a high role. Very shortly after another company approached me with a role I didn't think I'd stand a chance to get. The stars were aligned and I got it. It was superior in every way so I took it - better pay, well-known company, high profile projects, better benefits, more opportunities for career growth.

Looking at my resume now, that 6 month job feels out of place and I don't want it to come across as a red flag for anyone taking a glance at my CV.

For context, overall I was with my old company for almost 7 years, so it's not like I just showed up for 6 months and left. I also was doing a good job during those 6 months. I left on very good terms as I did a proper handoff and even found a replacement that I trust. There wasn't any bad blood, but a recruiter looking at my CV doesn't know that.

In an interview stage I feel that I should be able to give an explanation, but if it makes my CV weaker then is it worth keeping?

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    So you were at that SAME old company for 7 years? Am I understanding things correctly? If so, you can merge both together since they were both at the same company. The resume is just to get you into the door. It's a marketing brochure. You don't want to lie, but you don't want to give too many upfront details either. And you can be more exact when you're asked to fill out the verification forms and during your interviews.
    – Stephan Branczyk
    Oct 9, 2022 at 5:57
  • @StephanBranczyk That's exactly right, the 7 years was at the old company. That's an interesting idea. Feel free to put it in an answer!
    – Green Cell
    Oct 9, 2022 at 7:48
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    Provided you have been in your current role for a little bit longer, and given that you were at your previous employer for 7 years overall, then there is no reason why a recruiter should assume the shorter role was ill-fated - they may ask about it, but there is nothing unlikely about your answer. Consider putting both roles under one block for that employer, and thus avoid undue emphasis on the timeframe of each.
    – Steve
    Oct 9, 2022 at 9:09

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Short answer: Include it.

You have some options here - since you mentioned that you are in a senior position, you can address it (if it's an issue) in a number of ways:

1: Straight up tell them you were headhunted for a dream position and you couldn't pass it up.

2: You could say that when you started to work there, you realized that your values or philosophies didn't fully align (or some other non-specific wishy-washy language) and then you got offered something else.

3: Veni, Vedi, Vici - I came, I saw, I conquered - You joined the company, you did what you set out to do and then it was time to move on.

Without full info as to what you did during this time period - some of those suggestions may be embellishing the truth or straight up not true (which I would never suggest) - I'm trying to give options as to how to convey it.

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  • #1 is actually the truth, and #3 is pretty close to the truth. The only thing is these options are all about when I'm in front of someone to justify myself. Before talking to me, would keeping this still be an issue? I would imagine it just means they'll bring it up on a call, which is no problem. I just want to make sure that the CV still looks strong before I get a chance to talk.
    – Green Cell
    Oct 9, 2022 at 8:13
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Should I keep a short duration on my resume?

Yes. You should always tell the truth on your resume.

Please note that the hiring company will eventually find out your whole employment history via some third-party agency that they hire to verify your work history.

Definitely, you should list those 6 months on your resume. This 6-month job does not look that bad if this short-term employment only happens once as it is the case for you.

Furthermore, you can explain to them that you left on good term with the old company, and you did a good job for them, and you even helped them find a good replacement. Everything sounds fine to me.

I have some questions for you:

  1. If you don't list that 6-month job on your resume, will your resume show a 6-month gap in your employment history ?
  2. If yes, does a 6-month job look better than a 6-month gap ?
  3. Furthermore, how do you explain a 6-month gap in your employment history to a recruiter ?
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  • If I decided to omit it, then I would probably extend my previous role to fill the time for this promoted one instead of having a gap. I was still working for them - in fact I still had responsibilities from my old role.
    – Green Cell
    Oct 9, 2022 at 8:20

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