new job not working out...Hey, I recently moved to a semirural area where the job market is rather slow. At first, I looked for jobs that I would really enjoy, of which there weren' t many. After limited sucess there (read: three months of unemployment) I broadened my standards a bit and finally got a job at a medical office. It' s not full time, and the pay is rather low. More importantly, the job does not play on my strengths (written communication, tutoring), but is dependent on skills that I' m pretty deficient in (auditory transcribing, organization) and I often feel like I' m not contributing anything worthwhile, in fact, I feel like I' m constantly screwing up! My coworkers are supportive and genuine, but my job satisfaction is pretty low. So, now I' m still looking. I' ve been at this job for almost a month now; how do I tell a prospective employer my situation without seeming like a quitter? How do I tell them how eager I am to use my people skills without pointing out my weaknesses at organization and multi-tasking? I feel like I have to account for wanting to leave a job after only a month, so it' s going to come up. After landing a job I don' t feel qualified for, I' ve certainly learned the lesson of honesty. But how honest should I be? Should I mention my reasons for leaving in the cover letter, or wait until the interview to account for my job-hopping? Be upfront with them. You took the job because you needed one but it isn' t really a match for your skill set. Also tell a prospective employer that you don' t want to make the same mistake again and ask a lot of questions about the prospective job for which you are interviewing. We all make career mistakes. They usually aren' t career killers. Generally, I would say keep all explanations for the interview. However, since you have only been at your current job for a very short period of time, you may have to mention something in the cover letter, or employers will just assume you are a job hopper. "I recently started a new job as ______, but have come to a conclusion that I would make the greatest contribution in a position that allows me to capitalize on my people skills." That' s all you really need to say. Then, go on to talk about what you can bring to the position to which you are applying. | |
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