AIDA

Business Development Manager

Leaving a company after 5 months?

What's everyone's thoughts about leaving a role so quickly?

An internal recruiter for a SaaS organisation reached out to convince me to move over. I was sold a dream about the role and told that everyone was hitting quota and that there was so many awesome things happening. However, when I joined I discovered that wasn't the case only 1-2 people across all the AEs are hitting targets and with clawbacks no one is actually hitting it.

I ended up in a situation where I just panicked and took the role without looking at anything else or speaking to any other recruiters. Which I absolutely regret now.

Is leaving a role so quickly a bad thing?

My tenure in other roles is around 18-24 months as I moved around and lived overseas a bit. I'm worried that I am going to look like a job hopper.

🧠 Advice

🎯 Career Development

☁️ Software Tech

18 comments

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Gasty

Notable Contributor

War Room Community Manager

If I were you, I'd put a pointer in my resume with an asterisk under this 5 month role, which said: *𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉

18-24 months is pretty decent for an average tenure. Jump ship. You should be fine.

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Never heard of this, but could be a really good way to spin it before you're able to have an actual conversation.

coletrain

Politicker

Account Executive

OP, because of your demonstrated success, you can rely on that to build your case for looking for your next role.

Communicating that is important and can be used as a tool to uncover a new company will (or won't) be different.

SaaSsy

Politicker

It absolutely is not a bad thing! Life is too short. Sounds like you were hitting goals, so leverage that to move into a different role with a better culture fit. Any sales leader actually worth working for will understand the BS you're experiencing (they've probably been there themselves), and there's always a way to spin why you're looking - bad culture fit? Not passionate about the product/mission? You're overachieving and want a more experienced role with better pay?

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

I've said it before and I'll say it again, as long as you have a compelling story to tell about your departure, and you don't do it all the time, you'll be good.

Justatitle

Big Shot

Account Executive

Companies are out here rescinding offers on people before they start and letting go of reps 2 months into a role because of layoffs and you’re worried about leaving an unrealistic company after 5 months. Don’t even think twice about it sir

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

ive done it.

twice.

Back to back.

And ive done just fine. its all about the story you tell the next employer about why it happened, and what you learned.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

🦊

@champchampdidn't something similar happen to you 🤔

champchamp

Arsonist

Certified Savage

Yeah! I thought it was my own post for a second when i started reading lol 😂.

I was at a company for 15 months, which looking back I should've stayed and hustled it out for at least an AM promotion but since I was performing pretty well I thought I'd bounce and get promoted faster at a different org, big mistake.

Long story short, I was in one company for 5 months and in another one for 6 weeks before finally landing where I'm at, which I'm very happy with so far.

I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with leaving after 5 months, just focus on explaining the situation concisely and bring in solid examples of why this company wasn't a good fit. (As opposed to just complaining about your current org and sounding like a whiner, not saying you are doing this but just want to illustrate my point.)

Most of the managers I spoke with completely understood the situation and only one of them dug deeper into it, but they still ended up making me an offer.

The rest were just like "cool, i get it" and proceeded to talk about why their org would be different.

Hope this helps!

sharpshooter2

Catalyst

MAKING IT HAPPEN!

I wouldn't feel weird about leaving after 5 months at all. One time I was new to a role, another company came along very interested in me.. I had only been at my new comp 4.5 months.... I said no thank you to the new opportunity and 6 weeks later was laid off.

Now later in my career I Never say no to possible opportunities.

Always remember you are #1!

Companies don't think that way so why worry about them?

AnchorPoint

Politicker

-3

Business Coach

"Sold a dream". Did you not go through an interview process where you were allowed to ask questions, speak with other people, and do you own due diligence???

SaaSsy

Politicker

Props to you for never entering a role or situation that backfired on you. Why lecture this person who's looking for advice? I've been in this situation as well and seen it happen to many others in sales.

braintank

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

You took a job after 1 conversation with a recruiter?

Don't down vote honest feedback. Sometimes the truth hurts.

AIDA

Executive

Business Development Manager

I didn’t downvote?

braintank

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

Not you, sorry

AIDA

Executive

Business Development Manager

I only had 1 interview unfortunately. All the questions I had went through the recruiter who essentially bent the truth to make it sound better then it was

braintank

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

WTF. You made a major life decision after talking to a recruiter for an hour...

You learned the hard way.

AIDA

Executive

Business Development Manager

Yep unfortunately, they put pressure to make me move quickly