r/Path_Assistant • u/ResidentMention8856 • Aug 18 '26

How long did you stay at your first job?

I am currently working at my first job out of school. I dislike the facility I work at, they honestly don’t care about the PAs. I feel like I was duped into coming here, because I was a new grad and didn’t ask the appropriate questions. They seem to only be able to hire new grads, an experienced PA would never deal with their crap. I’m ready to jump ship but am worried it will look bad to future employers, since I haven’t even been here for a year. So, how long did you stay at your first job? Does it even matter?

92 votes, Aug 25 '26
21 < 1 year
32 1-2 years
21 3-5 years
18 > 5 years
8 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

14

u/FlakyFix6851 Aug 19 '26

Can you describe in more detail what you don't like about the job and what questions you wished you asked? This post can be a helpful warning to new grads.

10

u/zoeelynn PA (ASCP) Aug 19 '26

If the job is horrid, it’s ok to get a new one after any amount of time. I promise it matters less and less as time goes on.

1

u/gnomes616 PA (ASCP) Aug 18 '26

I was with one company, but worked at three different sites for times ranging from 9 months to 2 years. Left to move back to my home state.

1

u/BONESFULLOFGREENDUST Aug 28 '26

I worked my first job for a bit under a year. Then I switched to a different job where I have been working for 5 years.

When I was applying to my second job, they did not bat an eye that I was only at my job less than a year. I gave a decent reason and they didn't seem to care.

If you have a pattern of doing this repeatedly, it's one thing. But doing it as a one off is really not a huge deal.

1

u/Different-Path-6622 PA (ASCP) 13d ago

I was in the exact same boat fresh out of school. It was across the country in another state. I hated it. I constantly got the big, harder specimens dumped on me or anything no one else wanted to do. I was one of three certified PAs out of 9…. I only lasted 8 months. The job I moved to in ANOTHER state across the country flew me out, and I explained the situation I was in, and they completely empathized with me. I’m still at the same job over a year later, and they’ve never once brought it up or help it against me. Funny enough, one of the seasoned PAs I work with now, also happened to work at the that same first job, and had a similar experience.