Is Switching Jobs Too Often a Bad Thing? 208
Career Hot Potato asks: "I've been out of school for little more than a year and I have only good things to say about the job market. So far, there doesn't seem to be any lack of demand for a good .NET developer. I've got to admit, though, I feel a little disloyal at this point. Several great job offers have come my way and I've taken them. My resume is starting to make me look a bit restless and it worries me. Until now I've just chalked it up to 'I'm just settling in,' but now another opportunity has been dropped into my lap. Would I be digging my own grave by taking this job? It'd be my fourth job in 16 months but each offered a promotion and a 30% to 40% raise. I know better than to put a price on job satisfaction but I'm pretty certain I'd be happy there. Is being branded as a 'hot potato' enough to keep you from switching? What's your price on this stigma?"
Good .NET developers? (Score:5, Funny)
Excellent! What's the market like for evil
Re: (Score:2)
in .net, you are paid more; it is a position working for MS.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I believe you meant to say:
in
(imagine Ballmer as your MS avatar for the truly horrifying image).
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Just got this horrible image of the scene from Office Space with the boss having sex with his GF. Except with Ballmer.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
You newbie, he's using the *Advanced* rules. The question should be, is the OP chaotic good or chaotic neutral?
Job hopping is bad for career (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Job hopping is bad for career (Score:5, Interesting)
Hmmmmmn, I'm not so sure, while a job change every four months is a little much, while the offers keep flowing in (ie, he's not actively job hunting), no problem.
As far as resumes go, who cares, fluff it out. Drop off the the job who'll give you the worst references/referee & extend the other jobs in a month, with a two month 'sabbatical'* in the middle.
Switching jobs can be bad, but if you're being offered jobs, basically, don't stress about it. Take the job if you think its better (pay, stability, working environemnt, proximity to home, etc).
* When you're asked about your sabbatical in your interview, say you wanted time to learn $.Net_related_thing and had enough saving to take some time off.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Switching jobs can be bad, but if you're being offered jobs, basically, don't stress about it. Take the job if you think its better (pay, stability, working environemnt, proximity to home, etc).
Note that I was talking about career. If you can not show that you have been able to hold a job for several years, nobody will give you a job when you have to look for one. Just like the previous IT bubble, this one won't last forever. I had two six month jobs and a one year job during the last bubble. And now every time I was in an interview after them I got asked why I switched so often. Luckily, the one year job ended up in bankruptcy so I could explain them convincingly.
Your future employee prosp
Re:Job hopping is bad for career (Score:5, Informative)
Those are all things you do not want your interviewer to think.
Also, depending on how your new employer found you, it may have been a very, very expensive process. A lot of staffing/head hunter companies are locking companies into contracts, e.g., you will pay us for 6 months regardless of how long the employee works. So if you leave at 4 months, you're really, really screwing the company (out of work and out of (tens) thousands of dollars depending on your pay rate). Loyal or not, that will make ensuring those references are good ones more difficult over time.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Exactly.
The other thing to consider from the original question is the benefits claimed. If this person is really getting a "promotion" each four months, then that tells you how much the promotions are worth. Similarly, while 30-40% per jump is on the high side, it seems normal in this industry for salaries to start p
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Of course, so far all his jobs have been offers given to him while he was still employed. Each company hired him away from the last one, probably knowing the situation. If you refuse to hire anyone with signs of disloyalty, you'll be limiting your candidate search to the unemployed. More long term, it sounds like he's a y
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
A resume with lots of short term jobs looks VERY bad to employers. While right NOW he is getting a lot of job offers, that probably won't ALWAYS be the case, and a "Job Hopping" resume will look bad in the case where he is actively looking for a new job.
This was my first thought as well but that is still no reason not to take this job. He doesn't have a strong accumulated time at his current job so the next one will be no different. You are going to want to have some time at SOME job before you start hopping around. As mentioned above, there is no reason to put every job you had on the resume. At a year out of school, nobody is looking for you to have been there for long term anyway. As long as the current job offer is better, I would say go for it.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
there is no reason to put every job you had on the resume
Until you happen to run into someone who worked with you at one of the places you didn't list, and your manager says "Hey, I didn't know you worked at SomeCo". Then they check your resume and see that you didn't mention it, and they start wondering what else you didn't mention. Especially if you fudge your start/end dates, then it's not just an oversight, it's a lie. And lying on your resume is a Very Bad Thing....
Re: (Score:2)
No one will risk the slander lawsuit and give a bad reference, and fibbing on your resume is a bad way to start a career. Any company that is asked about your employment will simply say, "Yes, Joe worked here from ___ to ___, and had a salary in the range of $xxxxx.", and that's it.
Now on job switching, it's alw
Re: (Score:2)
While IANAL, the above is NOT good advise. Yes, you can drop a job off your resume; but DO NOT LIE ABOUT WHY and do not extend other jobs to cover up that
Girl hopping is bad for marriage (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
If this was anywhere else on the internet I might believe you but on Slashdot we have difficulty believing the girlfriend thing.
Re: (Score:2)
It's not as unreasonable as you might think. He probably started dating a flat-chested 12 year old, and then upgraded to a 14 y/o...
Re: (Score:2)
Allow me to translate.... (Score:5, Funny)
Some of those eHarmony chicks are hot!
So far, there doesn't seem to be any lack of demand for a good geek
A real-live woman actually talked to me yesterday
I've got to admit, though, I feel a little disloyal at this point. Several girls have come my way and I've taken them. My list of ex-girlfriends is starting to make me look a bit restless and it worries me
I've yet to make it past the first date
Until now I've just chalked it up to 'It's just hormones,'
One or two of them have restaining orders against me
but now another chick has been dropped into my lap.
I crashed into her shopping cart at the supermarket
Would I be digging my own grave by taking this girl?
{Most likely}
It'd be only my fourth time speaking to a woman in 19 years
{The most accurate statement made so far}
but each offered benefits and a 30% to 40% increase in cup size.
{The most in-accurate statment you've made so far}
I know better than to put a price on satisfaction but I'm pretty certain I'd be happy with her even though all I ever do with girls is hold hands.
{if you're getting that far with this one...hold onto that}
Is being branded as a 'hot potato' enough to keep you from switching? What's your price on this stigma?
"hot potato" = Horny and Fat
Re: (Score:2)
You can do it once but your resume should have a job that spans several years right after it.
Several years? I must be getting old. I remember when only staying a couple years was considered job hopping.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Job hopping is bad for career (Score:5, Insightful)
The world is getting smaller and smaller and with sites like linkedin around it will take less than 15 seconds for someone to find a suitable "informal" reference. So a lie is quite likely to cost you the next job. Same for doctoring CVs, putting fake "Senior" into the job title, putting fake "responsibilities" like "mentoring junior developers" and other usual bollocks stuff people do to get themselves pushed into the higher salary bracket.
Always presume that your interviewer has looked you up on social networking sites and already has a reference for you or two before doing anything stupid (these are my observations from recently looking for a job).
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
And of course, bear in mind what it shows up if they type your name into google.
Re: (Score:2)
In the past 6 years I've had 6 different jobs. They looked like:
3 years with a government org
6 months with a startup as an independent contractor
3 months as a contractor with a financial
1.25 years with a startup
9 months with a private org
4 months on my current job
However, what you don't see is that between the first and second, we moved. The two contract jobs were easy to explain (contract expired), then between job 4 and 5 we moved, and 5 and 6 we moved.
So, if you are just hopping to hop
Re: (Score:2)
This is old school thinking. Increasingly even FTEs are being treated like contractors these days. I like the mercantilist thinking espoused by Die Broke [slashdot.org]. Basically you should look at yourself the same way professional athletes do - you are paid a certain amount based on your perceived
A job is a job (Score:5, Interesting)
Agreed (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:A job is a job (Score:4, Interesting)
Not if... (Score:5, Interesting)
Switching jobs regularly can be fantastic for your career - but you have to do it intelligently: leave AFTER you finish a big project.
(disclaimer: I'm a contractor - it's a whole other way of making a living.)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
So am I. I was thinking that he would make a perfect whore. Make double. Less politics. More interesting projects. More respect. More freedom. I'll never be a wage slave again.
Yes (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, doing anything too often is a bad thing.
Hope that helps.
It can be (Score:5, Insightful)
However please don't take this to mean you should try and stick with a company no matter what. You do not owe your company anything other than good work and you shouldn't stick around in a situation that sucks. However do take in to consideration that what goes around comes around in terms of loyalty.
My personal rule would be don't switch jobs without a good reason. There are lots of things that could be a good reason, but just a salary increase really isn't. There's much more to happiness than money and if you get in a game of chasing dollars it is easy to make yourself unhappy. Figure out what you want out of work and try to find a place that offers that. Then stay there unless there's a reason to move. Also consider other things like work environment, benefits (such a vacation, health coverage), and so on.
So don't turn this down just because you feel you are switching too often, but don't take it just because it is more dollars, unless you are in a situation where you need the money (in which case ask yourself why, and make sure you don't get there again). Take it if it will be better for your long term happiness. Money is certainly a part of that, but consider all the factors.
Do this not only because you want to be happy, but because it is easier to explain to a future employer if they ask about it. If they say "You have a lot of jobs here in the past few years, why is that?" You come off much better explaining how the changes were for personal reasons such as liking the new challenge, growth, better environment, etc than if you just say you were after bigger bucks.
Also part of it depends on how you want to present yourself in the job market. A legit way to go is a consultant kind of worker. Maybe not an actual consultant, but willing to take on short-term work. Company needs a developer for a single project that's maybe 6-12 months, you say sure and ride that while it's there then move on. In that case switching jobs is not just expected but probably even an asset as they won't worry you'll be pissed when they lay you off. However if you are more after the stable environment, where you work for a place for 5, 10, or more years and train to do new things as necessary, then look at doing less job hopping as places like that want people who will stick around.
Ultimately you are the only one with the answers. Just consider the reasons and make sure they are good ones. Make sure you consider everything you are giving up and that it still is worth it.
You're getting a new job. (Score:3, Insightful)
Why do you keep looking? (Score:2)
So you find a job, but keep looking for new jobs? Why?
About your question, it's not necessarily a bad thing. I've been offered a lot of "6 month contract" positions. If you've been doing stuff like that, it would make sense that you've switched jobs every few months when the contract ends.
But if that's not the case, or if it is and you keep leaving early, then it probably looks bad. Hiring people is an expensive pain in the ass, and if an employer thinks it's very likely they'll have to replace y
Re: (Score:2)
My two cents (Score:3, Funny)
I don't have much, if any, experience, so don't take my comments too seriously. Consider this though. If I take a job (not a tech job), I'm going to honor my commitment to it even if more money is offered elswhere.
Re: (Score:2)
Of course you shouldn't take every job that drifts through your transom, but if someone is offering you 1/3 again as much money as you're making now, you owe it to yourself to take a look. If it looks like a good fit, you can at the very least put the screws to your current boss and see if he'll match the other company's offer. if you really like your current job, they don't even have to match it all the way - work with them. If not, finish up what you're doing and split.
Going too fa
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Still, in this case, being a young buck (I'm not, but if I was), I'd jump on the highest sa
Re: (Score:2)
So the only loyalty you should have, its loyalty to yourself. For myself, once I get to the point in my job where everyday is the same and i'm not learning anything new, I start to look around. Luckily tho, i've been in the same position for the past 4 years and they
Depends where you are on the ladder (Score:4, Interesting)
There is a price to this. Be careful. (Score:5, Interesting)
The problem is going to be this: You're costing your employers money every time you do this. Lots and lots of money. It costs money to go through the hiring process, the process of orienting you (during which time you are less productive and still getting paid), the process of processing you (HR setting up payroll, insurance, etc), and worst of all -- the opportunity cost of hiring someone who leaves in a couple of months (ie, loss of productivity due to your orientation time + hiring time of the next guy + orientation time of the next guy).
Unless you are extraordinarily compelling, I'd be inclined to pass on you as an employer unless I was sure there was something I could do to keep you should you get a better offer -- and I'd have to be willing to do it, too.
Mostly, when you make a habit of hopping, what you need to consider before you hop is:
1. If the new job turns sour, am I willing to put up with any shit they give me, no matter how bad it is.
2. Is the company going to be in a position to release me in the near future (ie, due to layoffs or because I'm a fuck up)
The reason you need to consider these is because with each hop you make in a short amount of time, the danger of the aforementioned hiring manager passing on you due to your hopping increases. You do NOT want to be without a job when you cross the line and become a radioactive hire due to job hopping.
Re:There is a price to this. Be careful. (Score:4, Informative)
If other companies can afford to swoop in with a raise like that, you didn't get what you should have out of the company that currently employs you when you took that job in the first place.
If you want to switch, go ahead, but spend a lot of time getting the most you can out of them and then get some negotiating skills under your belt (there's books for that, don't read them at work).
Better yet, just negotiate a higher pay rate within the job you have... you have good evidence the going rate is higher.
Re: (Score:2)
No kidding. They were getting a 25-30% discount the whole time he was there. I guess they thought that making a lowball offer was a good idea at the time since it looked like a big enough raise to the hire to lure him from his last job.
Re: (Score:2)
The thing that confuses me about this is compounding, even if he started at $40,000 a year (which seems low) four jobs later at a 30% increase each is ~$90,000 (which seems high for someone with 2 years XP). Another 30% is ~$115,000, which seems insane unless he's in the middle of Manhatan.
A few thoughts on your situation (Score:5, Insightful)
#2 - Job hopping will change the kind of job offers you'll get. If you've been changing jobs every 4 months, you're going to get hired by people who have a short-term interest in you. If you show that you're committed to a job for 4 years at a time, you'll get hired by places that are looking to keep you around a long time.
#3 - If you LIKE changing jobs frequently, become a contractor! People will hire you expecting you to be there 6 months, and you'll get to try out a whole range of places. This will probably be a good thing for you until you figure out what you really want. Plus, if you decide to settle down, all you have to say is all the short jobs you did were contracts, and no one will count it against you.
#4 - Being a job hopper isn't inherently bad as long as you're representing your intentions truthfully, but don't be surprised if you end up having to seriously pay your dues to change your image if you decide you want to work somewhere more committed to YOU in the future.
Re: (Score:2)
That's not always the case. Many places here in the UK won't (or are very reluctant to) hire ex-contractors as permanent staff. This is on the grounds that they might get itchy feet too soon. Employees are so much more valuable once they have a few years domain knowledge internalised.
Re: (Score:2)
No one, and I mean no one is comitted to you. They're comitted to profits. And they'll drop you the instant you don't support that. If they say they're comitted, or you feel they're comitted, it's all part of an illusion constructed by the corporation to give them control.
Disclaimer: I'm a jaded consultant.
Sticking around can pay off. (Score:5, Insightful)
1. You're incompetent and moved from job to job because you had to, either because you got fired or because you left right before someone let you go.
2. You're only in it for the money and could care less about what we're doing.
#1 concerns me for obvious reasons, #2 concerns me because a. even the best engineer is a drain on the project for the first six months due to training overhead (you may be brilliant, but you DON'T know what we're doing or how we do things), b. when you leave *I* have to take up your slack until the new guy comes up to speed, and c. the rest of us DO care about what we're doing.
So my advice is this: find a nice balance between your paycheck and working on something you actually LIKE DOING, and then stay there for awhile even if someone else will pay you more. I just turned away a guy who is a brilliant programmer but who hasn't held a job for more than a year since 1995 - instead, I hired someone who was less technically qualified but had the good sense to ask about the longevity of the position because he hated switching jobs... and he had a history of sticking around. I treat my people well, I expect them to do the same for me.
Financially speaking, you also need to consider two things:
1. Switching jobs rapidly significantly lowers your credit score as well as making lenders think you're a flake, which will push the APR on any money you borrow through the roof. You may not think this matters, but if you buy a house or a car the penalty can amount to many thousands of dollars a year. If you don't use credit, that's not a problem... but if (like me) you can borrow money under the rate of inflation it's a huge benefit.
2. Many employee benefits (401K matching, long-term incentives, etc.) don't vest unless you're with a company for 3-5 years, so switching jobs often can incur a hidden cost of tens of thousands of dollars per year. You probably won't see this immediately on your paycheck but you'll feel it at retirement time.
HTH.
Re: (Score:2)
Okay, pet peeve rant time:
Saying that you "could care less" is a good thing, because it means that you do care! If what you really meant to say is that he didn't care, then the correct phrase to use is "couldn't care less," not "could."
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, both are correct, in the same way that flammable and inflammable mean the same thing.
Its just that, after a while, people dropped the "... but I'd REALLY have to work at it" because, well, they couldn't care less ... :-)
Re: (Score:2)
Since at first I wasn't sure whether you were correct or not, I looked it up [purdue.edu]. Although I couldn't find any rules on that page specifically about using both "if" and "then" in the same sentence, I did find sentences where the writer himself used them, such as the one here:
As you can see, he included a comma. Since the sentence came from a web page about grammar, one could reasonably expect it to be g
Re: (Score:2)
Is this really true? I do not recall that my credit report from any of the m
Re: (Score:2)
That said, how do you borrow under the inflation rate? Please, please tell me. And this better not be "Oh, I mean the *real* inflation rate of 8%." At least, don't say that without telling
Re: (Score:2)
Working for the money is bad? (Score:3, Interesting)
Why is it so bad to only be in it for the money? The vast majority of jobs out there, even if challenging or non trivial, are horrifically menial and unexciting.
You, the average IT coder/admin-person, are not cutting edge. You might write mainframe control scripts or think out test cases for the intranet support web app or code out bussiness logic or write requirements all day. You don't have to be an expert in the field to do yo
"The Industry" (Score:2, Interesting)
Something you don't learn in school is that every single employee needs a single laser-pointed focus: to get the most out of the company for the lowest investment of your time. This is how it works in good employees and in bad employees.
Eventually your salary will approach "fair market value"
loyalty is a 2 way street (Score:4, Insightful)
I've got to admit, though, I feel a little disloyal at this point.
Why? Do you think they're loyal to you? If you think that, you've got another thought comin'.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
>Why? Do you think they're loyal to you? If you think that, you've got another thought comin'.
Best comment so far.
to the original poster:
You feel disloyal to your colleagues, I presume. But you are not employed by your colleagues - you are employed by a company that does not give a damm about you, and will drop you in a heart beat. Remember that. You will discover it over the years as you see good people dropped in the basket for n
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Although at least part of that is probably that it's an utter bugger to hire people as a smaller comapny.
Other things to think about (Score:2)
Every four months? Ouch (Score:3, Interesting)
If I were a recruiter and knew about such moves, I'd be suspicious, regardless of your explanation(s). It sounds more like you've been dismissed after every 90 day probation for the last four hirings.
Also, don't ignore how this will look on credit reports as well - to banks and potential employers. Employers frequently check those these days, so try as you might to gloss over within a resume and you're more likely to just be putting your neck in a noose. Pick a job and stay with it for at least a year. Get more experience out in the world and use that to help pick the job you think you want...later. Otherwise, work for an agency and do your hopping while still showing one employer.
You can always do what most people in the same position do... start your own business and you can change once a week if you like
you should settle or contract (Score:2)
Consider being a contractor (Score:2)
But some words of caution; First, the contact shop is a pimp and considers you less than whore. They will try to take as much as possible from you. From watching the newbies, I have noticed that over the last 5 years, they have c
How About Relationships (Score:3, Informative)
Change too often, and your possible significant other may see you as:
1. Superficial or fickle.
2. Incapable of forming a relationship.
3. Irresponsible, immature, or otherwise unable to deal with obligations.
4. Not someone with whom any sort of investment should be made.
Don't change often enough, and you may be considered:
1. Complacent, unmotivated and aspiring to nothing.
2. Generally undesirable, or without talent.
3. Ill-equipped to form any new relationship.
4. Odd.
Like most things in life, our opinions are arrived at in some context. An employer who is seeking a superstar employee will view a stable work record differently than someone looking for to fill an empty slot.
My advice? Try to be mature in your decisions and decide what's right for you. Commitments you do make, however, should be respected. Personally, I've never objected to seeing 3-5 year minimums, given that there's few companies like IBM, GE, etc. around these days, and even fewer Jack Welsh types that you'll be working for. People get divorced at an increasing rate, so it's more acceptable than in the past that an invidividual won't spend his or her career with a single company.
The difference being... (Score:2)
"Yeah, before we get started, I'd like to see your relationship history and references please."
I wonder if that's how hiring managers end up with wives.
Yes (Score:2)
Given a choice between two developers with similar skills and experiences, but one has had 2 different jobs in the last decade, and the other has had 17, none lasting longer than 18 months, there's no question at all which one will be most desirable.
Thing is, people don't have any choice other than take past behaviour as indicative of future. So, I'd only hire the job-hopper if I desperately needed him t
What managers have mentioned to me (Score:2, Insightful)
They like to see that people have done different roles - different roles means picking up different skills.
3-4 years in each position seems to be the magic number. 2 is quite aceptable but lots of positions wit
Problem and Solution (Score:2)
I've been in the job-hopping situation plenty of times, and this is something that I've given a lot of thought to, over the years.
If you're getting a 30-40% raise each time you switch, then you're probably at a point in your career (the beginning) where you've been undervalued and potential employers are beginning to see your true potential. Unfortunately, staying steady at one job isn't going to get you the income you deserve. Job hopping will, and quite quickly. The problem, as you and others have s
I didn't RTFA or the post, but... (Score:2)
Depends on the market (Score:2)
Be very careful (Score:2)
Serious question... (Score:2)
Having experience means actually *experiencing* something, not having a passing familiarity with it.
Re: (Score:2)
The other half of experience is having tried a lot.
Bjarne Stroustrup described tha
30-40%?!? (Score:3, Insightful)
10%? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I wouldn't hire you. (Score:2)
No interview for you. I wouldn't touch you with a 10 foot pole even if you had exactly the skills I need. If you're not going to stay at least a couple years, you're not worth the effort.
The Perfect Resume (According To Me) (Score:2)
By the same token, I would typically be
Set some goals (Score:3, Interesting)
These are questions that should stimulate you to think about whether you are happy working there. The grass isn't always greener. The money might be better but this is only one consideration. Working with quality people, learning new skills and technologies, knowing a project has a good chance of success, knowing the company will be around in 6 months are other factors.
Not every project will be a success. Have backup plans for when your team do all get shafted. Perhaps you could say to the boss at the other company "I'm content in my current job but if the situation changes..."
As you're just starting out and earning good money (relative to the rest of the population, perhaps not in your industry just yet) don't be afraid to spend it. Serious stuff like a spouse, mortgage and kids can wait. Travel, see the world. Many contractors enjoy the freedom of working for 6-12 months and then taking a break. 4 weeks annual leave in a permanent job? Once you get over to the other side of the world, 4 weeks is gone in an instant.
Some perspective on what motivates you is more important than worrying about whether you should have taken a 'dream job' or not. My advice, unless you are really offered a huge wad of extra cash, stay in a job while you enjoy it. Patience...
It's no problem at all (Score:3, Interesting)
The thing about I.T. is, with a few exceptions it's all project-based. All projects end and most of them finish inside 12 months. Plus, the industry itself is quite turbulent. So whereas a 5-month stint in, say, insurance or finance makes you look fickle or suspect, it's perfectly reasonable and expected in I.T.
But at the end of the day, the real answer as to whether the job-hunting is truly fickle or intentional comes down to how you want to live. If you want something stable, then you are being fickle by hopping jobs. If you'd rather 'do it for the adventure' by consulting, then you're being deliberate and reasonable. Yet, as a previous poster said, make sure that whatever you do you're not leaving anyone in the lurch. If you do short stints, leave after completing the project or a significant milestone, not in the middle.
Depends (Score:2)
If you keep getting offers... (Score:2)
Enjoy the ride and make sure you're switching to a company you can stand to be with for a while. The offers may stop and then you'll be stuck for a while. Sure you're burning some small bridges but it's better to make the move early than to have a company grow to depend on you and then just cut out on them.
Not "bad", just interesting (Score:2)
Maybe the reason you are having such a problem with technology is becasue you're stupid.
Obviously very few (one) users have ever heard this. Apply that idea to your job and think about why you keep switching companies.
Maybe the reason you can't find the job you want to keep forever is because you shouldn't be working in this field.
Just a thought.
It'd be my fourth job in 16 months but... (Score:2)
Woah, hold the phone there! To quote Bobby Bouchet's dad in The Waterboy: "Take the money dopey!"
We Wouldn't Have Hired You (Score:5, Interesting)
We had to get through about 100 resumes for two positions that are currently open, and job-hoppers did not make the short list.
The positions are important ones in our company and the learning curve is too high to keep retraining, so we just don't hire people with resumes such as yours.
Depends on the career you want (Score:2)
It takes a long time to get a large, interesting piece of software right, and you
have to stick with it through a few releases. When I interview people, I definitely
look for someone who understands all this, and has proven that he can write code,
debug it, support it once it's in customers' hands, improve it, and keep it maintainable
across all this. I'll almost always discard a resume from someone who doesn't have
any job lasting m
Pluses and minuses -- here's my take. (Score:3, Insightful)
I think there's something to be said for sticking with a company for a while. A lot of permanent employees quit at the first sign of trouble or a better job offer. However, one of the things I like is seeing something I designed get built, released, used, improved and replaced. If you're only at a company for a year, you don't really see the results of your work, or get to learn from your mistakes. It also shows that you're willing to take the good with the bad. I work for a company that just had one of its first unprofitable years. We lost a ton of good people because of that...couldn't afford to pay out raises, etc. However, this year is shaping up to be pretty good. I'm going to get a raise, and life is good.
That said, this isn't the '50s. If you're stuck in a bad job that you know isn't doing anything for your overall career, don't stay. Back in the days of guaranteed lifetime employment and pensions (remember those??) I'm sure it was common for someone to hide in the shadows at an IBM or an AT&T and wait out a bad boss rather than quit. Personally, I wish companies would renew their "social contracts" with long-term employees. That's what made the middle class so strong in the 50s through the 70s...guaranteed income in exchange for good work.
My career advice would be to stay in a job "long enough." But, don't let your skills stagnate. Look for opportunities within your company to grow. If you have a big enough IT department, there should be plenty of places to move around.
Plusses for staying:
Plusses for job-hopping:
From the hiring side (Score:2)
Having looked at a lot of resumes for candidates at the place where I work, I'd had to say the answer is yes and no. Yes, when I see an applicant who's gone through 8 jobs in the last 3 years, I do tend to wonder why and ask questions at the interview intended to see if it's because of the applicant. On the other hand, someone starting out does tend to change jobs as they acquire experience and skills, so if the applicant's just starting their career I'm not so concerned. And you seem to have the perfect re
Yes. Even when you have no choice! (Score:3, Insightful)
Many previous posters have commented on the dangers and risks of frequent job-hopping, and all of them are valid. The sad thing is, these risks don't necessarily diminish when the job leaves you.
Somehow, I've managed to survive as a software engineer in data networking and telecomm equipment, even after the gigantic downturn of 2000-02. But it wasn't without pain. I was laid off in early 2002 (the company closed its Raleigh site to consolidate in NJ, and due to cost-of-living issues, I chose not to chase my job), contracted from 2003 to late 2004, landed a full-time permanent slot after that. Then that position (with a publicly-traded Silicon Valley company, filled with hubris, and no management sense) was yanked in mid-2006. (The company is in a death spiral today, so maybe they did us all a favor.) After 3 months out of work, I managed to land a contracting gig, then convert to full-time late last year.
Now, none of this was my fault; I had no say whatsoever in what happened. But during my latest round of interviews, employers would look at my resume and comment on the job-hopping. I could quickly explain it away, but I always had to explain it.
The moral of the story? Life can suck enough as it is, so don't make it any harder for yourself.
Re: (Score:2)
A) at your paid job, which is NOT system administrator, that you are also doing the duties of a system administrator? Or,
B) you've actually taken a job that doesn't pay (for charity or something)?
Because if you're whining about A, then I have news for you - you actually ARE getting paid if you're doing it during the business hours that you're getting paid. If you think you were hired under a bait and switch, and you don't get paid like a sysadmin gets paid, then you need to ask your manager
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Entrepreneurship is to succeed in life.
If you're a CxO, you might technically still be an employee.