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Quitting a job after a month for another job – is it unethical or unprofessional? Some even wonder if it is even allowed? These are different questions each with different answers but the commonality behind each one of the questions is the same: the employee leaving a company and a job so fast want to know what the repercussions will be on them or their career.
That is why it is crucial to consider as many factrs as possible when you want to leave a company to ensure you have set yourself and your career up for success in the future.
Experts recommend taking time to do a bit of reflection on your situation before you proceed to a hasty job exit. I would generally agree with that guidance. But I am also aware of the likelihood that people who want to know if it's allowed to quit a job quickly likely have a very attractive job offer in front of them.
Allow me to dive into this a bit deeper to address the entire topic of quitting a job after a month for another job and if is it allowed.
How do you resign from a job you just started?
Leaving a job you just started is a tough proposition. You likely accepted your current role with the assumption that you'd be employed by your company for the foreseeable future. Now, you are considering leaving a brand new company. That can be tough because you can burn bridges with companies and with people.
That is why leaving well by resigning from a job actually matters. That's literally one of the reasons why I invested so much time into the 3 different resignation letter template bundles. Here are the links to those bundles if you'd like to check them out:
- Resignation Letter Bundle – Two Week Notice Templates
- Resignation Letter Bundle – Life Circumstance Templates
- Resignation Letter Bundle – Career Specific Templates
To state it simply, you resign from a job you just started with planning and preparation. That is how you will be able to exit a new job without ruining a tremendous amount of relationships.
Reflect on your Decision
It may seem obvious but before you write your resignation letter, reflect on your decision by doing a bit of soul searching to make sure you really want to leave the job. Leaving your job after a month because most HR professionals will likely tell you that it is always a good thing to remain at a company for a year or two.
However, that's not always possible. Maybe the job does not align with your skills or you don’t enjoy working in a specific company. Or maybe the job or company is not what you though it was goin to be. You can certainly find yourself in a scenario where it's time to move on and find another job. In that case, you don’t need to stay at the company for an amount of time just to say you did or just so you can have consistent employment history on your resume. Those are terrible reasons to stay in a job.
But as you do that soul searching I mentioned, ask yourself some difficult questions to ensure you really want to leave and resign. Some of those questions could be:
- Can I get another job immediately after I resign?
- What are the consequences if I leave the job right now?
- Will it create a negative impact on my career?
- How can I streamline the entire resignation process?
- Are there any chances of recovery if this resignation goes bad?
- Is a new job offer really worth leaving the current job?
If you are considering leaving a job quickly but do not have a job offer on the table, commit to yourself that if you quit you will immediately being a job hunt to search for a new role. A job search is a time-consuming process so if you don't have another gig lined up there is going to be a gap in your employment.
This is the same concept of buying and selling a house: Don't buy a house until you have arranged to sell your current hours. Why? Because you don't want 2 mortgage's! The same principle applies here. Do everything within your power to not quit your job until you have another job lined up.
I wrote a previous article on 6 practical tips on quitting a job and if that would be helpful to you, that article titled How to Quit a Job? – 6 Practical Tips, is located here. Allow me to address a few of the specific items pertaining to the particular scenario we've been discussing.
Communicate with the HR Department or Manager
If you have determined that you are going to quit, write your resignation letter and mentally prepare before communicating with your manager HR department. Make sure you know what information you will share with them versus what information you will not share with them.
Keep calm, polite and ensure your message is brief and to the point. Because you are a new employee, you don’t need to provide details. However, whatever you say should showcase your professionalism, authenticity, and genuineness.
Write a Professional Resignation Letter
Write a professional resignation letter before you meet with your employer or manager. Be professional but be concise. Not too much information and not too little information.
Include a concise, genuine reason for your resignation and mention the date you want to leave the company.
But don't be naïve here. If you are a new employee and you are resigning so quick, there is a high probability the company may just walk you out the door immediately. They likely will not give you any further incentive to remain at the company.
Thank your Employer
It may feel counterintuitive but thank your employer. Do it verbally and do it in your resignation letter. Quitting a job after a month for another job can easily create a negative impression especially if you are a highly compensated individual. But graciousness and professionalism is a hard position to fight against.
More specifically, thank your specific manager, members of your team, and other employees who advocated for your hiring. Let your employer know that you have enjoyed working in the company (if it's true).
And as always, DON'T OVER SHARE! Again, be concise. As an example, avoid sharing all the gory details of why you are quitting your job. Simply tell your employer that you have found a much better opportunity that aligns with your experience and skills. That is both gracious and professional.
How long should you give a new job before quitting?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average number of years an employee spends in a company is 4.2 years. However, this number can vary depending on the employee’s age. The report shows that the median tenure for employees between age 25 and 34 is 3.2 years.
It can certainly be a frustrating experience for employees to spend three years in a company if they don’t enjoy their jobs. Which begs the question: How long do I need to give a new job before quitting? We've been exploring the scenario of quitting after a month, but as I mentioned before, most HR professionals will typically recommend staying at a job for at least two years.
However, if you are not happy or think you have made a wrong decision, you don’t have any legal obligation to stay at a company for two years. Unless of course you have signed a contract committing to a time period. Considering the fact that it is not illegal to quit a job without notice, you can act immediately by quitting your job and finding a new one.
But to be clear: I recommend you do everything possible to always resign from a job by providing written notice and providing a notice period.
But there are very real scenarios where a job risks an employees physical or mental health. If that's the case don't think twice about quitting. I am all for persevering and not giving up but it can be smarter to leave a job rather than staying in it as you are responsible for your own health and wellbeing.
And then there are other practical scenarios for leaving a job. If your can't pay your bills on your current salary, it's time to find a better paying job. So find a new gig as fast as possible!
Should you quit before finding a new job?
As I stated before, the rule of thumb is to find a new job before quitting your current job. You never know how long it will take to find a job and so you don't know how long an employment gap could last.
Ultimately, my answer 99 percent of the time is, yes, you should find a new job before you quit your current job. If you don't agree or want to heed the recommendation, that's fine. Just make sure you've thought about the risks because they are going to materialize.
Losing Income and Benefits
Another good gauging question is to ask yourself whether you can go without a job? How long can you stay financially stable after quitting the job? Do you even have a budget to determine whether you can answer the question accurately? Do you have enough savings to live while you find a different job?
When you quit a job, you don't only loose a paycheck, you probably lose other benefits, such as medical care provided by your employer. Losing your healthcare benefits means you run the risk of spending money out of pocket on medial expenses. And the key term is money out of your pocket. You are responsible for paying it all.
Employment Gaps on Your Resume
Yet again, many hiring managers and recruiters prefer employees who have a consistent career progression. When you quit a job and fail to find another one, it can create what I've been calling an employment time gap that will be reflected on your resume.
A career gap is something many employers still view as a red flag. So avoid the possibility of creating your own employment gap simply because you didn't plan well and were more focused on leaving a job.
Missed Opportunities and Prospects
No one actually knows how long they will stay in a particular role. I am a prime example of that and so is my husband. We have had many job changes within our companies over the years. Ones we didn't' see coming. We've both seen our own jobs change extremely fast.
So if you quite a job after a month for another job you lose potential future opportunities with your current employer. You never know what awaits you in a current company. I find this is often an aspect in career planning that is continually overlooked.
If you jump ship to a new company, you may soon find yourself in a dead end job working for a company with no or little opportunities, such as promotions and employee benefits.
That’s why it is crucial for you to plan and perform you own research before you quite a job. Because if you don't, you aren't making a career decision armed with all of the information.
Conclusion
Ultimately leaving your current company and applying for a new position within or after a month is often viewed as an unprofessional action by most employers. But there are genuine reasons to do it! You bear the burden of ensuring you have done your research and have a valid reason to leaf your current job so quickly. If you chose to do so, I hope you experience the career growth you are looking for!
