To add content - I just got a new job.
I’m certain it’s better than my current job, I was headhunted, so I should feel all special - but I fear change.
My old job was cozy and stable, now I’ll have to do new stuff and people paying me a lot of money might expect things of me.
To add an anecdote a colleague working on a lifestyle magazine just had a visit from a high profile television executive, who were to critique their magazine. After the session ended he asked around the table how long people had been on the magazine, when one guy said “7 years”, the reply was “why don’t you leave? Isn’t it time for something new?”
It seems that job rotation is expected in my line of work and the only way to build your CV (or get any substantial raise) yet the companies I have been with offer loyality packages like paid leave if you stay for a certain amount of time.
So, what do you think. Regular change of jobs - Good? Bad? Necessary evil?
I thin k when you are starting out you should have a few jobs unless you find one that really suits you perfectly. It’s good to get a few different frames of reference.
Once you know what you are looking for in a company (And it isn’t always what you initially think it is.) you should look for a company that will give you what you want and settle in for the long haul. Either that or start up your own business.
Personally, I hate changing jobs. So far I have only had 3 jobs in my short lifetime (23 years old)
The only real benifit I have seen is that it’s much easier to increase your paycheck in this manner. But you have to be carefull not to do it too often. Change jobs to often, and established companies with high paying jobs feel your not going to be worth the investment to train since you will most likely jump ship again.
But hey, every industry is different. I don’t know what your industry is so I can’t comment on it.
edit: Overall, Staying for the longhaul > frequent change of jobs
Curriculum Vitae. It’s analogous to an American resume. American academics typically maintain a “CV” rather than a resume, though I’m not sure if it’s to sound all snooty or if the term is used because their CV include publications.
My “resume” includes my publications, so call it what you will.
My experience in my home town was that companies survived off government subeventions, and could only hold on to people as long as they were in heavy production;the day the deadline arrived was the day they kicked everyone out (maybe to call them back in a month, maybe to close down forever until the slimey producers would just start up a new co. and run the process all over). Consequently, all employees were buttered up on hiring but were ultimately expendable. They had no loyalty, people rotated around until everyone worked with everyone, and a palpable employee VS production battle line formed with pretty much everyone feeling like everyone else was going to fuck them over ad infinitum.
Now, happily, I’m with a small company with a persistant income that needs high end workers but doesn’t have all the perks to satisfy every need, which makes us much less dispensable than at a big co. everyone knows and applies to. They try to hang on to the people who do the job right, and for once, I feel the people here feel valued. As such, whereas my first five years I worked in 6 different companies, I’ve happily been at this one for almost four years. However, lately, I feel a niggling boredom and sense I could move on to bigger things, which might indeed force some kind of move eventually, despite my comfort.
I’m a journalist. Currently the reviews editor for a rather large pc magazine, soon to be a gadget/tech writer for the consumer section of a rather large newspaper.
So there’s really no retraining in the equation.
It seems in my business that the people I admire… or more directly, the people whose byline I recognize, change jobs a lot, but I also know quite a few who switched to some hotshot upstart, that folded soon after.
I was just wondering about the fact that the companies do a lot to keep employees loyal but at the same time seems most likely to hire those, that switch jobs a lot.
I always found in the tech press that the only way to really get ahead was to change jobs periodically. At Ziff-Davis, if you stayed there and were a loyal cog in the machine, you were pretty much ignored as far as promotions, etc. Or they’d can you if you rose too high in the food chain because you were costing them too much money. But jump ship to another company for a year or two and they’d hire you back three levels over where you left, because hey, you must have learned amazing things at the other company.
Good god, man, though, a newspaper? What, the Victrola manufacturers weren’t hiring? No openings at the buggy whip factory?
Well, definitly a congrats on your new position. I wish it was feasible for me to go into journalism, so I am a bit envious.
Past that, I think employers, more often than not, would rather keep thier workforce.
Also, changing jobs a lot varies from person to person. Some friends I know have worked over 20 jobs in the course of a year. Those are the people employers want to avoid unless it’s just a temp position.
It’s mainly because we add publications and conferences. My resume is very different from my CV. I can keep my resume to one page, usually. Not so with my CV.
When is the last time you guys saw the Pullitzer go to somebody with a blog, a writer for a website or a gamesjournalist (or for that sake a whore… I mean a journalist turned to the dark side of PR)
