Minimum amount of time to get new job and still use old one on resume? (employment, debt)

[sportsfan123]

I just started a new job out of college and it just isn't for me financially or responsibilities wise. Literally , every person doing my job is 50+, no exaggeration. The problem is that I really need it on my resume(its sales) because that and only one other thing actually looks good on my resume.

So my question is , how long before I can get a new job or apply but using this job on my resume.

Thanks

[caradvice]

6 months to a year otherwise omit this job from the resume

[MidValleyDad]

Are the other people experienced salespeople? Are they good? Are they willing to help you learn? If so you have a great opportunity to learn form them and I would use that opportunity to learn as much as I could

[MJ7]

I'm not in the same boat as everyone else here, there is no rule anywhere that states you should have x amount of time before you place it on your resume. If you want to apply to other jobs then by all means apply to new jobs. Just be prepared to answer questions from potential employers about why you want to leave after only being there a short amount of time, not a big deal. Good luck.

[blktoptrvl]

As someone recently graduated, I think it is relatively important that you show that you can have and hold a job without being canned. Most companies have probation periods of 3 and 6 months so staying well beyond that period is the best way to show competence.

[sportsfan123]

Ya I appreciate all the advice , its just with student loans and my financial situation , I really cant afford to stick it out that long. Plus , I recently learned they take away 40% of commission I guess to taxes or the company , which they never disclosed.

And to the question about the sales people , I said 50+ because maybe 4 out of the 10 are under 50. The rest are ladies over 60 who have been there like 20+ years. They told me that since they've been there the 20 years ,they never got a raise and never got a bonus.

[RaleighLass]

It is a big deal for you to have your first career job be a short stint. Don't leave yet. 6 months is a red flag. What type of company is it? Some fields are more forgiving of short stints. But I'd say a minimum of 1 year is best. However, if for economic reasons you must leave, be sure to have a job first or a gap after a short stint would look bad. In this economy there is much competition, you don't want to be left in the dust!

Also find out specifically what the 40% is they told you about. Is it a take back of commission that you drew on? No way should they be taking 40% of your salary...something doesn't sound right.

[sportsfan123]

well one of the ladies told me that they take 39% of what you make in commission , not sure if its a tax or if its even true.Ive never worked a commission job so I'm not sure if its taxed or what happens to it . Shes been there 20 years so I'm pretty sure shes knows something.

As for your advice , I would never leave unless I had something else lined up. I'm just trying to calculate how quick I can leave and still use it on my resume. I will say however , Theres no way i could last a year or even 6 months with my student loan debt so some of these responses worry me.

Thanks for the response as well

[RaleighLass]

Originally Posted by sportsfan123

well one of the ladies told me that they take 39% of what you make in commission , not sure if its a tax or if its even true.Ive never worked a commission job so I'm not sure if its taxed or what happens to it . Shes been there 20 years so I'm pretty sure shes knows something.

As for your advice , I would never leave unless I had something else lined up. I'm just trying to calculate how quick I can leave and still use it on my resume. I will say however , Theres no way i could last a year or even 6 months with my student loan debt so some of these responses worry me.

Thanks for the response as well

Some types of student loan debt can be resctructured. You might want to look into this to relieve you of your current burden until you find other employment.

I am still not sure why you took a job and are still at it and do not know how the commission is structured and what the tax implications are? i ask this as you brought it up in one of your posts. I realize it's not the intent of your post.

[thatswanlady]

First tip of work life: Do not take what some lady told you about your pay as law. I've been out of college and in the working world for 9 years now, and I've heard some crazy things in my different jobs about pay/hours/vacation/whatever. Very rarely has any of it turned out to be entirely true as told, and a lot of it left out so many pertinent details that it could hardly be called true at all.

Next -- when did you start this job? I'd say it takes about 3 months to really start feeling settled at any job, no matter how ideal it is. I understand that you can't afford to stick it out for long, but RaleighLass has a great idea to look into re-structuring your student loan debt. Start there. If you really want to make a career of sales, chances are you're going to have to figure out a way to balance your student loan debt with a few months of very low income at any new job you get.

To answer your question, 6 months is really the minimum -- particularly for a person fresh out of college. Later in your professional career, with more experience, you can probably explain away a short-term job a lot easier because you will (hopefully) be able to prove stability in your professional life in other jobs.

That being said, it doesn't hurt anything to start looking now -- you never know, you might get a bite. However, do not start another job without understanding, in detail, your pay structure and commissions -- or else you might jump out of the frying pan straight into the fire without realizing it.