Resume Protocol After Quitting

March 22, 2011 5:17 PM

Long story short: great job, great experience, great skillsets gained, have to quit after only 5 months of employment for medical reasons. I want to keep job info on my resume. Can I?

I just gave my two weeks notice to a retail job at a special store that has yielded some incredibly rewarding work experience. I've only been there since November/December and have to quit because I am about to have some surgery that will make it difficult for me to stick to the schedule that the aforementioned position necessitates and as a part time employee I don't qualify for extended medical leave. My bosses like me and have invited me to return if I can/want to.

As much as I have enjoyed this job, I do plan to seek employment elsewhere simply because the end game at this retail location is not the end game I really want. The skills I've gained at this job over the short amount of time that I've been there are significant and relevant to other positions I plan to apply for. I also would like to be able to return to this current position as a back up in case I need supplemental income.

Can I retain this job on my resume to highlight the experience I've gained without nixing myself for other positions in the near future?

How can I explain to a potential employer that my decision to leave this company to pursue other interests happened to coincide with a medical procedure that had to be completed?

Will the 5 month duration factor screw me over as a recent college grad applying for her dream job(s)?

posted by iLoveTheRain to Work & Money (10 answers total)

You worked there, why wouldn't you put it on your resume? Leaving a job for medical reasons is hardly flaking out; future employers would totally understand/not care.
posted by leesh at 5:18 PM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Yeah, this is a weird question. Of course it should be on your resume if you worked there. I don't expect recent college grads to have jobs that have lasted longer than six months.
posted by Jairus at 5:20 PM on March 22, 2011

Response by poster: Well, I'd feel sort of weird as a hiring manager if I saw that someone had only stuck with a job for 5 months. Maybe my question should be, "If I keep this on my resume, how do I neatly explain to a potential employer why I was at the job for such a short amount of time?"
posted by iLoveTheRain at 5:25 PM on March 22, 2011

It's not weird for a recent grad. If the interviewer asks why you left the position, tell them you had to have surgery. You're really overthinking this.
posted by Jairus at 5:32 PM on March 22, 2011

Definitely put it on your resume. I've had a 2 month stint at one job that I had to leave due to medical reasons. However, by listing it, I've gotten calls from recruiters and others who were familiar with the company in question. And they've understood when I said that I left due to medical reasons.
posted by spinifex23 at 5:43 PM on March 22, 2011

Would you explain the employment gap on your cover letter (you don't need to go into much detail)? And yes, include this position on your resume!)
posted by smirkette at 5:51 PM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

You could have a References section at the bottom of your resume, with your manager's name, title, and contact information (after getting permission from your manager to use him as a reference). Your willingness to offer this proactively, along with your manager's offer to rehire you, should ease any initial qualms a potential employer might have.
posted by Houstonian at 6:39 PM on March 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Go ahead and list the job, and add a reference too if your manager agrees. Employers are looking for chronic short-timers, not folks who ended a single position just out of college. More employers seem to require applications now in addition to resumes, even for salaried positions. These applications require an employment history section and usually include a field indicating why you left, so you can mention it there.
posted by mochapickle at 7:43 PM on March 22, 2011

"I had some medical issues which are now, thankfully, resolved, but which weren't compatible with that job at that time. Though I was only there for a few months, I learned X and Y and feel it made me a better Z."
posted by jacquilynne at 8:23 PM on March 22, 2011

People your age especially do not always stay in jobs for very long. You could always group it with other part time work and still highlight the kind of role and experiences without giving all the detail. I imagine you have had other part time jobs you can add to the category?
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:28 PM on March 22, 2011