[Closed] leaving a job after 2 months?

Sounds like you should be annoyed with them!

On which basis, if they are annoyed, it suggests that maybe you're better off not working for them.

Notice is usually a week for probationary period based on contracts I've seen.

They might be annoyed but there is not much they can do. Would they consider your feelings if something went wrong and they needed to sack you?

They may be annoyed, yes, as they may see it as you messing them about a bit. As long as you give the contractual notice, it's their tough boobies though

My Mrs is in a similar boat, new job is not turning out to be as sold at the interview. She's thinking about packing it in, but doesn't (yet) have anything to go to.

my standard notice is 4 weeks; the clause in the contract about the probationary period states that my notice applies.

I know that 1 week's notice is the statutory, but I would probably give them the full 4 weeks. With any luck they'd give me gardening leave 🙂

Dave

jobs are not a one way street.. they gave you a contract not the other way round.. walk when you like.. BUT be nice.. TOO nice dont ever let it come back and bite your bum

As you are you and not them, I would give your own interests priority.

I would get an idea if things are likley to change and unless what they say gives you great confidence, go to the other job.

Have you discussed your concerns with them?

I'd at least do that and see what they say before moving on.

Probation works both ways . And if you don't like them, it's priceless to tell them you are leaving next week and watch their faces.. hehehehe 🙂

If they don't like being messed about by new hires then it's about time they started being honest and/or accurate about their jobs, isn't it?

It's effectively a probationary period for both parties. You've checked them out, they weren't all they were cracked up to be, you're off, nice and clean.

If they weren't happy with you, they'd do exactly the same, so while it's creditable that you are thinking of the impact of your resignation, when it comes down to it, it's irrelevant and you've done nothing wrong, morally or legally.

Never looks great on a CV, but that isn't a good enough reason to pass up a good position to stay in a naff one.

Only time I would be slightly miffed is if there had been an agency involved - after 8 weeks they'll probably have received 80% of their fee which mighht be 20% of your annual salary.

Have you tried speaking to current employer about your views?

If they don't like being messed about by new hires then it's about time they started being honest and/or accurate about their jobs, isn't it?

This.

Jobs are transactions: you give time and skill, they give money. Emotion doesn't come into it.

[i]I know that 1 week's notice is the statutory, but I would probably give them the full 4 weeks. With any luck they'd give me gardening leave [/i]

And without luck you're let go immediately (which tbh is more likely) - can you start the new job straight away?

I've got a meeting at lunch today where I'm going to discuss it with my manager. I have been pretty open about how bored I am with what they've got me doing.

Dave

TandemJeremy - Member
They might be annoyed but there is not much they can do. Would they consider your feelings if something went wrong and they needed to sack you?

+1. It's not great for them, but if the shoe was on the other foot and they had to get rid of you, I am sure they would (even if they felt bad about it).

And without luck you're let go immediately (which tbh is more likely)

pretty sure they can't do that... the contract does look like 4 week's notice is expected and I should be able to hold them to that. They reserve the right to do gardening leave or payment in lieu.

I could start the new job straight away, but it is a very techy role, and I'd like a bit of time to get up to speed first, rather than going in cold and making a bad impression.

Dave

Right... meeting with boss done.

She was very understanding and seemed to get that what I was saying is that I'm miserable, rather than that I want more dosh.

She's going to speak to her boss and see if they can do anything to change things for the better for me.

So... do I wait and see if it can be made better (given that I've been doing a lot of the scheduling, I know what is coming, and I know it can't be that much better, at least in the short term), or do I jump ship?

Note: jumping ship will involve a 2x increase in salary, but less security (contracting)

Dave

Note: jumping ship will involve a 2x increase in salary, but less security (contracting)

And you're hanging around because?

Because I am scared, to put it bluntly 🙁

May require to be told to MTFU.

Dave

without meaning to be rude, and for your own good...
MTFU

JTFU!

MTFU then 😉

I left my previous job after 2 months. 90minute each way commute and no work to do when I got there.
That wad Oct 2000. It never made it onto my CV

TBH, it looks like the probationary period is serving its purpose. Its allowed you to discover what you don't enjoy about the job.
Now you've had your meeting, it may be fair to give them a week to surprise you, but probablly time to put the plan B feelers out. Let some contacts know you could be available soon, your company will be doing something similar knowing you are not happy.
And that's the crux of it, if you are not happy then you have nothing to lose from moving and everything to gain. Just do it right (sounds like you are). and good luck.

flip 'em. Walk away if you want.

pretty sure they can't do that... the contract does look like 4 week's notice is expected and I should be able to hold them to that.

Eh? Isn't the whole point of a probationary period that it's a free fire zone in which there is no notice period?

MTFU and do it. They would sack you in the blink of an eye if they didn't like you during probation (or indeed the first year).

@loum - no need for feelers - I have a contract lined up; they want me to give them an answer today.

Dave

go contract. Dont look back

If you can earn twice as much you can work half as much = 4.5days a week riding time 😉

Sounds good, you need to make your own decision now.

I'd go contract, and if that doesn't work out in the long run, go for a job somewhere - chances are it will be better than your current one.

As others have mentioned, the probationary period is a two way thing, and certainly contracts I've had have specifically mentioned the termination terms on both sides (which are invariably the same). Usually something like immediate for the first 4 weeks, then a day/week for the remainder.

Lifes too short to waste on duff jobs, if you have found something more interesting, just go...

Well, it just got even more complicated.

Boss has come back with an offer to transfer me immediately to a technical architect role - much more hands on and exactly what I thought I was getting originally.

Seems to have been genuine misunderstanding that they thought I wanted the hands off position.

So, do I stick around for the new role, or jump ship for mega money contracting?

Additional things to bear in mind: Jumping ship would take me back into my chosen industry, whereas current job is in an industry i'm not that interested in.

Dave

i'd jump, i'd be scared... but i'd jump.

and buy me bikes with your new mega money thank you x

Additional things to bear in mind: Jumping ship would take me back into my chosen industry, whereas current job is in an industry i'm not that interested in.

You're supposed to play devil's advocate when arguing with someone else, not yourself 😉

So, do I stick around for the new role, or jump ship for mega money contracting?

FFS - make a decision - no-one here can do it for you! Life is about making decisions as best you can in order to keep moving forwards, and dealing with the consequences good or bad. If you don't actively decide to take or pass on the contract role, which you say requires an answer today, but just let it slide by in favour of the status quo, then that's pretty lame.

This is perhaps putting it bluntly, but you get the idea.... 😉

bloody complicated decisions.... this is one of those serious 'fork in the road' life choices.

I've spoken to the people offering the contract, I've got the weekend to think about it.

I think a long ride with some cake and some big pauses staring at the view might be in order for the weekend.

Dave

bloody complicated decisions

No. The decision is simple:

1. Known area. More money. Higher risk.

2. Unknown area. Less money. Lower risk.

These are simple decisions. Don't overcomplicate it.

OK, put it this way. The contracting offer has just been withdrawn, are you gutted?
You don't need more time to make your mind up, you just need to have some confidence in your own mind.

At the risk of this getting all "psychiatrist's couch", I think the main problem is that I am having a crisis of confidence over what the contract role wants from me.

They want me to go in as an expert and advise them on best practice. I'm 99% sure I can do it, but ditching my comfortable (although boring) permie job to potentially get laughed at and ditched is terrifying me.

Will go and MTFU now... a good fettling session in my garage tonight will help sort my head - I've got a new reverb that needs the hose shortening 😀

Dave

They want me to go in as an expert and advise them on best practice

They won't know if you know what you are talking about or not then, so relax.

Seriously though, if you are not enjoyng your job now anyway and you have the opportunity to try something else more challenging and highly paid, what have you got to lose?

Would it be terribly difficult to get a job like the one you have now again?

I think the main problem is that I am having a crisis of confidence over what the contract role wants from me

Ask yourself this: what's the worst that can happen?

Then ask: realistically, how likely is that?

Speak to the contracting bunch and be straight about your concerns.

Far better to have that conversation now than in a month's time.

alfabus - Member

Right... meeting with boss done.

She was very understanding and seemed to get that what I was saying is that I'm miserable, rather than that I want more dosh.

She's going to speak to her boss and see if they can do anything to change things for the better for me.

So... do I wait and see if it can be made better (given that I've been doing a lot of the scheduling, I know what is coming, and I know it can't be that much better, at least in the short term), or do I jump ship

I was in a similair situation and just coming up to my 3 month probationary period end, decided it looked too bad on the CV and I'll just lump it. I'm either getting used to it or it is getting better anyway. I'll see where I'm at at 6 months but I don't want anything less than that on my CV, most people I've talked about it with have suggested 1 year...!

ourmaninthenorth has clearly read The 4-Hour Workweek. 😉

alfabus good luck.

I was in a similair situation and just coming up to my 3 month probationary period end, decided it looked too bad on the CV and I'll just lump it. I'm either getting used to it or it is getting better anyway. I'll see where I'm at at 6 months but I don't want anything less than that on my CV, most people I've talked about it with have suggested 1 year...!

ourmaninthenorth has clearly read The 4-Hour Workweek.

Never, though I do own a copy. Should I?

I'm interested in outcomes - about what I can and can't control from decisions I make.

ourmaninthenorth - I've only read the first few chapters but your approach:

No. The decision is simple:
1. Known area. More money. Higher risk.
2. Unknown area. Less money. Lower risk.
These are simple decisions. Don't overcomplicate it.

and ultimately asking "what's the worst that can happen?" seems to be the way the book approaches decisions involving where/how to work.

It is really 2x times as much earnings as a contractor over a permanent member of a staff when you look at all the relevant costs. No paid holidays, no bank holidays, no pension, no training, no sick pay, no bonus or other benefits (car allowance etc).

If so then great, but when I have looked into this, then looking at typical contract rates in my industry/field then it looks pretty marginal to me?

In raw numbers, it us more like 3x my salary; so yeah, it's a pretty good raise.

Having been out for dinner with my wife and parents and discussed it at length, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the contracting job.

Thanks for the support/mtfu'ing everyone.

Dave

Good luck!

I was in a similair situation and just coming up to my 3 month probationary period end, decided it looked too bad on the CV and I'll just lump it.

So don't put it on your CV, then!

I started off thinking 'leave' but I say give your new role within your company a decent shot.

There will always be contracting roles out there. So your not missing out.

Agree that the probationary period is a two way process and al thats been said above...

Sounds like your have a pretty "in demand" type of skill set, give it a shot at contracting... earn the cash which gives a safety net if you need a break between jobs/contracts.... I'm sure you will be "secure" in whichever you choose, its the potential job satisfaction you need to reconcile...

Hope it goes well, let us know too...

Reverb sorted?

A few questions:

- How long is the contracting job for?
- How much notice can they give you to terminate early?
- If the contracting job ends early/at the end of its term how long do you think it'll take you to find another permanent or contracting role?

(Remember it can swing both ways, what you are promised and what happens).

- How long is the contracting job for?

6 months initially, might be extended

- How much notice can they give you to terminate early?

1 day

- If the contracting job ends early/at the end of its term how long do you think it'll take you to find another permanent or contracting role?

this is the 64 gazillion pound question... I would imagine that if I make a success of the contract, my reputation will precede me and it will be no bother.. If I make an arse of it and am sent packing after a week, my chances won't be quite as good.

I don't think I'd be able to crawl back to my current employer, although I will try to leave on the best terms possible.

Decision is 99.999% made now; I'm going to take the money.

Oh, and I didn't do the Reverb, I went out for an expensive meal and loads of wine instead - head hurts now.

Dave

I'm in the camp - give your current company (new role) abit of time.

Yes I work in that evil industry BTW.

If you're contracting after, a three month stint in a company can probably be included in a 'contracting' section.

I was seriously considering going contracting, but then got offered a salary that blurred the lines enough to mean that I'd likely not be much better off.
The "job security" aspect however disappeared when the startup couldn't get the funding they were expecting and had to make 1/3rd of the staff redundant, me included a year and a half later.