Job not living up to what was soldI am a graphic designer and have been working within a large company for the last 4 months. At the time of interviews, the position was sold to me as a senior position with great prospects. The reality is that I do not find it senior at all and the "prospects" were just lies to entice me to the role. I have a manager who although is very friendly, work wise I am realizing she is a micro-managing, judgmental control freak which I find it stifling. I have recently been instructed to not interact with other departments within the company without consoling her first and now I am starting to feel like I can' t even voice my ideas as there is a good chance they will be "wrong". I don' t gossip in the office but I can tell and pick up through comments from colleagues they feel the same regarding her overbearing ways. You can address the four months issue in your cover letter. You can choose to leave it off your resume altogether if you think it would be better. You don't need to get into complaints about your boss. It should suffice to explain the difference between how the position was presented and the work you are currently performing. If asked, you could fit in a lack of collaborative environment on top of that instead of referring specifically to the boss. Do you have any alternatives within that company? It might be easier transferring between departments (bosses) than between companies. Thanks for the tips. I would rather not eliminate the 4 months from my resume. I have considered requesting a transfer, but my boss is close to HR and unfortunately HR don' t come across very confidential (they openly repeat confidential conversations!!!) Being open about requesting for a transfer shouldn' t be a problem, but I know my boss well enough that she will take it personally and I wouldn' t want things to become tense at work. I am just not sure if I should try to do a year or leave now - which would be best for me in the long run...
I wouldn' t know if I could endure the situation for another six months. When your professional self confidence is affected by it, that is pretty serious but it might help if you adjust your expectations. It also depends on the job market if I would want to exercise patience. When looking for another job in short notice, I would be honest during interviews, that the work unfortunately turns out to not have the conceptual or creative level, professional autonomy and responsibilities you are used to and you look for opportunities that match your experience and skills better. When you wait six months and then start looking, I would present this job as complement or as a natural follow up in your career. However there are no more opportunities to grow in the foreseeable future, so you look for a job which has more of X and Y . Good luck. First if the job is affecting your confidence in yourself then don' t stick it out start looking. There is simply no point in staying with something simply for the sake of your resume. As for how you address the issue in interviews you might use a couple of different approaches;
A short hop is a big hit to your resume, especially as you said, at a senior level. Unless you can move to something fantastic, it is best to stay put a full year. They' re not beating you in the basement, you just don' t like it. Use your time at this job to keep your eyes peeled for something else.
Thanks everyone for your advice. Many great ideas for when I do start job hunting, with giving reasons for leaving. I agree with Tess that it would be a hit to my resume if I leave now. I have endured worse, but it's the feeling of going backwards and being stifled that concerns me. But I know I can endure a year. | |
|
Career Tips
|