New Job Went Weird Fast - How to Sell it on CV?
Hello there!
I recently started a job as an APM for commercial real estate (like literally 3 weeks ago), but it seems like it unfortunately turned a turn for the crazy, and I'm unsure how to address it in my CV for when I apply for new jobs. I basically just started, and I was getting along there pretty well, but now it is the way it is. Or at least how it is later described. I'll try to put it out in a bunch of points, so as to not blow anybody's minds with excessive details or info flooding. FYI, it's a job I found through a temp agency (which becomes relevant later)
- I start at a new company, and I am told I would be replacing the current APM they want to get rid of. I go there, and I am told that the APM would be going on vacation for the next 2 weeks after the first day. I've done this sort of stuff before, so I take whatever I can from the current APM, and I get along fine without supervision, or even a PM (the PM position there is absent, and it's just an asset manager standing in for the PM). I ask questions to the asset manager when he can fit the time in, but other than that, I could manage tenant disputes, lease administration, accounts payable/receivable, bids/quotes, all the typical APM stuff on my own while also finding free time to streamline some of the leasing agent's workflow.
- The other APM gets back from vacation, and I pride myself (not too much!) on not having to call her during her vacation once during her absence, and things were left in a good state workwise. However, the leasing agent I get along well with was telling me that she was talking with the other APM, and she reacted in a really threatened way when she told her that I was able to resolve by myself a late payment dispute due to misplaced charges in AR in Yardi (and APM/AM inaction). There were also some scheduled backflow tests which I was not warned about and were supposed to take place the following day, but I managed to get those arranged for, and the test passed perfectly without any issue. Things seem to be going normal, but the APM was definitely sussing out that I was coming there to replace her. The APM told the asset manager that I fumbled those tests, but I just told both of them that the dates they were referring to were actually for a day before, and the properties in question passed the review, so the certificates were to come shortly (which they did within the hour, so that discussion ended right there).
- On Thursday, the Asset Manager sits me down and tells me that the leasing agent was being dropped (and replaced with a 21-year old fresh out of university with no PM experience), and I wouldn't need to show up to work for the next week, before showing up again while the current APM goes onto vacation again, after which "they would see" what would happen. So.. massive red flag right there. I was informed by the recruiter before that this assignment was supposed to be around 6 months or so at least. I let the recruiter know about this discussion I had with the asset manager and then we arrange for a call tomorrow.
- During the call on the following day, the recruiter told me that she tried to reach out to the HR director at this company to clarify the situation, and she hadn't gotten back to her despite usually responding quickly or other inquiries. The recruiter also said that she had no idea that I was even subbing in the APM during vacation absence, and then what she told me was to just tell her everything I am doing in this job right now so she could update my resume and forward my application to new jobs on the same day. So this seems like a bait-and-switch situation where I was supposed to replace the current APM, but instead am just doing vacation stand-in. It's crazy, but I've been around enough to not let it get to me, cause I've had crazier than this. Um, many times! But needless to say, it's obvious that this is not a serious job in any way, but I'll show up for the following 2 weeks so I can get my money like a good little slut, while knowing not to believe a word anyone there says (the recruiter is fine though, so I'll keep on working with her).
Anyways, onto the point... I moved back to the US 4 months ago, and after being unemployed for 3 months, this was supposed to (in my eyes at least) be my first big US job where I would continue where I left off after living abroad for many years. It seemed to be this way at first, but now this is not so, so I will have to find this elsewhere. Property Management works differently in the US than in other countries, so I am leaning towards putting this position on my resume, but only mentioning that it was a vacation stand-in from the get go. On the other hand though, the 6 weeks this job is looking like this job will end up lasting is another potential red flag on my CV if I will be putting myself back out onto the job market.
Would anyone who is a property manager or a hiring manager have any opinions or thoughts on this? It's difficult to sell this situation, but I still want to show that I have US-specific experience on my resume (International experience without US experience puts you in a disadvantage when comparing to people with US experience, believe me). I was fine with this job, but now there are more red flags there than in the Soviet Union, so obviously I am gonna have to start looking yesterday.
Thanks!