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Original poster

Length of time to spend in a job...

11 replies

Cosmogirl · 13/06/2007 20:58

Hi there, just looking for some views. I graduated from uni in 2004 and stayed in my first job for 8 months - it wasn't challenging enough and the pay was bad so found a new position to move to. I stayed with that company for two years. I am now in my third job and have been for nearly four months. However, it is not working out as well as I thought and I am just wondering how long I should stick it out. Do you think that staying for a year or two years in a job looks bad? I just haven't found a company which has made me want to stay for years and years..... All thoughts welcome! Thanks.

OP posts:
SSSandy2 · 13/06/2007 20:59

can you see a possibility of changing your work focus within that company/role so that you would feel happier there? Do you know what direction you want to move in?

thelittleElf · 13/06/2007 21:02

I think if i was an employer, and was looking at a CV of someone who had lots of jobs but only stayed shorterm, then i would maybe choose someone else. It's not great though when your in a job you aren't enjoying. Have you considered talking to someone about it? I've been in my job for just over 9 years, and it has it's ups and downs, but on a whole i'm quite lucky i suppose. Hope you find the answers you're looking for

babyblue2 · 13/06/2007 21:02

I stayed in a job for 10 yrs and am now a SAHM, DH changed jobs every year or two and now has a very successful business.

choosyfloosy · 13/06/2007 21:03

my jobs after graduating go like this:

10 months
15 months
temping 6 months
2.5 years
2 years
1 year defined contract
3 years
2.5 years

So I don't think you have to stick somewhere for ever. BUT you do have to be able to 'explain' your pattern of work. It got very sticky at the third job time for me, hence the 6 month temping period. I had some trouble explaning it at that time.

But I've come to accept the fact that I tend to run: 1 year honeymoon; 6 month OK; 6 months getting bored; 6 months getting out. You may just not be designed for being in one place for ages.

You could try taking some fixed-length contracts, as you can explain why you left those. Or, my advice would be to join a really big organisation with a really varied range of functions that allows you to get bored and move on a lot while still allowing it to look OK on your CV!

Original poster
Cosmogirl · 13/06/2007 21:05

Hi, not really. I've just not found the role as challenging as I thought it would be and find that I'm quite bored a lot of the time. I'm a bit nervous of telling my boss in case I get the boot! It was a newly created role.
Also the company doesn't treat its employees very well and this makes me cross. I think I could stick it out for a year I just don't want to damage my CV by leaving after a few months. I've just got it in my head that a year/2 years doesn't seem like a long time but at the moment I can't see myself staying somewhere for longer than that.

OP posts:
Ladymuck · 13/06/2007 21:06

It really depends on what field you are in, and what your ambitions are. 3 jobs in 3 yeasr wouldn't give me that warm sensation that I'd be looking for if I wanted a long-term hire, or someone I was going to invest in through training etc. You're basically telling a potential employer that you chose badly in 2 out of 3 jobs. Why did you leave your second job out of interest?

That said I wouldn't stay in a crap job just to pass the time. But if you know that you don't want to stay there long-term I would come up with a short term plan that will enhance your skills, preferably through work so that you can show a potential employer that you do add value.

Whilst I wouldn't say that new recruits can't immediately add value, I tend to treat the first year as almost a probationary period where the recruit is getting up to speed with the knowledge of culture, contacts, corporate history that they need to function effectively.

Original poster
Cosmogirl · 13/06/2007 21:09

Ladymuck, left second one because I was commuting 80 miles and day by car and afte two years it started to grate on me. Also manager was a bit of a nightmare - incompetent.....etc I've yet to have a good manager.

OP posts:
Ladymuck · 13/06/2007 21:09

You might have a crap boss, but if someone was telling me that they wanted to do more interesting work then I would always take that on board. Anything to reduce the load on my desk! Think about how you want to say it to your boss - not "I'm bored", but "Now that I've been here fro a few months could we have a review". Can you come up with some ideas of how your job could be made more interesting for you?

Ladymuck · 13/06/2007 21:11

Crossposts - you need to think about your answer for the 2nd job too, unless your company relocated, because again I think that that would have been your choice.

Original poster
Cosmogirl · 13/06/2007 21:11

Yea that would be the most sensible thing to do. I'm just a bit of a wimp when it comes to saying these things... will have to pluck up the courage.

OP posts:
DominiConnor · 14/06/2007 12:56

cosomo, what is it that you actually do ?
Also, what's your degree in ?

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