Job Hopper, concerned

Dexterosa · Mar 27, 2015

I don't think that employer would not hire you just because you are not working where you said you were, however I think it raises questions. My coworker had four jobs in year and half. She quit after she found new job, she quit new job and stayed without employer for while... still landed very good job.

But as few people here said, I agree, it would be good to last at some job and suck it up for while, and if quit then quit when you already got the offer from new employer. There is no point now to dissect it and regret, you can't take it back.

If you can wait what this employer will do, if you get job no worries, if not, keep looking and pick what you will be able to tolerate, stay there for year if you are not jeopardizing your health, your license or patients life/health. It might be hard year, and start looking for while you still work there. Even if you are thousand times right, new employer does not like to hear, that previous job had this or that issue... trust me, they are not saint neither and they are aware of it. Unfortunately.

I wish you good luck.

amzyRN · Mar 27, 2015

I don't see why someone has to stay in a job they hate. I don't agree with that philosophy at all. It's bad for patient care too. If something is unsafe, I have no issues moving on. Due to circumstances, the longest I've been able to stay in a position is 1.5 years and I've had plenty of job offers and no one has ever judged me. I've left 2 jobs after 6 months and both places gave me a good reference. If a hospital (or other employer) has invested in a new nurse unless there is a major issue with the job, I do think it's good practice to stay at least one year (if possible 2), for both the employer and the employee. Nevertheless there are circumstances where it's best to move on.

SweetPotatoes · Mar 27, 2015

Yet women are mothers and work, is there a point to that? My mom raised me & worked.

I don't think he meant this in a disparaging way :) It sounded like newboy was acknowledging the fact that while some see motherhood and staying home as not a "real" job--it certainly is.

OP, I am not even in nursing school yet but this will be a second career for me so I have worked a little bit. I agree that many of the responses were harsh but overall, I think the gist is that it doesn't look too good to go from job to job. And I know you already know this, otherwise you wouldn't have created this topic. That being said, I have seen people "job-hop" and have no issues finding new jobs but I don't know how true this is for nursing (esp as a new grad). Anyways, staying for a while at a job is not only good for future job searches, it's good for you. One of the nurses at my job is new here (but has been in the field for a while) and almost quit after 1 month...but stuck it out and likes it a lot now.

But I certainly wouldn't say you were doomed or blacklisted for leaving 2 unsafe jobs (esp if they offered to give you a reference!). I live in a crazy high crime homicidal area and you bet your bottom dollar if I had some kind of unsafe job here where I was hurt multiple times I'd be leaving. I totally understand your anxiety about wanting to find a job ASAP. But you already stated that you wished you waited so that's neither here nor there...time to move forward. Also moving forward, it seems like you know to disclose information upfront and now wait till the background check. I'm young too so I am learning new things and proper ways of handling job/career issues day by day. I don't agree with everything but I also understand that the world works in interesting ways, lol.

And just one more thing...I am sure your posts about starting a new career because of the comments here aren't true--but if they are, then definitely reevaluate. Because if you really are committed to something and it's a good thing, no one should be able to talk you out of it or upset you enough to make you want to quit everything. My stepdad was critical of my choosing to do nursing now and is still trying to make me rethink my choice but because I know it's what IIIII am meant to do--the comments run off me like water.

I hope you get this position!

babynurse73 · Mar 27, 2015

Shrek and Organized Chaos!!!

Take a deep breath.... You don't HAVE to listen to all these opinions! Just do your thing and keep trying. Live and learn. Be choosy and stick it out next time. Nothing is carved in stone as far as getting another job...... There are so many variables! Best of luck to you both!

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

Wendy

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Mar 27, 2015

Shrek and Organized Chaos!!!
Take a deep breath.... You don't HAVE to listen to all these opinions! Just do your thing and keep trying. Live and learn. Be choosy and stick it out next time. Nothing is carved in stone as far as getting another job...... There are so many variables! Best of luck to you both!
Sent from my iPhone using allnurses
Wendy

Well I have made my decision. I am not going to continue in nursing any more.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 27, 2015

I had a few interviews for a job that I really really want. During the interview process I quit my previous job because it was dangerous for me and my patients and I did not feel safe. At my last interview, I did not inform the potential employers that I quit because they did not ask me any questions that required me to disclose it, and I stupidly thought it would make me look bad to bring it up.
About a week ago they called and said they were doing a background check, and found out I quit my job. I explained that I quit during the interview and they sounded okay with it. Now it's been a week and I still haven't heard back. I am so worried.
I am a new nurse and I already quit 2 nursing jobs because both ended up being dangerous to me and/or my patients. Both jobs were "revolving doors" where pretty much everyone quit after they found something better or if they had family support. I have family support but I feel extremely discouraged.
I feel like given my job hopping history, the only jobs I will be considered for are other dangerous jobs, rather than stable employers, and I am planning to change professions if this job doesn't work out.
Will i I be rejected from this job for quitting my last job?

"Dangerous jobs"? I have no idea what you mean by this. But I've been around AN long enough to have figured out that when new nurses complain that a job is unsafe, dangerous or that they're afraid of "loosing their license", it is often shorthand for "I didn't like the job, and I wanted to quit so let's come up with a really good reason to quit. Oh, yeah! If I stay, I'm putting my license at risk."

I'm surprised that anyone would consider hiring a job hopper when there are so many dependable employees looking for jobs. But you never know. If you're fortunate enough to get hired, please give it a year. You really can't know if you'll like a job until you've become competent, and a year is the barest minimum to become competent.

Even if you change professions, there will be jobs you don't like, people you don't like and situations you don't like. If you plan on earning a living, you're going to have to put up with some of that. It's just part of life.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Mar 27, 2015

The one job I was at for almost a year let me go. It really upset me & hurt me since I loved that job. I always bent over backwards for my boss. I still to this day don't know why I was let go.

The other jobs I had I hated (nursing home & private duty). I always went back because no hospital would hire me but I knew I could get a job in LTC or PDN.

It kills me because I love nursing & my ex-best friend hates it. Easily got in to the best university in our area & pulled straight As. Then she finally got a job through my brother's friend, moaned about it & quit after less than 5 months. I would've loved to have had her job.

But that is all in the past since I have more important things to think about now.

allnurses Guide · Mar 28, 2015

I never lie about past work in an interview - many prospective employer's also see failing to mention as a lie by omission. One job that I had for a short time and really hated and quit I described to a new employer as not a good fit - I explained the situation in a manner that did not denigrate the previous employer and was hired. Plus background checks can take several weeks - the last one I had took over a month because I have been married twice lived in several states and two countries. It just took a while. I have also worked in very intense Psych settings and "Dangerous" was part of the job description. I was punched in the face by an MRVO (Mentally Retarded Violent Offender) I tried to have him prosecuted but he was deemed unable to tell right from wrong. I quit that job 6 months later after finding another position.

hppy

~Shrek~ · Mar 28, 2015

Shrek,

I am not going to question you as to your reasons for quitting. What may be a legitimate reason for one person may not be for the next so as far as I'm concerned, you need to do what feels right for you. I understand exactly what you are going through, trust me. But many of these nurses advising you understand too. I know you're feeling discouraged and attacked and I can see why, some responses are harsh BUT it does not make the advice any less true just because you are not a fan of the delivery. Yes, job hopping may look bad and some employers will be critiquing just as harshly as some of your fellow nurses did. That's just a part of life! People do not know you or your situation personally we have to go based on the shallow information we have. In the case of future employment, that information will be your resume. It honestly does look suspicious, especially because they had to find out about your quitting through a background check. Put yourself in their shoes: a company (because, afterall, hospitals are corporations) has to choose between two competent RNs with fairly similar backgrounds. The only difference is that one has had steady employment and the other has had 2 jobs that lasted less than a year. Who would you honestly invest in for the betterment of your company?

With that being said, do not quit if this is what you want to do!! You're young and have time to learn and bounce back from these things! But you need to be the driving force in dusting yourself off, growing rhino skin (meaning THICK), and hitting the ground running. I know that you are feeling a bit attacked; I want to apologize on behalf of myself and everyone that may have offended you, I assure you that was nobody's intention on this forum. I wish you well in your career, whatever you choose. I believe that everyone is capable of being extraordinary at anything they are willing to bust their little butts for, and you, Honey, are no exception to that. Hugs!

Thank you!!!!

I will see what happens. It's beyond my control. I did my best, sent out an application, did my best during the interview, etc. and all I can do is wait. I just don't like how people are saying that I just let because I was lazy or didn't like the job, because that is not the case, at all. I keep beating myself up for it, but any new grad who is here needs to know: if you can afford to wait, wait it out for a good job. The job market is competitive, don't jump into the first job you can get because you feel like it is too competitive. Or else you may end up like me.

~Shrek~ · Mar 28, 2015

I don't think that employer would not hire you just because you are not working where you said you were, however I think it raises questions. My coworker had four jobs in year and half. She quit after she found new job, she quit new job and stayed without employer for while... still landed very good job.
But as few people here said, I agree, it would be good to last at some job and suck it up for while, and if quit then quit when you already got the offer from new employer. There is no point now to dissect it and regret, you can't take it back.
If you can wait what this employer will do, if you get job no worries, if not, keep looking and pick what you will be able to tolerate, stay there for year if you are not jeopardizing your health, your license or patients life/health. It might be hard year, and start looking for while you still work there. Even if you are thousand times right, new employer does not like to hear, that previous job had this or that issue... trust me, they are not saint neither and they are aware of it. Unfortunately.
I wish you good luck.

I will suck it up for life if I can. Honestly, I just will not apply to jobs that sound crazy or stupid again. I am no longer going in with a "beggars can't be choosers" mentality. Either it is safe and has set rules/ regulations in place that I will be provided information on (at least a rule book or something) or I will not work there.

~Shrek~ · Mar 28, 2015

I don't think he meant this in a disparaging way :) It sounded like newboy was acknowledging the fact that while some see motherhood and staying home as not a "real" job--it certainly is.
OP, I am not even in nursing school yet but this will be a second career for me so I have worked a little bit. I agree that many of the responses were harsh but overall, I think the gist is that it doesn't look too good to go from job to job. And I know you already know this, otherwise you wouldn't have created this topic. That being said, I have seen people "job-hop" and have no issues finding new jobs but I don't know how true this is for nursing (esp as a new grad). Anyways, staying for a while at a job is not only good for future job searches, it's good for you. One of the nurses at my job is new here (but has been in the field for a while) and almost quit after 1 month...but stuck it out and likes it a lot now.
But I certainly wouldn't say you were doomed or blacklisted for leaving 2 unsafe jobs (esp if they offered to give you a reference!). I live in a crazy high crime homicidal area and you bet your bottom dollar if I had some kind of unsafe job here where I was hurt multiple times I'd be leaving. I totally understand your anxiety about wanting to find a job ASAP. But you already stated that you wished you waited so that's neither here nor there...time to move forward. Also moving forward, it seems like you know to disclose information upfront and now wait till the background check. I'm young too so I am learning new things and proper ways of handling job/career issues day by day. I don't agree with everything but I also understand that the world works in interesting ways, lol.
And just one more thing...I am sure your posts about starting a new career because of the comments here aren't true--but if they are, then definitely reevaluate. Because if you really are committed to something and it's a good thing, no one should be able to talk you out of it or upset you enough to make you want to quit everything. My stepdad was critical of my choosing to do nursing now and is still trying to make me rethink my choice but because I know it's what IIIII am meant to do--the comments run off me like water.
I hope you get this position!

Thank you! I am very discouraged. I keep beating myself up for this and the mistakes I made. I will just do my best and wait, that is all I can do right now. And I am okay with switching careers, but only in an upward motion. If getting a stable job in nursing is not possible due to my history, I will build on my degree and take a few years to pursue a higher level of education, which is not necessarily a bad thing! :)

~Shrek~ · Mar 28, 2015

"Dangerous jobs"? I have no idea what you mean by this. But I've been around AN long enough to have figured out that when new nurses complain that a job is unsafe, dangerous or that they're afraid of "loosing their license", it is often shorthand for "I didn't like the job, and I wanted to quit so let's come up with a really good reason to quit. Oh, yeah! If I stay, I'm putting my license at risk."

That is your opinion, and your choice to believe. I know myself. I know I am not a lazy person, and I am hardworking. If me leaving an unethical place means I will be stereotyped, then so be it.

If you're fortunate enough to get hired, please give it a year. You really can't know if you'll like a job until you've become competent, and a year is the barest minimum to become competent.

It's not a matter of "if I am fortunate enough to get a job". I had this mentality that I need to take ANY JOB I can get and stay at least a year, and it ended up with me grasping onto the FIRST THING I could get. Then I ended up working somewhere crazy where I would not have become a "competent" nurse.

Even if you change professions, there will be jobs you don't like, people you don't like and situations you don't like. If you plan on earning a living, you're going to have to put up with some of that. It's just part of life.

Again, as I explained, if the work was merely unpleasant then I would have stayed. It's your opinion, and an opinion that many people have. I know myself and I know I can persevere, but I will not tolerate unethical things, even if it means hurting myself.