What does it say about my CV if I leave a job after a short stay?

15 Dec

What does it say about my CV if I leave a job after a short stay?

Recently I’ve spoken to several finance leaders who left roles far sooner than they ever expected to.

We’ve all grown up with an unspoken rule:
Three years is a “proper” stint.

Year 1 — learn the business
Year 2 — deliver change
Year 3 — hand over and move on

But sometimes life doesn’t play by the neat career-planning rules.
Each of the people I spoke to had successful, progressive careers. And then they stepped into a role that very quickly turned out to be the wrong fit.
“Wrong fit” can mean many things:

• The financial picture was not what was presented
• The culture was completely misaligned
• The stress, hours or expectations became damaging to health

Here’s the reality: everyone is allowed a mistake.
None of us make perfect decisions every time.

There comes a moment — after the sleepless nights and the self-doubt — when the right decision is to walk away. And when they do, almost everyone says the same thing:

“It felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders.”

Taking action to protect your wellbeing isn’t weakness — it’s strength. Staying in a role that is hurting you doesn’t reward loyalty, it just prolongs the pain.

So what does a short stint say about someone?
To me, it says courage. It says self-awareness. It says integrity under pressure.

And if you’re reviewing CVs, remember this too:
Behind every 6-month line on a résumé is a human being who backed themselves when it really mattered.

Let’s judge people by the decisions they make — not just the dates on the page.

Have you ever had to make the brave call to leave early?
What helped you decide it was the right move?