If you recently started a new job but you are not enjoying it - how long would you stick with it until you leave?
(for sake of discussion - you have enough money to survive a year without working).
Ask HN: How long before you leave?
1–10 of 20 posts
Re: Ask HN: How long before you leave?
#2I'd keep looking in my spare time. Why quit before you have something else lined up? I'd have to evaluate why it was bad, how bad it was, and how well I could mitigate the problem(s) when determining if I wanted to look for another job. It would have to be fairly bad for me not to give it at least a month - more than just me thinking it wasn't quite as cool as I thought it would be. I don't see how it would hurt your record if you found another job and left within a month - you could just leave that one job off your resume.
Re: Ask HN: How long before you leave?
#3I'd give it at least 3 months and really try to assess whether the discomfort was due to the job being a sucky situation or me being challenging/experiencing natural discomfort after a big change, i.e. getting the job, or even potentially due to some outside factor. I'd also definitely talk things over with friends to get some outside perspective.
After that, if I felt the same way, if I had enough money to survive a year without working I'd leave immediately, take time off, then prep for interviews and go for a better job. However this is very situation dependent, I am a single man with no (serious) responsibilities, ymmv.
Re: Ask HN: How long before you leave?
#4you don't specify the real reason why you dislike this job.
Re: Ask HN: How long before you leave?
#5I've found about 6 months to be the cut off point. I never set that time frame intentionally, and most of my jobs/contracts last much longer, if not for their full term and beyond. However, in bad situations, 6 months happened to be the longest I was able to stand all the negativity.
In one case I left after about 3 months, only b/c I knew right away that my place wasn't in that particular environment, or with that particular team.
If you're asking due to relevant circumstances, what don't you like about the job, and how long have you been there?
Re: Ask HN: How long before you leave?
#6In the last case where I wasn't happy, it took me about 3mo to convince myself, it wasn't worth it and about a month to find something I liked. My tolerance for putting up with a crappy job at the time was pretty high. Even with the scenario you put forth, it would have probably taken 1/2 to 3/4 of the time.
These days, I'd probable be gone within a month of such a realization. Time to transition and move on.
Re: Ask HN: How long before you leave?
#7you don't specify the real reason why you dislike this job.
Agreed, it really depends on why I don't like the job. But I generally would try to stick around for few months more.
Although if I had enough money to live for a year why did I take the job? :)
Re: Ask HN: How long before you leave?
#8I once began looking for a job about a week after I started a new one. I wasn't completely sold on the company when I accepted the offer - I had some misgivings about the culture - and later wished I had just declined. After a week I knew my gut was right and I needed to get out.
Of course it was more difficult to find a new job since I had just started one but I was honest in my interviews and after 90 days I left for something else.
Trust your instincts.
Re: Ask HN: How long before you leave?
#9Personally, ASAP or at the latest, when I find a replacement job if I was in your position if thats what you're looking for.
Re: Ask HN: How long before you leave?
#10Another data point to consider: recruiter fee
If you were hired through a recruiter, the company that hired you will pay 15% to 25% of your annual salary in fee. In most cases, if you leave within 30 to 60 days, the recruiter will find your replacement for free. If you 1 day after the guarantee period, then the company that hired you have to pay the full fee.
Moral of the story, once you know you want to leave, talk to your manager. Be a nice guy.