Feeling Stuck: Short Stints Keep Overshadowing My Real Experience
I really need some outside perspective from people who’ve dealt with similar situations. I was recently rejected right before an offer because of my short stints, even though the company appreciated my experience and I cleared every round.
For context, here’s my journey without naming any roles or companies:
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First company — 6 months (contract) It was a fixed contract from Day 1. I wanted to stay, but the extension didn’t happen, so I had to move.
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Next two companies around - 1.3–1.4 years each These helped me gain strong exposure to multiple industries. I intentionally chose them to build diverse experience. But eventually, my long-term goal was to move into a product company with deeper, more stable work not stay in agency/consulting-style setups forever.
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Next company — 11 months This was finally a product firm, and I genuinely loved the work. But due to funding issues, they had to let go of several teams. My exit wasn’t performance-based.
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Last two companies — 11 months + 1.6 years These have been the hardest part of my journey. Each place had cultural issues, but the most recent one has been extremely difficult toxic leadership, politics, zero transparency, and a lot of dictatorship-style decision-making, speaks to me very disrespectfully I’ve tried to stay committed, but the environment keeps getting worse, and it genuinely affects mental health.
Because of all this, I’m actively looking for a place where I can finally stay for 2.5–3+ years. I don’t want to keep switching. I want stability and deep growth. But whenever companies see my timeline, the context gets ignored. Even when I explain honestly and perform well in interviews, the tenure becomes a deal-breaker.
So I’d love some genuine advice on:
• How do I explain these transitions better so companies understand the reasons instead of assuming instability? • How do people overcome a series of short stints when many were outside their control? • Is there a better way to frame this pattern so it doesn’t keep affecting opportunities?
Any perspective would help. I’m honestly exhausted and just want clarity on how to move forward.
