I have been in the same industry for over 20 years with a solid background and good reputation. In August, I left a well-paid job as a senior sales leader for a VP role in a startup company in a Southern state. Shortly after joining, it became clear it was not a good fit. With some family issues (aging father), I resigned and headed back home. I was employed by this company for only three months. Do I put this job on my current resume?
Resumes are marketing documents, not historical records. You can’t lie on your resume, but you don’t have to put everything you’ve done. You don’t list the times you’ve screwed up at work, lost that big account or hit “reply all” when you were trashing a colleague — you only list accomplishments, right? You may be asked to explain what you did during the gap — in which case saying that you took time off to care for an ailing parent is usually met with compassion. Just make sure the job isn’t listed on your LinkedIn profile, and make it clear that you are now unencumbered and focused on your career. That said, I don’t think there is any harm in acknowledging the truth of the situation. You’ll just need to explain what “bad fit” means without trashing your employer. The combination of switching jobs to a startup environment, relocation and ailing father is a perfectly fine narrative. Whichever strategy you choose, I hope your dad is on the mend — and your career is, too.