How do I show a very brief job in my resume?

by David
(Centennial.CO USA)

I accepted a job for a major bank a week after I started at a competing company. I was offered a substantially higher salary by the second company, so I accepted their job offer and quit the first job that I had just started.

I am licensed with FINRA and this brief entry shows up on my job history that's on file with them and verifiable through public access. How do I or should I place this on my resume?

ANSWER: Hi David, I'm sorry but I'm not that familiar with your industry. Are future employers likely to check the job history at FINRA? I'd be inclined to leave it off the resume if not, because it certainly won't add anything positive to the resume. In fact, seeing that you could be lured away after making a commitment might send up red flags. (Just thinking from the employer's perspective here; I understand why you did it.)

If you think they might see it, then you have a couple of ways you can go. You can list it on the resume (or not), but explain in the cover letter that it was a short-lived position that you realized wasn't a good fit once you got into it. Or, you can just wait and see if a question about it comes up in the interview. If asked why you didn't include it in the first place, you could just say something like, "I didn't think it added any real value to my resume, as I didn't work there long enough to gain any significant experience or skills..."

Good luck!