From the mailbag:
Hi Andrew,
I left an internship at a CPA firm last summer after only two weeks. Do you think I should take this job off my resume? I want to include it because many of the positions I am applying for require audit experience. On the other hand I do not want to include it because I left because I did not like the people I was working with.
I initially applied for a spring internship, but they contacted me when a summer internship position opened up in May. So I accepted and was thrown into the fire, and the senior I was working under had no inclination to train me in any way. They were pretty unsupportive and at times demeaning.
I shared my issued with other managers, but by that point I was already fed up with the place. The stress was affecting my school performance and so I went back to my old job.
If you could advise me here that I would greatly appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Bean Counter Reader
It’s strange.
I had a friend in University who dealt with almost the exact same issue.
He went to work for a firm for 2 weeks.
He barely made it out of training.
They told him to leave.
Why?
You won’t believe this.
He was playing Angry Birds in training.
Ha, what a joke right. How easy is it to avoid playing Angry Birds at work.
He was fired.
While the person that sent this email doesn’t appear to have been fired, I wouldn’t include the job on a resume.
The reality is: you never really worked there.
In 2 weeks, you didn’t complete much work, learn knowledge and skills, build client and team relationships.
You basically got your laptop, met a few people, then left.
Putting these types of positions on your resume can’t help you in ANY way.
When you’re in the next interview and they ask about it, what will you say?
“I left after two weeks, I didn’t like the people”
The first thing that interviewer is thinking is:
Will that person do the same thing here. Am I putting my reputation on the line for someone who has a history of quitting after two weeks? Easier to just look at the next candidate than risk it.
Regardless of whether you are a great candidate, the firm was really terrible, or you were dumb enough to play angry birds in traing……
It doesn’t matter.
There is a perception around these types of events and it isn’t good.
What would I do?
Keep if off the resume and don’t talk about it unless directly questioned.
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