[N/A_CPA]

I need some advice from you, fellow Accountants! I am in a pretty bad situation right now and some peace of advice is greatly appreciated.
I started a new job recently and it’s a complete nightmare, not even close to what I had expected. The company went live with their new ERP system couple of months ago and it all went haywire. Their accounting team hadn’t deployed it correctly and was all fired because of that. They had gone live with the new EPR without configuring and testing it first (which is insane!). And it’s a manufacturer – all production, engineering, accounting is done in this ERP…
I am part of the new team and we have to deal with this ERP right now. We can’t fully unwind what was done before us and start over, it got all political and management want to finish the implementation. All IT consultants will be helping us until year end only and then they will be gone and we’ll be on our own with the implementation not even close to being done…

Anyway, I didn’t know all that crazy stuff when I left my good old job and joined this company.

I need to leave my current job and I’ve been there only 1.5 months! I mean how do I find a new job, if they’re going to ask why I am leaving the current one and they will question my loyalty? Does anyone have any idea on how to explain it during interviews, or in the cover letter? Should I put this job on my resume at all?

[felixsphone]

Apply to a new job every day. Work hard at your current job and try to find ways to add value, try to not let the uncertainty bother you. It's a good opportunity to learn how to handle difficult and dynamic situations. Or just quit and move back in with your parents and study for the CPA exam like I did. To each his own.

[N/A_CPA]

Thanks Felixsphone!

[N/A_CPA]

I guess the most important question right is how to explain such short tenure when/if I get an interview. Has anyone been through this?

[Iceman]

I haven't had one that short, but a good employer that you want to work for will be empathetic if you explain that your last job was a total shit storm. Now if you have shit storm after shit storm on your resume, then it looks suspicious, but you should be fine with explaining just 1. My last company went bankrupt. I found a much better situation and they were glad to get me.

[sdk4747]

I don't know how you left things at your old job, but if they still had use for you, they may respect a mea culpa and a request to go back to work. I assume you are still young, and most of us make vast career mistakes. I'd expect them to understand. It would be awkward for a few weeks and then things will feel normal again.

If you do apply for other jobs, I believe most employers would understand your situation. Some may see it as a red flag, but that's not your concern. Others may prefer to see you stick it out for 6 months and pick up some technical skills. It's your career. It's your life. Go for what you think is right.

[felixsphone]

As far as the employment gap, remain positive and don't bring it up unless asked. Talk about what you learned, emphasize that it wasn't what you were looking for and after a moment of insight or some time you you realized you wanted to do (X) – and that's why I applied and want to work with your company. It's not that big of a deal, you just have to show you're a good candidate in person. Keep applying. Keep making connections.

[brainfried75]

@WI_CPA I would strongly advise you not to leave after a short amount of time at this job. We all make mistakes but 1.5 months is a red flag to future employers and shows a lack of commitment (also lack of proper judgment in making decisions). For a job of 1.5 months, I would not include it in my resume unless the experience is noteworthy and would help you in your next move. My advice is if you need to desperately leave, accept that this is a burned bridge. Be prepared to ask for references from your past employers. Are you ready for that? You are more likely to land interviews with a current job vs no job at all. Do not quit without a job in hand (trust me, been there done that). If you realize that you are not getting interviews, you'll need to stick it out longer. Like @Felixsphone said, this is an opportunity for you to overcome some challenges and that in and of itself is resume worthy. Try keeping an open mind and making it work. You will get asked during interviews as to what happened, when it happened, and what you did to make it work. We can't answer those questions for you. If you don't have good answers or justifications, you should reconsider your decision to leave.

[noclady]

I remember starting a job once and regretting the decision after the first month. I wanted to leave every single day. It was hard and it was disheartening, but I didn't want that experience to be a strike against me. I could probably have found another job with the experience I already had, but I was able to stick it out for another year. There were some good days and bad days, but at the end of the day, my managers, the executive team, and the company appreciated what I did for them and I didn't end up burning any bridges.

But it sounds like to me that you have made up your mind and are planning to leave and just want to know how to justify your situation. After that short a time, employers are most likely going to assume something drastic happened. So, you can't really fall on the old stand-by's of “I'm looking for growth”, or “I've reached the ceiling of where I can go”, etc. I would be honest and say that “Unfortunately, the role and opportunity I was hired into changed significantly from what I expected.” Or something along those lines.

My biggest advice would be NOT to quit before landing a new job. It doesn't sound like that's what you're trying to do anyway. But I think having to tell employers that you are not working on top of having only been at this company for a very short time is a bigger red flag than just being at your company for a short time.

Hang in there. I've been there and totally feel your pain. Good luck in whatever you decide!

[felixsphone]

@noclady that's awesome. I wish I had the maturity. I ended up persuaded my girlfriend at the time that it was a good decision for me to quit. Then it was a very chaotic year.
You have to be able to handle ALL the changes. Really do your research: insurance, cash, living situations, food, hobbies, and relationships; it affects everything.

[fsugirl2005]

Despite the ERP nightmare, if this company is a great one in the grand scheme of things, then I would just weather the storm. I can guarantee you if they respect you as an associate of that company, you will get mad props if you help them through this. You will come out smelling like roses and you never know, you may end up with some kind of promotion and a nice pay raise.

Tough it out because in future interviews, you can talk about this nightmare and describe how you got through.

Remember, things happen for a reason and it matters a lot how you handle it. Try to remember that this is only temporary and things will change. Good luck!!

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[MSim]

@Fsugirl2005 exactly what I was thinking. I second this.

[N/A_CPA]

Thank you all for your advise. My shitstorm continues but I have not quit yet. Will see how it all ends. Thank you!

[cpa1234]

I see no problem in applying for other jobs. Apply to a bunch and just see what happens. If they call you for an interview and ask you why you are leaving so soon, be completely honest that this shit storm is the reason. If they don't ask, don't bring it up. And if you don't get as many interviews as you were hoping for then you'll know you need to stick around longer and try again later. Nobody knows what the recruiters or employees of any company are going to decide. Even people who are recruiters or have done interviews don't know what a different recruiter/interviewer will decide. Everyone and every company is different. Just because you only did 1.5 months doesn't automatically mean other jobs will turn you away. It's completely based on their need, want, and impressions of you all around. So while you have a good paying job and only suffered a short while, see if you can find something. Better to try now and possibly get out as soon as possible then be wasting 6 months pulling your hair out and desperately searching when you can't take it anymore.

[Author]

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