How Can I Explain My Short Tenure at My First Job Without Hurting My Career Prospects?

Hello all, I was working in an MNC right after my graduation in 2018. After 2 months of training, I got a project in Mumbai. However, I found it very difficult to sustain in Mumbai with my salary. After a month of struggle in Mumbai, I requested my HR for a roll-off from the project and to assign me to any other project in another city like Bangalore or Hyderabad. My then HR denied such a request and asked me to continue working on the current project. After seeing my request getting rejected every time, I had no option but to resign from the organization following proper procedure. They issued me an experience letter for the 4 months I was with them.

I went back home and stayed there for the next 6 months, attempting to secure a government job, but all my efforts were in vain. I didn't land any government job. My parents were getting more anxious day by day, and I couldn't bear seeing them worry. I returned to Bangalore and joined a new company as a fresher again. Currently, I have 4 months of work experience from my previous organization and 8 months from my new one. I have also cleared the cut-off for some good B-schools.

How do I justify my resignation?

Should I be honest about my living expenses in the city? I am aware that this might reflect poorly on my CV. Or should I claim there was downsizing and I got laid off? I can't omit this information as I have already mentioned it in my application form. So, I seek advice from the members here: How should I justify my decision when asked why I left my previous organization after just 4 months?

You know, "truth alone will prevail" even at last. I cannot suggest you suppress, hide, or ignore the facts. Thank your fortune that you received an experience letter for 4 months, which would not typically happen under normal service conditions. There is nothing wrong with your resignation in the explained circumstances and your pursuit of a good job. Remember, you are not alone; this situation happens to many job seekers. There is no shame in sitting at home and searching for good offers. Your suggestion of being a "victim of downsizing" is also not advisable, as you would have received an experience letter mentioning "considering your resignation accepted and relieved," which would have been misleading. The living conditions in Mumbai are well known, and with your salary, it's clear that making ends meet is challenging. Hence, resigning was the right decision. Resigning from a job is not a crime, whereas being retrenched may not be viewed favorably. Some might assume you were not competent and were terminated. Do you think that scenario looks better? I doubt it. Now that you have a job and gained almost a year of experience, remember that experience is valuable no matter how brief. Who knows, there may come a time when you land another job in Mumbai with a better and more attractive package, possibly due to your previous experience in the city. So, let go of the past and focus on excelling in your current job. Strive to earn their appreciation for your good work. Eventually, you will find contentment either in your current position or in a better one. Keep striving to grow. Don't be discouraged by short-term setbacks; they are a part of life. Face them confidently, and you will emerge successfully. All the best, young man.

I really agree with Kumar that you should not lie about your experience and should proceed with all positivity. This is really good advice.

But at the same time, could you also consider working another 4 months at your current organization so that you complete 1 year here before applying to the B-school? The problem may be the 6-month gap between your initial 4 months of experience and your later 8 months of experience. For the first 4 months when you worked in an MNC on projects and then searched for government jobs unsuccessfully for the next 6 months, this could raise questions in an interview. Why did you not look for a similar job during those 6 months?

Later, you had to join as a fresher at your current company in Bangalore. This could raise the next question in the interview – why was no weightage placed on the 4 months of experience you already had, and you still had to join as a fresher? This could give the impression that the current company did not find the 4 months of experience relevant.

Ultimately, when you apply to the B-school and they check your track record, you may have to justify all these factors. It is still good to proceed with what you have, as it could also be a competitive challenge to analyze and work out a justification for all these situations. But if it would be difficult to do so, I think it may be good to gain another 4 months of experience and show your total experience as 1 year in the current company.