How Long Should You Stay at Job?

by Debbie Vasen | More from this Blogger

10 Jun 2008 01:53 PM

There is often the discussion of longevity and loyalty on your job resume. You don't want to look like a job hopper. Therefore, how long should you stay at a job you dislike or underpays you, so you maintain a quality career history?

Some of the answers to this question will depend greatly on the situation. There is no true standard. In many circles, the year mark is significant, not only because it gives you enough time to truly evaluate the position but also to see the role in a full cycle. Still, if you are in a hot career market or early in your career development, frequent job moves might not hurt your chances of landing another new job.

If you are fresh out of college, most managers understand that you may still be in the exploration stage. However, if you do land the interview, expect to be asked about the job-hopping. Make sure you have a mature and reasonable answer for why you left each job and how you have learned from the experience. No company wants to hire someone who will leave them in a few months.

Moving positions within a company looks better than changing companies. Keep this in mind when building your career portfolio. If offered a new position at another company, see if your current employer can keep you by matching the offer with a similar position. This way you still build your skills, but don't look unreliable, and instead look valuable.

Once you have settled into a career history, you also want to be able to demonstrate some loyalty. While a recruiter might forgive a few job changes early in your career, if you are still hopping companies after 10 years, this may not look so good. Should you stay in a job that you hate? Ultimately, you need to evaluate the impact of leaving. If you discover the job is truly miserable and you can't do anything to change it, it is often better to leave quickly and not even place the company's name on your resume.

Related Articles:

*Writing An Objective Statement On Your Resume

*Monday Morning Funnies: Mistakes to Avoid on Your Resume

*Make the Resume Shine

Learn more about Debbie Vasen

Debbie Vasen is a published web content editor and writer, as well as a freelance writer for various print publications. In addition to blogging at Families.

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Rich Andrews (276) 10 Jun 2008 07:15 PM

This is excellent. The article is very relevant to me right now. I also liked your related articles. The Monday Morning Funnies was a scream. Thanks.

Debbie Vasen (1072) 10 Jun 2008 07:58 PM

Rich,

Thanks for the comment! I am certainly glad it was a timely article for you. It is amazing the stuff that people don't consider when applying for jobs :) If you take the time to plan ahead, it will really help you to shine above the rest in the career world.

Trev (57) 13 Jun 2008 08:56 PM

I have a hard time thinking that people need to be loyal to companies, because companies aren't loyal to employees. When a company shows loyalty due to tenure, then employee satisfaction would be improved and questions like this would be irrelevant.

Debbie Vasen (1072) 14 Jun 2008 11:28 AM

Trev,

Yes, good point. Although it is more about how you look to another future employer in this case. Sometimes being loyal is more about yourself then about the company you are working for!