Leave my new job for a possibly better one? -- caveats inside

July 1, 2008 7:25 AM

At a new job, just used my references, don't like the job much, and am being offered a new job (starting the interview process) -- do I take it?

I'm a Programmer and 2 months in on a new job, and I don't like it. I have no manager and my peers don't seem to have things under control and communicate, and I generally don't like the environment. I'm taking on a piece of the process that no one else understands, and it's all rather unreasonable. Not having a manager (reporting to a VP who has 70 employees) is strangely unsettling...

But, it's not impossible, and there's a chance that it could work out...

I've recently been offered to start the interview process for another job, but I'm weary of leaving this one so soon in case this new one doesn't work out. (It would look horrible to have gone through 2 jobs in 4 months or so).

Oh, and I was fired from my last job. I was there for 3 years and stopped getting along with my boss and got fired...not good. I had some OK references from there that I used to get into this job, and I'm weary of having to use them again... I'm rather deflated from that last firing, and wonder if it's a good idea to dump my new employer for a new one.

Getting fired wasn't so bad because I was given a 10% raise going into this new job. And the one I might start interviewing with is yet another 10% raise.

Advice?

posted by albatross5000 to Work & Money (7 answers total)

Interview. You've only been at the new job for 2 months. When you write resumes in the future you can say you left the job before your current one in 08, and started a new job in '08. No need to give exact months or days to have this 2 month gap.

But I wouldn't say jump ship just yet. Sometimes working in an environment like you are in can be a great time to work on individual projects as well as teach yourself to be a self-motivated project leader who is able to work independently without being micro-managed. It doesn't sound like your current situation is really all that bad, just take some getting used to.

But interview, see what the new company is like. But only take the new job if you're really feeling good about it. Given that in your OP you said "in case the new one doesn't work out". Only take the new job if you're 95% certain that it WILL work out.

As for your references, they are rarely checked by companies, and if they are checked it's at the very end stage of the hiring process. Any references worth their salt will vouch for you even if you just got another job, but contact your references personally and explain the situation to them so they aren't surprised. A reference should never hear from a company that they've been put as a reference, they should hear it from the person using them as a reference first.

Good luck. Like you said, you got a 10% raise, may get another. You're in a good spot. But yes, either at the current job or the next, you should work on stability after getting let go so that in 2-4 years you are the one leaving the company and moving to bigger, better opportunities.
posted by arniec at 7:32 AM on July 1, 2008

Agreed. You should interview and if you end up taking the New-New-Job, you can simply lose the Old-New-Job from your resume.

just make sure you let your refrences know what's going on, provided that know you took the other job already
posted by Mr_Chips at 7:41 AM on July 1, 2008

I would also explore talking to the VP about the need for a manager. If you explain the need well, you may be able to get that position for yourself.
posted by Pants! at 7:55 AM on July 1, 2008

"I'm taking on a piece of the process that no one else understands, and it's all rather unreasonable. Not having a manager (reporting to a VP who has 70 employees) "

This is a recipe for getting big raises: only you understand process X, and you report directly to a VP (effectively, you're your own manager).

Once you get a firm offer from the other guys, Tell the VP you have another offer for 10%, you'd like to stay with him, but smiles don't feed the cat, and let him counter offer.

You're on your own with orders from no one, it's a great place to be.
posted by orthogonality at 8:06 AM on July 1, 2008

Most employers put new hires on a probationary period of 60-90 days.

I say that works both ways.
posted by three blind mice at 8:10 AM on July 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

No need to give exact months or days to have this 2 month gap.

At my workplace we specifically look for such gaps and ask for an explanation if we find one. It shouldn't be a problem to put down the new job and say you realized pretty quickly that it wasn't a good fit for you; sort of what three blind mice said.
posted by TedW at 8:13 AM on July 1, 2008

Since you're interviewing, and since you seem to be using this word a lot:

I think you mean "wary" instead of "weary".
posted by amtho at 8:29 AM on July 1, 2008 [2 favorites]