new job is (surprise!) less than full time 1

[aardvark92]

I've recently started a new job at a web development company. It's a small company, about 10 full-time employees (including 4 programmers). During the interview, I asked a few questions to get an idea of whether the company was bringing in steady work, and was given reassuring answers. And they warned me that there might be overtime on occasion.

However, when I got here the first couple of projects seemed like busy work. Then, without warning, I and the other three programmers were told yesterday that because sales were slow this month and we currently have a lack of customer work, we are being placed on "unpaid vacation" for a week, or until the sales staff can drum up more business.

So I suppose it's time to send out resumes again. The salary at my previous job barely covered my family's living expenses -- we've had a lot of medical bills the last couple years -- so I can't really go back there. But if the new job is going to be hit-and-miss, it's not going to pay the bills either.

Has anyone had a situation like this before? How do I tell a prospective employer the reason for leaving a new job after less than a month? Any other suggestions?

 

[Dagon]

If they're not giving you regular work, then it seems to me that you have the perfect excuse. Make sure you put it on the resume as many employers will reject people with patchy and short-term work records unless there is an adequate explanation.

 

[LadySlinger]

I had a friend with a similar situation. At least you still have a job in the end, despite it being less then full time. He had been hired in, sales were slow that month and later he found out that it had been the trend. So after 6 weeks on the job he was laid off.

Like Dagon said, this is the perfect excuse to start handing out your resumes again. Simply tell your boss (once you have another job lines up) that you have a family to support and cannot have your income dependant on the sales staff. Reiterate that you accepted the job offer on the basis that you were earning 40 hours a week with occassional overtime, not the other way around.

Good Luck!

 

[sleipnir214]

I would frankly and without rancor tell my employer, "From answers to my questions during my interview, I had concluded that this was a full-time job. Since I and more importantly my family need that level of income and this job is unable to provide it, I am looking for other employment."





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[SQLSister]

Don't tell the prospective employers that the company mislead you. Simply tell them that there was a downturn in business and as last hired you are being asked to work part time rather than fulltime andthat you want a full time postion. You don't want to be seen as complaining about your treatment by this company but rather that this was a situation not either your fault or the fault of the people who hired you expecting to have the work to use you. Try to be very business like in how you present this. I had to do something simliar when I quit my job after 6 months because I couldn't handle working over 70 hours a week. They had told me I'd be working 3-5 hours aweek of overtime and I was pretty angry at how the conditions changed. But I had to present it to prospective empoyers in a business-like unemotional fashion. It must have worked because I went on two interviews and got two job offers and had a new job less than a week after quitting.

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[lb63640]

SQLSister, how do you portray that in an interview and make it sound positive--the business about not wanting to do 70 hours a week?

I know someone in a similar boat and I didn't know what to tell him when he asked about how to answer the "why do you want to leave your current employer" question. "They're working me to death!" doesn't seem like the answer he should give

 

[SQLSister]

I said something like the shortest day I worked in the last four months at that job was 11 hours and I physically could not do that anymore. I don't mind working overtime when needed, but I am not interested in a position where that level of overtime would be a requirement every week. I told them exactly how much overtime I was willing to do so they would know that some overtime was acceptable to me. (Over 70 plus in a crunch like the last week before a major project deployment or 5 hours a week on a regular basis is what I think I said)
I figured any company that wouldn't find that an unreasonable amount of work was another company I didn't want to work for. But IT requires overtime, so make sure that you make it clear that you are willing to do some overtime and where you have to draw the line.



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[aardvark92]

Thanks to everyone who has offered advice, especially SQLSister. My biggest worry was how to explain my situation in an interview without sounding like a complainer.

I've talked to a couple of hiring agencies, and they have been completely understanding. I feel better now about going into interviews.