Took job but still want to interviewI took a position with a company through a temp agency because I' ve been looking for 4 months. Now that I' ve started (1 week) I' m learning that the company isn' t that secure or great to work for. People constantly complain and grip about the place which doesn' t seem very promising. I got a call from another company that I applied for a few weeks ago to come in for an interview. During the interview what do I say about the other job? I know they' ll ask what I' ve been doing or if I' m currently working. I would tell them yes I' m working but..... Since you took the job through a temp agency, I might tell the new interviewer that you are currently temping for another company but are looking for something more permanent with long term growth potential. I would not say anything being there a week and hating it. If they ask anything about why you are still looking, be honest and let them know that you were very interested in the new position and originally applied before you accepted the one you have now and when you found out the position was still available, you felt it was an opportunity you couldn't pass up. I am going to give you some advice even though this is not the answer you' re expecting: Your reasons for deciding you do not like this job do not seem legitimate. Your comments are vague with nothing substantial to back them up; therefore, I think you have new job jitters and some of the expectations you have are not been realized immediately, or your expectations are not realistic given the short amount of time you' ve been with this company. Stop and think before you make a mistake that cannot be rectified. Would you be pleased if an employer decided very quickly that you were not the right person for the job or would you prefer that he give you a decent length of time to prove yourself? Well - give this company a chance and forget other opportunities and interviews for the time being! You could easily end up with nothing if you' re not careful so think intelligently and rationally about this before you decide to interview once again. I hate to say this but you could easily be the type of employee who finds something wrong with every job you have. It does not pay to be too critical and nitpick. Good luck and be sensible! Are you actually working a contract position with an end date? Or did you take a position that is a full time permanent job? If you it is the first than the answer is easy; you tell the person that you interview with that while you are seeking a permanent position you have been contracting to keep your skills honed and ensure that you are able to meet your obligations. If it is option two then you have a bit more of a problem. I would simply not mention it if you have been there for only a short time. If the job does not feel right, for whatever reason, you owe it to yourself to keep exploring other opportunities. Life is too short to be wasted in a job you do not enjoy. You can wait for a bit to see if the job "grows" on you, but don' t wait too long because, while potential employers can accept the "new job, not a good fit" explanation when you' ve been at your job for less than 6 months, it will not fly after that. If your employer decided that they needed to cut your job a week after you started, you better believe they would do it, in a heart beat. Unless you have signed a contract promising to work there for a certain period of time (unlikely), you can leave any time you like. Now for the explanation. If it' s a permanent position, you can tell this interviewer that, while you accepted the position in order to pay the bills after applying for this other job, the job that really interests you is ______, so when you heard they might be interested, you could not let this opportunity pass. Make sure you let them know that you view the position for which you are interviewing as a long term career opportunity. Research the company so that they see you' ve done your homework and are serious about this. As long as you do not have a history of job hopping on your resume, you should be fine. If this does not pan out, I definitely would not recommend leaving your current job without something else lined up. Continue looking. Finding time to interview may get a little tricky the longer you look, but it can be done. Just make sure to pick your next gig very carefully because after leaving your current job after only a short stint there, you' ll have to stay with your next employer for at least 2 years to avoid being branded as a "job hopper". Most of us expect "instant gratification," Jen! We expect to start a new job and love everything about it from day one, or we ready to bolt. It' s entirely possible to dislike a job right away and then as time goes on and you start feeling more confident and sure of yourself, you actually begin to enjoy your work and find it challenging. But if you expect to love everything about it immediately and do not and then resign, you set yourself up for a lifetime pattern of jumping ship as soon as something does not meet all your expectations. That is true of jobs as well as relationships. It' s a destructive pattern to get yourself in to. People who go from job to job or from partner to partner for "crazy" reasons or no reasons at all, end up never satisfied or feeling a sense of security. Yet - these people can become angry and disappointed very quickly if a partner drops them without warning or they get fired from a job after only a few days, hours, minutes, whatever! If this is strictly a temp job, Fred, with a definite ending date, leave if that is what you want, but if that is not the case, give the job the best you have to offer and give it time. Make this job your own and make it into the job you want and deserve! Attitude is everything! Negativity and pessimism are our natural enemies! Be mindful of the fact that it' s possible to start a temporary job that is not supposed to go permanent but still can eventually if they' re pleased with your work and it' s a good match! I am offering the original poster help in how to handle this question should it come up in an interview--something they asked for. I am not trying to teach life' s lessons, something they did not ask for and which I have no interest in doing anyhow. I am not looking to argue a point with you because, well, I know what has worked for me in my life, and that all that matters to me. Started a job, hated it from day one. Received a call from another company to come in for an interview, but like a good little girl, decided to give the new job a chance, picking "logic" over intuition. Biggest mistake I ever made. Ended up quitting on a verge of a break down a year later, without another job lined up, and at a baaad time for the industry, and spent the next 2 years looking for another job. Never ignored my intuition again and made it to senior management at a company that' s a blast to work for, the youngest to reach this organizational level in company history. There' s something to be said for always going with your gut. Now, I believe everything stated here is to be understood as the posters' personal opinion, and taken as such. Everyone should make their decisions based on their personality and their unique circumstance. There is more than one answer for every situation, and what' s ' crazy' for one person may actually work out great for another. It' s okay. A multitude of opinions is GOOD. Peace. | |
|
Career Tips
|