I landed myself in my first job pretty quickly soon after graduation. However, in to my second week, I knew this job wasn’t for me. I convinced myself to stay longer, for at least a year, thinking that I shouldn’t leave too soon, as I may look like a job hopper in my resume.
But I can’t stand it when I just don’t see myself in this job in the future. I’m on my fourth month now, and I’m planning on leaving again. I started looking for a new job, but am having a dilemma deciding whether I should include my current job.
There are going to be a lot of questions whether I include it or not.
If I don’t include my current job in my resume, I can expect questions on what I was doing in that half year and why I need a month notice period before I can start work.
If I include my current job in my resume, I may appear flaky to potential employers or an immature brat who hops too soon. And because my current job has little to do with the new job I’m going to apply for, I’m not sure I get more questions on why I even accepted my current job if I knew I didn’t like it.
How should I deal with this problem in the best way? Should I include my current job in my resume?
asked May 27 ’14 at 14:13
Well personally I would just be honest. List it on your resume, in interviews one of the most common questions is “why are you leaving your current employer?” (and with a four month stint it WILL be asked)
Fresh out of college it’s not uncommon to have a misstep in taking your first job, and frankly so long as you can convey things clearly in the interview will generally be forgiven. Your resume only starts to stink of a job hopper when it becomes a repeat offense.
Of coarse you should still prioritize relevant work, skills, projects, etc. just don’t go out of your way to not include this job. I typically only recommend not listing jobs when they aren’t the most relevant, or if you cut your losses within what’s typically considered a probationary period (first 90 days)
It’s also worth noting, if this is your first job in this career path you might need to do some homework on what’s normal in your field. Some fields have a huge variety of opportunities that fit any personality, others are extremely narrow and you’re going to have to accept it or adjust to another career path (which can be done with only minor tweaks no need to get another degree)
answered May 27 ’14 at 14:36
Honesty is the best policy when it comes to your CV. Always list every job you’ve worked, never list more than you’ve done.
Most employers will forgive someone for not getting it right with their first job. The fact that you’re fresh out of school will help you there as you don’t have the life experience in the working world that helps you identify the warning signs that a job isn’t a good fit for you.
Other things that can help are if you’re applying for jobs that are in the same field. It shows you’re committed to your chosen career, you just don’t like working where you are at the moment. Know why you’re leaving; do you not like it because of the work? What specific thing(s) is it that you don’t like about your current job?
Then prepare to answer the question of why you’re leaving so soon in interview. Whatever you do, don’t bash your current employer. No one likes to hear someone gripe about how bad they have it, or how unfair something is. Be professional and keep it short and relevant. If you’d like an example of what to say please let us know specifically what it is that you don’t like about your current place.
answered May 27 ’14 at 16:06
I would definitely put the job on the CV.
You say it’s your first job and you’re concerned you’ll look like a job hopper. Let me just tell you not to worry about it. Job hopping can be recognized only through a pattern of jobs that lasted a short period of time. If you had 4 or 5 of them, then it would be a problem. But if we’re talking about just one… believe me, anyone who would label you as a job hopper would be totally wrong.
answered May 27 ’14 at 21:36
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posted 11 years ago
I don’t believe you. I don’t believe that at your company, in your office, you know another guy with close to 7 years of experience in IT in different roles mostly consulting, a BTech (not sure what this is but I’m guessing it’s slang for a BS degree in technology) and MBA from premier institutes in India, 2 years of experience in telecom hardware, is a Siebel 7 certified Business Analyst and was employed at your prior company before. The odds of that are just too slim. I’m guessing you actually know people like you, with similar but not the same background.
Now as for why they make more, it’s likely one of the following:
1) They may have a better background. For example, if you’re background is telecom and their’s is defense, they are simply more in demand these days. They may simply be from slighly better schools although it may seem similar to you.
2) They may actually be better. On paper even if you look the same, they may simply be more capable than you.
3) They may simply negotiate better.
4) They may actually work in different offices which have a different cost of living scale.
5) you joined at different times and the competitiveness of the market was different.
6) There are other parts to the compensation you are not accounting for (e.g. people who travel more or have less desirable assignments sometimes get more).
But to answer your question, yes, your boss can probably tell you why. Why are you asking here and not you boss? (By this I don’t mean to discourage you from using JavaRanch, but clearing s/he would have the right answer, and we can only guess.)
–Mark
www.coderanch.com
I currently work as a mid-level corporate finance manager at a F500 and make $93k with no bonus. I know that I am vastly underpaid and the average pay for someone with my education/experience is about $130k with a 20% bonus, so I’m interested in making a move to another company.
The problem I have is that every time I talk to a recruiter, one of their first questions is “How much do you currently make?” As soon as I tell them I only make $93k with no bonus, they immediately set the bar at that level and say that they can get me $95k to $100k with a 10-15% bonus even though I’m qualified to make $130-$135k with a 20% bonus. I’m worried that lying about my current salary might get me in trouble, but I’m at a loss for what to do and I don’t want to take a job that pays 30-40% less than what I’m worth. Any ideas?
Should I Lie About My Current Salary When Negotiating?
Generally, our users agree that if you are being vastly underpaid at your previous / current job you can reasonably increase the amount that you claim to be making.
OpsDude:
I know plenty of people that lied about their salary, and none of them got caught. The fact of the matter is, most big companies base their salary offer on your previous salary – offering 12-15% bumps generally. I’d say lying is worth the risk if you are severely underpaid, because every company you interview for is going to low-ball you if they know your real salary.
Hemingsway:
I would lie. My coworker did it and the recruiter didn’t say anything. The worst thing that could happen is they call you out on it and you don’t get the job because you lied or because the salary is too low. No loss.
antmavel – Corporate Finance Manager:
State the salary you would like to consider being hired out, otherwise it doesn’t make any sense. Who cares if they check your previous salary, it doesn’t matter. Each time you move to a new firm you have a one-off opportunity to make a big financial leap forward, otherwise it’s all about small increase on a yearly basis and your bonus…
User @i hate audit shared a different opinion:
i hate audit:
If you are working with an external recruiting firm, go ahead and lie about your salary — if/when you get caught, just blame it on the recruiter and say they inflated your salary. If you are working with an internal recruiter, definitely don’t lie.
However, several users shared that they were asked for their W2 and old paystubs during the hiring process. However, @OpsDude shared the following thoughts on this concern:
OpsDude:
They legally cannot ask your old company your pay. I’ve seen W2 asked for, but you can just say you got a raise at year end and had a bunch of deductions, and they have no way of verifying. My friend added $10k to her salary, got asked for a W2 during background check, and then nothing happened.
Want to Learn More About Salary Negotiation?
Read the article – How to Negotiate For More Money During the Interview Process to learn more about the salary negotiation process.
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