So I hate my job, been there 6 months...

[Shyatic]

So this is not run of mill question, because I'm at a large fortune 100 company, at a VP role making a good deal of money (~$200k). There is an allure to stay only for money, but long term I will kill myself.

I took this job about 6 months ago, and the hiring manager was awesome. When I started he walked me through a lot so I could be effective and get projects off the ground. Within a month, they fired him. In the next two months I got two different bosses, so 3 bosses in 3 months. The job is totally different and I am working on small potatoes types of projects rather than strategic things as it was advertised.

So for any people in the know... What is the implication of I leave early? I don't have a job hopping history at all. How do I handle it as I look for new jobs? Any advice is appreciated, as I am killing myself over small problems and losing the promise of what brought me there to begin with.

Thanks, and pardon and spelling errors... I'm on mobile.

 

[Uppsala9496]

Look for a new job and if you find one quit. In your resignation letter state that the position is not as it was described when you were hired.
At a VP level you really should know this.

 

[Shyatic]

Look for a new job and if you find one quit. In your resignation letter state that the position is not as it was described when you were hired.
At a VP level you really should know this.

I can find another job, my question was more geared around how to handle the questions of only 6 months of employment as I'm interviewing. I've not been in a position like this before so needless to say I tend to be cautious when I think about huge decisions like this.

 

[Uppsala9496]

Simple. Tell them that you were told your job would consist of X and it really is Y. Also explain that there have been 3 boss changes in the past 3 months.

 

[Shyatic]

Simple. Tell them that you were told your job would consist of X and it really is Y. Also explain that there have been 3 boss changes in the past 3 months.

I guess I am overthinking it then

That's what my initial thought was but I kept second guessing myself. This post just helps keep me honest.

 

[Captante]

At $200k a year I'd think really hard before doing anything rash however I believe you realize this.

I would discreetly start looking for a new position and follow Uppsala's advice.

 

[Uppsala9496]

I was at a nice middle management position a few jobs back. Upper management 3 levels above me changed and an outsider was brought in. I had a feeling things were going to go in the crapper but I figured I was 3 levels removed and I would be fine.
Nope. New guy came in an gutted all management. He laid everyone off and brought in his people from his previous employer.

In my mind, 3 bosses in 3 months is a giant warning sign that your position is going to be downsized/eliminated. Get out while you can.

 

[ultimatebob]

Man... I'd be willing to put up with a lot of crap for a $200K a year job at the moment. Save up for 12 years, and I could retire before I turned 50.

 

[manimal]

at VP level even with caveats a six month stay somewhere is a red flag. stick it out for a year at the least unless you want to change industries and pay levels. Mistake to leave so soon unless your dream job opens and then leave this company off your CV.

Dont quit unless you have a new job already. Do you have kids?



What would be even better is taking a part time job at startbucks or mcdonalds for a week so your current job wont seem so bad.

what industry?

 

[Shyatic]

At $200k a year I'd think really hard before doing anything rash however I believe you realize this.

I would discreetly start looking for a new position and follow Uppsala's advice.

Yes, I am prepared to stick it out until I find a role that I feel is worthy of switching for. I don't think I will take a pay cut -- for the role/industry I am in my salary is rather average, and the move to this job was motivated more about the role than the money. It wasn't a huge leap from the previous position I had which was really stable, but boring. At the new role I think I am pretty stable, but the hours are far longer, the work far less interesting, and since I'm not doing anything near what I expected, it's rather depressing to have moved on.

 

[Shyatic]

Man... I'd be willing to put up with a lot of crap for a $200K a year job at the moment. Save up for 12 years, and I could retire before I turned 50.

Yeah I can see that view honestly, but I have a *lot* of years left to work (I'm in my early 30s), and if I continue down this road with this role my skills deteriorate. I'm in IT management, if that gives any consideration.

It's easy to look at just the money, but my last role didn't pay a lot less than this and I switched not for the money, but for the opportunity. The opportunity sucks.

 

[dmcowen674]

So I hate my job, been there 6 months...

So this is not run of mill question, because I'm at a large fortune 100 company, at a VP role making a good deal of money (~$200k). There is an allure to stay only for money, but long term I will kill myself.

I took this job about 6 months ago, and the hiring manager was awesome. When I started he walked me through a lot so I could be effective and get projects off the ground. Within a month, they fired him. In the next two months I got two different bosses, so 3 bosses in 3 months. The job is totally different and I am working on small potatoes types of projects rather than strategic things as it was advertised.

So for any people in the know... What is the implication of I leave early? I don't have a job hopping history at all. How do I handle it as I look for new jobs? Any advice is appreciated, as I am killing myself over small problems and losing the promise of what brought me there to begin with.

Thanks, and pardon and spelling errors... I'm on mobile.

1%er problems

 

[Shyatic]

at VP level even with caveats a six month stay somewhere is a red flag. stick it out for a year at the least unless you want to change industries and pay levels. Mistake to leave so soon unless your dream job opens and then leave this company off your CV.

Dont quit unless you have a new job already. Do you have kids?



What would be even better is taking a part time job at startbucks or mcdonalds for a week so your current job wont seem so bad.

what industry?

Yep, I have kids, and a mortgage. I won't quit until I have another job. And working at starbucks/mcds is an entertaining thought if I wasn't working a shitton of hours already.

For reference I work in finance, specifically IT management.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I can find another job, my question was more geared around how to handle the questions of only 6 months of employment as I'm interviewing. I've not been in a position like this before so needless to say I tend to be cautious when I think about huge decisions like this.

You're supposedly a VP and don't know this? Have you never interviewed people in a similar situation and asked them similar questions?

My advice? Put in a year and then leave.

Simple. Tell them that you were told your job would consist of X and it really is Y. Also explain that there have been 3 boss changes in the past 3 months.

I seriously doubt that first excuse would float at the VP level. The second one is a little better but even still, I'd probably use the "the company decided to go in a different direction" excuse and say that's why I am looking.

1%er problems

Can you ever contribute anything positive?

 

[brianmanahan]

1%er problems

poor people jealousy

 

[Shyatic]

You're supposedly a VP and don't know this? Have you never interviewed people in a similar situation and asked them similar questions?

My advice? Put in a year and then leave.

I might well make it to a year before I find a role, but at my level it takes 6 months to a year to land another role anyway...

I have interviewed people in that role and 100% of the time their short tenure was due to the fact they were contracting. I hire engineers, not VPs

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I might well make it to a year before I find a role, but at my level it takes 6 months to a year to land another role anyway...

I have interviewed people in that role and 100% of the time their short tenure was due to the fact they were contracting. I hire engineers, not VPs

I think you have to be very, very careful with how you phrase why you're leaving on an interview because while lower-level employees are generally given a little more leeway in terms of answering those kinds of questions, senior leadership generally will not grant that same leeway to someone at your level. Sr. VPs or C level execs hiring at your level aren't going to accept general excuses; you're probably going to have to have a very good reason along with a detailed explanation.

 

[Shyatic]

I think you have to be very, very careful with how you phrase why you're leaving on an interview because while lower-level employees are generally given a little more leeway in terms of answering those kinds of questions, senior leadership generally will not grant that same leeway to someone at your level. Sr. VPs or C level execs hiring at your level aren't going to accept general excuses; you're probably going to have to have a very good reason along with a detailed explanation.

Agreed, but I think my initial thought of being honest -- that I came in on the words of the hiring manager who promised me a certain set of responsibilities -- which changed drastically upon his departure -- is really the only thing I can say. I have had a review to date as well that is generally positive which is a sign in my favor, but I'm not doing work that I came there to do. In IT as many of you might be in, if you aren't actively using the skills you intend, you are losing them quickly. I don't want to be "that manager" who doesn't know anything about the real world of how IT works because I'm losing my skillset by tedious work and meetings.

Simply put, staying here is damaging not only to my skillset, but ultimately my career. I have to stay ahead of the game while I'm in it in order to maintain any advantage I have (and why I am in the job I have today). It's nice to see echoed by a few people that my initial thought in just being honest is the right one to have.

 

[Newell Steamer]

a VP role making a good deal of money (~$200k).

At $200K, VP must stand for Very Poor.

All ATOT buffoonery aside, during your interviews, I would imagine you just state that your scope/role changed to something that was not agreed on when you were 1st hired.

That you were working on small potatoes types of projects rather than strategic things; give example on what small potatoes mean and what strategic things mean. Focus on what you were hoping and looking forward to working on and excited to hear about what the new place has to offer, in the line of strategic things.

 

[gorcorps]

Sounds like you're in a transition period, which is going to be shaky until the moves stop happening. Give it time to settle down and for the people above you to settle and sort things out. Every company is going to go through these things at some point, and if you jumped ship during this time IMO it'd look bad. A VP needs good change management skills, and running away is not something I'd want in my leadership. If I was interviewing you I'd want somebody I could trust to weather the storm when things weren't going perfectly, not jump overboard as soon as the wind picks up.

Give it a year, then you'll have a better idea

 

[manimal]

Sounds like you're in a transition period, which is going to be shaky until the moves stop happening. Give it time to settle down and for the people above you to settle and sort things out. Every company is going to go through these things at some point, and if you jumped ship during this time IMO it'd look bad. A VP needs good change management skills, and running away is not something I'd want in my leadership. If I was interviewing you I'd want somebody I could trust to weather the storm when things weren't going perfectly, not jump overboard as soon as the wind picks up.

Give it a year, then you'll have a better idea

Good points. Since you are a VP then use your position to make the work environment a positive experience for your underlings and make proposals to management to address culture.


be the ball danny nanananannana

 

[manimal]

Yep, I have kids, and a mortgage. I won't quit until I have another job. And working at starbucks/mcds is an entertaining thought if I wasn't working a shitton of hours already.

For reference I work in finance, specifically IT management.

meant it tongue in cheek obviously though from experience I did get some perspective donating time at my church when I was really stressed out a few years ago. Have any hobbies you could take a fresh look at?


oh and race car fixes alot of stress issues

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Agreed, but I think my initial thought of being honest -- that I came in on the words of the hiring manager who promised me a certain set of responsibilities -- which changed drastically upon his departure -- is really the only thing I can say. I have had a review to date as well that is generally positive which is a sign in my favor, but I'm not doing work that I came there to do. In IT as many of you might be in, if you aren't actively using the skills you intend, you are losing them quickly. I don't want to be "that manager" who doesn't know anything about the real world of how IT works because I'm losing my skillset by tedious work and meetings.

Simply put, staying here is damaging not only to my skillset, but ultimately my career. I have to stay ahead of the game while I'm in it in order to maintain any advantage I have (and why I am in the job I have today). It's nice to see echoed by a few people that my initial thought in just being honest is the right one to have.

I really respect this viewpoint. So many in IT management are clueless about the field and it is refreshing to see an executive not wanting to lose touch with the field.

 

[Shyatic]

Sounds like you're in a transition period, which is going to be shaky until the moves stop happening. Give it time to settle down and for the people above you to settle and sort things out. Every company is going to go through these things at some point, and if you jumped ship during this time IMO it'd look bad. A VP needs good change management skills, and running away is not something I'd want in my leadership. If I was interviewing you I'd want somebody I could trust to weather the storm when things weren't going perfectly, not jump overboard as soon as the wind picks up.

Give it a year, then you'll have a better idea

No, the transition is over. I'm under a new boss, who initially was supposed to be a colleague so that I could deliver the solutions I came in to do. Moving me under him (he's a great guy, don't get me wrong) means that my role is completely different than when I walked in the door. It's hard to explain, but the long and short of it is that my role is functionally changed and in a drastic way, and it limits the amount of input I can have in doing it.

 

[Shyatic]

I really respect this viewpoint. So many in IT management are clueless about the field and it is refreshing to see an executive not wanting to lose touch with the field.

Thanks! I wish more of my colleagues thought this way, and to their credit some of them do... but they have other issues around their personalities that limit their long term career trajectory. Hoping that I continue forward and keep the skills (and build more!).