Job Advice aka the Employment Forum

[LTE777]

I wanted to ask the forum (especially professionals out their ie lawyers, accountant etc) but anyone can add their two cents: what the minimum time you should stay at an employer you dont see a future at for?

The place is great but it doesnt challenge me in the way it should, the training from my 'so called' mentors is sub-par at best and i want to round out my intermediary skills before advancing to a senior position in about 7 years.  The main reason i would leave is because i dont think i will have the skills required to move into management and dont want to pidgeon hole myself to mastering one industry.

I had a patchy start at other places and went through about 5 jobs in two years and got sacked which looked very bad but bluffed my way through but now am doing really well at this current employer as the role interests me but the job is getting stale and plan to probably stay there between 4-5 years (currently coming up to end of year 3).

So what do you think is the minimum time you shoudl spend at an employer? Should you stay for the long haul if its good? Do you think once it gets stale you should leave as it will become mundane or it wont push you to learn? Or should you stay in the hope that you will be promoted to management....one day?  The place i work is recession proof, laid back, easy and give a good work life balance. So why am i bored and planning my next move?

Any thoughts, advice or experiences you can share would be great?

[lordxizor]

These days I don't think many employers would bat a eye at leaving after 3 years. You still may have to explain the 5 jobs in two years thing with potential employers but it shouldn't be as big of a deal because you've been with your current company for a few years. I've found that it generally doesn't pay to wait around for your current company to move you ahead. If there's an open position that you're interested in at your current company, go for it. Otherwise your best bet is to find something else. Boring jobs just tend to get more boring over time. It may be a good idea to sit down with your boss and ask what your career path is and where he would see you in a year or two and what you would need to do to accelerate that plan. But the quickest way to move up and get more money is to move companies.

[lonestar]

Hes right. Lateral moves prove more beneficial financially and are better for development given the variety of experience one recieves.  It is fortunat that you are in good standing with your present employer, that gives you the luxury to pick and choose your next step. Good luck.

[Dr. DTVT]

Before bolting, have you discussed these issues with your current employer?  If they are happy with you, they are probably more than willing to help you advance.

[millahh]

I was going to come in and say exactly what the previous posters said, so nothing for me to add...

[Riceball]

These days I don't think there is really a stigma about the length of time you stay at an employer, at least from my experience anyway. I work in a professional field - I guess you'd call it either public policy development or lobbying/advocacy or some combination of the two, although I'm an economist not a lobbyist - and the entire policy team within my unit has turned over in the past 12 months. At the same time, the people who came to replace those who left had been in their previous jobs for a fairly short space of time (from 9 months to 3 years), and the general manager didn't bat an eyelid.

I suppose my point is that it will depend on a) the field you are in and b) your reason for leaving, as was said previously. If you left because you didn't get along with your previous employer because you are/were a dick, or you were fired, then thats probably not great. But if its for career advancement, a new challenge or any other more positive reason that you can justify, I can't see a problem with something like 1 year to 18 months, let alone 3 years. At the same time, I wouldn't make a habit of changing and moving often, as that can ring alarm bells. But once or twice for good reason, can't see a problem.

Personally, I've been in my current job for 12 months now and was recently taken off "Graduate" status, which meant an increase in responsibility, accountability and pay - but I'm basically doing the same stuff I was doing previously. In my field, every day is different and challenging so I can't see myself getting bored or tired or sick of it for the foreseeable future, despite my next "career move" simply being a move from economist to senior economist...which will again entail more accountability, responsibility and pay, but no real change in the type of work that I'm doing.

EDIT: I'm sure theres supposed to be a full stop in there somewhere...