But what happens if a future employer questions the quick exit from a previous job?
Kate Richardson, a career coach from Melbourne says that leaving a job after a short time is completely reasonable regardless of the situation.
"But if you're leaving every job after a short time, that can really prompt questions about your ability to stick it out or your performance” she said.
Richardson defines a short time as a year or less with the average job tenure for young Australians 2 years and 8 months.
How to Explain Early Exits
Professor of Organisational Studies at the University of Melbourne, Susan Ainsworth says if you leave a job very quickly after beginning you may not even need to put it on your resume.
But if you do, some positive explanations may include;
- The work culture or environment was not a good fit for me
- I felt like I was not challenged in this role
- There were not opportunities for me to grow in this environment
- I wanted to increase my experience and try something different
You can also touch on this in your cover letter explaining in a positive light how the workplace you are interested in can address this issue.
Just remember, never slag off past employers in cover letters or interviews, it’s not a good look!
Reasons Why you May Want to Leave Your Job Early
If you are reading this and there are alarm bells ringing at a new workplace, always remember there are important reasons to consider leaving;
- Toxic work environment where your mental or physical health is at risk
- If the job you are doing is completely different to what you were promised
- If an amazing opportunity pops up somewhere else
It’s always good in these situations to consult with your boss to see if any improvements can be made to avoid knee jerk decisions.
If no improvement is made, the ball is in your court!