Sarah felt trapped. After months of searching, she'd landed what she thought was a dream job — but the reality, she discovered just a month in, was a nightmare. Her team was stretched too thin. Her supervisor, who'd seemed so charismatic, was incompetent and disengaged.
"This place is a complete dumpster fire," Sarah, a marketing specialist in her late 20s, vented in her first career coaching session with me. "I don't know how I'll make it a year."
"Then don't," I replied.
Confused, she asked the question I knew was coming: "Won't it look bad on my resume if I'm in a job for less than a year?"
As a career coach who's supported more than 700 clients across age groups, job functions, and industries, I've had many unsatisfied employees ask how to "grin and bear it" to avoid looking like a job-hopper.
The fear is legitimate, or at least it was for a very long time: In a 2022 survey by HR consultancy Robert Half, 77% of senior managers named "frequent job hopping" as a top factor that gave them pause when evaluating resumes, slightly more than "vague descriptions of past jobs" (76%) and "insufficient skills for the position" (74%).
That's why "stick it out for a year" and its variations are such common refrains. But this outdated, oversimplified career advice is some of the worst I've heard. It keeps people in harmful, miserable jobs longer than necessary.
Why 'stay a full year' is out-of-date and lacks nuance
Some recruiters and hiring managers still cling to the old idea that if a candidate has been at a job for a while, they're more likely to be a reliable high performer who's easy to work with.
But many job seekers, especially millennials and Gen Z, see things differently: The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, as of 2022, the median tenure of workers ages 25 to 34 years was 2.8 years, compared to 9.8 years for workers ages 55 to 64. More than a third (35%) of turnover takes place within the first year of employment, according to the Work Institute's 2023 retention report. And 80% of respondents said it's OK to leave a job in under six months if it doesn't meet their expectations, according to a 2022 Muse survey.
The people in charge of hiring are starting to catch up and recognize that economic shifts and changing workforce dynamics — especially in the pandemic and post-pandemic era — have made shorter stints more common for even the most talented workers.
So while a pattern of super short employment spells might still raise red flags for some recruiters, one or two shorter jobs won't scare off a reasonable hiring team, especially if you can explain the circumstances. And if it does deter them, that's a good warning for you about the company culture.
How to decide whether to stay or go if you're unhappy at work
"Sticking it out" isn't worth it in the face of harassment, burnout, or an unsafe work environment — especially if you have viable financial or professional alternatives. Short of those more extreme circumstances, here's how to decide whether to hit the eject button before a year has passed.
Get another perspective
Talk to friends, family, industry peers, and mentors. Avoid asking vague questions like, "What do you think?" and opt for specific questions like, "Do you think this experience is typical?" or "Do you think it's possible for this to improve over time?"
You may want to talk to a career coach if your loved ones can't help or if you don't have a solid professional network.
Try to resolve pain points within your control
Your colleagues and supervisors aren't mind-readers. Clearly communicate your challenges — try to be as specific and objective as possible — and attempt to negotiate a change. Try to suggest at least one potential solution and ask the other person to weigh in.
If it's clear the situation won't improve despite consistent and strategic efforts on your part, it's OK to cut your losses.
Check your track record
If most previous roles on your resume are one or multiple years long, a couple shorter stints are unlikely to raise major red flags.
But even if you do have a choppier job history, I'd argue it's still smart in some cases to look for a better fit — if you have the bandwidth to continue applying — than to endure a bad one just to avoid looking like a job-hopper.
Don't live your life for hypothetical recruiters hiring hypothetical roles.
How to get into a good job ASAP
If you're confident that staying put is unsustainable, start strategizing. Here's how to leave your job with grace and set yourself up for success:
- Make the most of your current job while planning your exit. Prioritize tasks that will build valuable skills, foster relationships with mentors or potential references, and create portfolio pieces that showcase your work.
- Document your accomplishments. Even small wins matter when telling your story to potential employers.
- Protect your personal time and energy so you can conduct an effective and focused job search.
- Answer interview questions about your short tenure with clarity and confidence. It's natural for a hiring manager to ask, so be prepared with a brief, honest explanation. It's OK to say that the role wasn't a good fit for your long-term goals or that the company underwent unexpected changes after you started.
Keep your answer concise and professional, and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position in question.
Above all else, avoid jumping into a new role out of desperation. Take time to assess what's working and not working, and what you truly want next.
Rushing headlong into the first opportunity that seems promising can land you in an even worse job.
Phoebe Gavin is a career coach, speaker and trainer specializing in career strategy, negotiation and empathetic leadership. She's the author of "The Workplace Guide to Time Management: Best Practices to Maximize Productivity."
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