Q: Is it ok to work for 3 months and then leave?

A: This is a question from one of our readers, RR.

If you’re asking if its okay to resign, the simple answer is that no one can stop you if you want to go. Although employers can appeal to you to stay, any probationary or regular employee has the right to resign from a job for any reason.

Whether it is advisable to leave after only three months of work is another story entirely. There is a possibility that other future potential employers may not look positively at such a short employment history. It is unavoidable that some may think that there is something wrong with you that’s why you cannot stay long in a job. Although this may not be true, you can’t do anything about how employers or recruiters think.

Before you resign from work, make sure you make a careful assessment of why you want to do so. If your reason is because of office politics or conflict with bosses and co-workers, remember that there will always be intrigue, conflicts or difficult relationship conditions in most companies. If you also have an issue over quality of benefits or working conditions, keep in mind that it isn’t easy to look for ideal companies or for work for that matter.

22 Responses to Q: Is it ok to work for 3 months and then leave?
  1. rr
    February 23, 2010 | 2:38 am

    salamat miss ninah,

    cge, ill just think about it. salamat jud!:)
    You’re the best! and your blog too….

  2. Ninah
    February 23, 2010 | 10:53 pm

    you are welcome 🙂

  3. jg
    February 24, 2010 | 2:39 am

    hi ms nina.. i love the question ask by cathy.. kasi related sa ako previous company na g applyan.. i dont know if correct ako gbuhat. na 1 day rako nag report sa ila. after ko ma hire.. may reason man gud is nahadlok ko kay tungod sa place ug sa invironment.. then known pud sya na naa mga tao na gnatawag nila nag rebelde.. mao nahadlok ko.. but other side. sayangan ko kay tungod sa tsada ila mga benifits ug dako sad sweldo.. til no if mahunahunaan nako ga regrets ko and i blame my self.. hehehe.. para nimo ms ninah? sakto ba ako gbuhat na nag resign ko? ug dili ba madaut ako records? and sakto ba na i apologies before i render my resignation letter in respect for giving a chance?

  4. Ninah
    February 24, 2010 | 11:03 pm

    It’s a good thing you added this comment jg. I wanted to mention something about situations like yours in my post but I was in a bit of a hurry. For me, if it is a matter of life and death, it is okay to resign. You should much rather be alive and jobless than dead with a job. 🙂 But then in your case, it would have been better if you simply did not proceed with your application since you are aware of the potential problems of the location. I suppose it was good that you apologized.

  5. mae
    January 14, 2012 | 7:49 am

    what if you want to leave because the salary is base on commission only?..?..?

    • Admin
      January 16, 2012 | 9:44 am

      Hi Mae. If sales and marketing is really not your forte, I would suggest that you hunt for a new job as soon as possible. Selling a product, service or idea is one of the hardest things to learn if you don’t have the heart of a sales person.

  6. Champs
    January 18, 2012 | 1:19 pm

    I signed a 3-month contract. If they offer me another contract for 3 months, then I wouldn’t accept it. Would I be considered AWOL?

    • Admin
      January 19, 2012 | 8:24 pm

      Of course not. If you’re sure your first contract is only for three months then you are honoring the terms of your contract by staying only for three months. But make your exit clean. If you choose not to sign your second contract, inform them properly.

      • Champs
        January 20, 2012 | 1:03 pm

        But I asked our HR. According to them, I still have to render 30 days if I choose not to sign.

        • Admin
          January 20, 2012 | 11:40 pm

          Champs, I’m not familiar with the terms of your contract so I’m not entirely sure what you agreed to when you signed it but what your HR probably means is that they are requesting for a 30 day notice of your resignation. A notice period is common for resigning employees. What I do not know if this is something you agreed to in your contract or if there are any other related provisions in your contract.

          • Champs
            January 22, 2012 | 3:57 am

            Ok Thank you very much

  7. mh
    May 1, 2012 | 6:19 pm

    thank you miss ninah.

    i am in a situation where i already did this. i was hired a full-time position and formally resigned after 3 months of work..

    i am now hunting for jobs.. would it be advisable for me to put that work in my resume? you indicated here that employers would be hesitant to hire someone with a record like that? do you suppose i should just leave it out? this would leave my resume without experience. i graduated from college 3 years ago and due to some circumtances, my employment time is only few and the 3-month job was the longest i had. i’ve been hired and resigned a lot, not because i wanted to but because there were important things i needed to do and i couldn’t do it while working. (ie. went outside the Philippines)

    • Admin
      May 3, 2012 | 8:10 am

      This is a tricky question because I don’t know the exact circumstances. However, I would say that if you can give a very valid explanation for your erratic employment, then it is okay to put your 3 months experience in your resume. You just have to be extra sure you can explain yourself.

      Frankly speaking though, many high profile employers won’t go for applicants with erratic work records except if these applicants have outstanding exam and interview results.

      You can apply for an entry position in a company that isn’t too big, stay there for a couple of years to gather experience and then try applying for a bigger company. At least this way you have an employment record that looks better.

  8. Shifuya
    May 26, 2013 | 6:09 am

    hi ms. nina, is it okay if it’s your final interview and hindi kana sumipot?

    • Admin
      May 27, 2013 | 10:43 am

      Hi Shifuya. There’s a saying, “Don’t burn your bridges.” It’s best if you inform the employer that you won’t be showing up for the final interview. Otherwise, your not showing up could reflect badly on you in the future if you decide to re apply again or if you encounter the same HR personnel that processed your application.

  9. ISABEL
    May 3, 2014 | 4:58 am

    maonay ge ingun nga think billion times before leaving the company kai lisud jud mangita ug trabaho ..

  10. dodon
    June 27, 2014 | 4:33 am

    hi miss ninah!

    naka sign ako nang contrata for 6 months probationary.
    3 months na ako nag tatrabaho, gusto ko nang mag quit. ang policy nila babayarab ko raw lahat nang ginastos nila sa akin sa lahat nang accomodation na binigay nila. tapos bago ako umalis kelangan ko raw mag render pa nang 1 buwan. sa tingin mo miss ninah. pag nag awol ako, will they sue me. pero bago ako umalis magbibigay muna ako nang resignation letter.
    ano po ba ang masa suggest mo miss ninah?

    • Admin
      June 28, 2014 | 4:03 am

      Hi Dodon. Your situation is a little complicated. It’s important you take a closer look at what you signed exactly. What was it that you agreed to? Whether or not the document you signed is legally binding, the fact that you agreed to it in the first place makes you honor bound to abide by whatever you promised you would do. In my experience, there are certain conditions that employers shouldn’t be asking from probationary employees, however, I have come across training agreements requiring that trainees pay the cost of training in the event that trainees terminate employment. Regarding going AWOL, as much as possible, it’s best to keep your record clean. This is a small city and your record might hound you later.

      My suggestion to you… wait for your probationary period/contract period to conclude. Six months isn’t too long OR ask for the advice of a labor department employee to be on the safe side if you insist on leaving now. Please note, I cannot fully comment on your situation or give very specific tips since I am not fully aware of the conditions surrounding your employment.

      • dodon
        June 28, 2014 | 6:28 am

        tnx
        ms ninah

  11. KL
    July 21, 2014 | 7:33 am

    Hi Ms. Ninah!
    I am in the same position as mh, and i’m considering not to place my experience in my resume. What I am worried about is that, how will I answer if an interviewer ask me why do I don’t have experience yet when i graduated a year ago?

  12. Jem
    August 13, 2014 | 12:23 pm

    Good evening, Miss Nina!

    How about if you get promoted in 6 months of work but you declined the offer because of lousy office politics and the likes? How do I explain this to the interviewer/s when applying for a new job?

    Thanks.

  13. mark
    December 28, 2014 | 12:44 am

    good day po,

    its really a big help for me as a job hunter reading your blogs , anyway i just want to ask help ,taga cdo po ako tapos pinapunta ako sa cebu para mag training lahat ng gastos ay sagot ng kompanya kaso , after a week of workshop hindi ko gusto yong trabaho i dont signed any contracts , pag uwi ko sa amin di ko na pinatagal so that the company can search another employee ,nag withdraw ako , tapos sagot sa akin ng may ari ng company i need to refund the expenses yong pamasahe sa barko . question ko , in my part is it fair to refund them the expenses . i do not signed any contracts.

    its highly appreciate your reply .

    salamat po

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