Trashed CV

How an earth would you genuinely explain two or more recent corporate positions that turned out to be a terrible fit, and as such lasted less than 6 months each. Obviously, you can't ever turn up to an interview and start bad mouthing your previous employer. Even if they've got dozens of terrible glass door ratings. I'm talking about genuinely crap places to work (let's face it that more and more desperate people in this economy are taking bad fit jobs purely out of desperation any way)


What about twisting it the other way, so from looking like a personal failure on your part to going along the lines of being someone who isn't afraid of a challenge (in light of the risks)


Any thoughts?
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  • ohreally
    ohreally Posts: 7,525
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    Even if they've got dozens of terrible glass door ratings.

    What attracted yourself to work for them then?
    Don’t be a can’t, be a can.
  • What was the nature of the "terrible fit" in a bit more detailed terms (job not as described, overtime culture, bullying, or what?) Is your normal line of work something other than "corporate positions" as I'm not sure what you meant by that?

    It may be that you can turn a negative into a positive in the interview if you 'spin' it the right (truthful but to your advantage) way and have an interviewer that gets it.

    if you have been at your current role 6 months and are looking to move on, is there any way to hang on for a bit longer (to make it up to a year for example)?
  • Why did you actually leave them both? If you left the first for the second, then you could explain that away by saying the second looked like a great opportunity; that just leaves you one to explain away.
  • mattcanary
    mattcanary Posts: 4,420 Forumite
    How an earth would you genuinely explain two or more recent corporate positions that turned out to be a terrible fit, and as such lasted less than 6 months each. Obviously, you can't ever turn up to an interview and start bad mouthing your previous employer. Even if they've got dozens of terrible glass door ratings. I'm talking about genuinely crap places to work (let's face it that more and more desperate people in this economy are taking bad fit jobs purely out of desperation any way)


    What about twisting it the other way, so from looking like a personal failure on your part to going along the lines of being someone who isn't afraid of a challenge (in light of the risks)


    Any thoughts?

    I'd just say that I wasn;t enjoying it and life's too short to spend 8 hours+ a day doing something you are really not enjoying!
  • Sanne
    Sanne Posts: 523
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    Have you had any longer-term roles before these two?
    And, as PossiblyOverworked suggested, what was the exact nature of the issues?
  • yeahthatscool
    yeahthatscool Posts: 2 Newbie
    edited 18 June 2017 at 10:10PM
    Sanne wrote: »
    Have you had any longer-term roles before these two?
    And, as PossiblyOverworked suggested, what was the exact nature of the issues?



    No, apart from temping.

    These are roles in finance. I don't want to be more specific as I could get routed out with this being a very busy and popular portal.


    Job one. Combination of desperation and stupidity on my part. Taking an 17k role in the middle of central London as someone from outside Cardiff and unprepared by the cost of living and having genuinely scary house shares. (Think sharing with students, sharing with druggies and getting my room raided)


    Second role, straight up bullying. I mean, the genuine bullying. To the extend where I have had my confidence robbed to such an extend that I'm unable to complete really basic tasks accurately (plagued by self doubt and fear) to make matters worse the company has massive turn over, and the glass door reviews says it all.


    I'm angry with my self twice over. Once for being gulliable, stupid and desperate. The second time for being gulliable, stupid, desperate and willfully ignorant (of the internal reviews and ratings) Now my CV feels like a pile of trash thanks to these two both lasting significantly less than 6 months.


    I'd like to go shelf stack for 1 year just to 'prove' I can hold the line. Although I'm !!!!!!!! myself that would negate the pretty niche and genuine finance skills I've picked up and I won't be able to carry those forwards.
  • How did you actually leave though? Did you give notice, leave without notice, were you fired, what happened?
  • ssparks2003
    ssparks2003 Posts: 809
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    If you stuck both roles out for a few months could you spin it at temp roles?
  • ThemeOne
    ThemeOne Posts: 1,471
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    I think most people would understand that £17K is very little for a central London position, particularly where you have to pay market rates for your own accommodation etc.

    I also think most would be sympathetic to the bullying you experienced in the second role.

    Your only problem really is you've been unlucky twice in a row. But if you're young and show interest and enthusiasm for the jobs you now apply for, you might get away with it. If not, apply for jobs through agencies - they can be quite good at presenting candidates with "difficult" CVs.
  • k3lvc
    k3lvc Posts: 4,175
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    Being brutally honest if I were recruiting for a finance role and someone used the £17k excuse I wouldn't be particularly comfortable with them being responsible for any financial decisions. Common sense is generally a key requirement for most roles.

    In my organisation the sums for which some have personal responsibility are in the £millions and there's generally a fairly direct correlation between how people manage their personal finances and how they manage their work ones
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